Gorillaz Releases Single Damascus with Souleyman, Yasiin Bey

Gorillaz released their new single "Damascus" on Thursday, featuring Syrian singer Omar Souleyman and rapper Yasiin Bey, as a preview of their ninth studio album, "The Mountain," set for February 27, 2026.

The track, co-written by Gorillaz frontman Damon Albarn, Souleyman, and Bey, blends triphop, Arabic-influenced hip hop, and rap elements. It opens with atmospheric instrumentals before building to an uptempo groove driven by rumbling drums, synth stabs, and soaring vocals. Bey delivers chant-like lines about navigating uncertainty, such as "Here to navigate the waves in the dark, no map, stars in the heavens and a breeze on my back," while Souleyman adds devotional Arabic verses translated as lines like "No, my first love, if you were dirt I wouldn't step on you." The song was recorded in Damascus, London, Devon, Mumbai, and New York.

"Damascus" marks the fourth single from "The Mountain," following "The Happy Dictator" with Sparks, "The Manifesto" with Trueno and the late Proof of D12, and "The God of Lying" with IDLES. The 15-track album, Gorillaz's first on their new label KONG, features an extensive array of collaborators across genres. Contributors include Black Thought...