Gorillaz – Gorillaz (2xLP)

Gorillaz (2001) is the genre-bending debut from the virtual band created by Damon Albarn and artist Jamie Hewlett. Blending hip-hop, dub, rock, and electronic music, it introduced the world to a fully animated collective with a sound as imaginative as its concept. The album’s mix of styles felt revolutionary at the time — equal parts playful and melancholic — powered by standout tracks like “Clint Eastwood,” “19-2000,” and “Tomorrow Comes Today.” The production from Dan the Automator gives the record a cinematic quality, with layered beats and eerie atmospheres that perfectly complement Albarn’s world-weary vocals. Beneath its animated surface, Gorillaz captures turn-of-the-millennium restlessness — a blend of irony, alienation, and infectious rhythm. The project’s fusion of visual art and genre experimentation expanded the boundaries of pop, setting the stage for decades of innovation to come. Both forward-thinking and unmistakably of its time, Gorillaz remains one of the most inventive debut albums of the 2000s — a soundtrack to a strange, virtual age that somehow feels more real with every passing year.

Reviews

“A dazzling, offbeat debut that rewired the sound of pop for the 21st century.” – Rolling Stone

“A record that feels like the future — weird, witty, and wildly inventive.” – NME

“Gorillaz created a whole new world with this album — musically and conceptually brilliant.” – The Guardian