Gorillaz Release Singles Previewing Album The Mountain

Gorillaz released two new singles, "The Hardest Thing" and "Orange County," on Thursday as previews of their forthcoming album, The Mountain, scheduled for February 27. The tracks, which blend themes of grief and hope, highlight the band's collaborative spirit and mark the latest offerings from the virtual group's expansive project.

"The Hardest Thing," a poignant tribute to the late Afrobeat drummer Tony Allen, opens with his spoken introduction before delving into reflections on loss. Allen, a longtime collaborator with Gorillaz mastermind Damon Albarn who died in 2020, had previously worked with the band in the supergroup the Good, the Bad & the Queen. The song's central lyric, delivered in Albarn's melancholic tone as the animated character 2D, states, "You know the hardest thing is to say goodbye to someone you love. That is the hardest thing." Backed by simple, uplifting instrumentals, it transitions seamlessly into "Orange County," which adopts a brighter, more buoyant vibe.

The companion track features vocals from Kara Jackson, a singer-songwriter and former U.S. National Youth Poet Laureate who co-wrote the song with Albarn. It also includes sitar contributions from...