Gorillaz is a virtual band created by Damon Albarn (frontman of Blur) and comic artist Jamie Hewlett comprising of four fictional members – 2-D, Murdoc, Noodle and Russel.
The upcoming album follows the story of what happens when the four members of the band relocate to Mumbai with the help of fake passports. ‘The Mountain’ is their most ambitious chapter. This is our breakdown of the epic crossover: –
1. Global & Multilingual Collaboration
The album will feature Anoushka Shankar on Sitar, Ayaan Ali and Amaan Ali on Sarod, Ajay Prasanna on Flute and voices of disco star Asha Puthli and legendary playback singer Asha Bhosle.
Gorillaz upcoming album ‘The Mountain’ is a cross-culture collaborative effort due for release on March 20, 2026. The album was recorded in various parts of India besides other countries and is sung in five languages – English, Hindi, Arabic, Spanish and Yoruba.
The album is focused on the development of a hybrid musical identity that is rooted beyond a particular country or community.
2. India As More Than Just a Pitstop
India will not be just an exotic pitstop but integral to the album’s identity. The featuring of sitar, sarod, flute, voices of prominent Indian singers and the incorporation of India into the greater narrative through visual and storytelling motifs suggests that Gorillaz are treating Indian elements as not just props but as themes central to the existence and value of the project.
There is a huge potential for tracks bridging divides and appealing to newer audiences within the country.
With India now the second largest audio streaming market in the world, Gorillaz cannot afford to bypass us.
3. A Genre Defying Hybrid Where the Retro Meets the Future
‘The Mountain’ is both an ode to the past and a nod to the future.
The title track will feature late actor Dennis Hopper along with an ensemble of Indian classical stalwarts – Anoushka Shanka, Ajay Prasanna, Ayaan Ali and Armaan Ali.
The Moon Cave will feature Asha Puthli alongside late singer Bobby Womack and late rapper Dave Jolicoeur of De La Soul. The song also features rapper Black Thought and soul musician Jalen Ngonda. It seems like each song is to be a fest of genres.
The God of Lying has punk’s boldest voice – IDLES in it. The Empty Dream Machine and The Plastic Guru bring Anoushka Shankar and Johnny Marr together. The Manifesto features Argentine rapper Trueno alongside late D12 rapper Proof. Delirium features the late Mark E Smith of post-punk band The Fall.
Casablanca has Paul Simonon of The Clash alongside Johnny Marr of The Smiths.
4. An Archive of Legacies
‘The Mountain’ is more than just an album. It is an archive of legacies stretched across multiple genres and cultures. The inclusion of multiple artists posthumously plus icons from different eras suggests a weaving of past and present together where heritage meets experiment.
The Hardest Thing features late drummer Tony Allen – pioneer of afrobeat and considered by Brian Eno as ‘the greatest drummer ever.’
Orange County features Bizarrap – a Latin trap producer with Kara Jackson – a folk singer/songwriter and US National Youth Poet Laureate alongside Anoushka Shankar.
Damascus has Omar Souleyman – a Syrian wedding singer and hip-hop star Mos Def. The Shadowy Light has Asha Bhosle, Welsh rockstar Gruff Rhys, Ajay Prasanna, Ayaan Ali and Amaan Ali.
‘The Mountain’ brings the glories of multiple icons together. Fans of The Clash, The Fall, The Smiths, De La Soul and D12 will all be able to have a moment of finality through this record.
5. Design Language & Mythos
Jamie Hewlett’s artwork is half the experience of Gorillaz. This time the design folds in India’s mythic and linguistic textures with the album title etched in Devanagari. It’s not just great branding but a way of inscribing India into the visual DNA of Gorillaz’s universe.
6. Community Over Band
Gorillaz aren’t just a band. They’re a community experiment. To bring in Indian voices — not just as add-ons but as co-creators — is to expand what Gorillaz has always stood for as a global post- genre collective.
7. Risks
This could either be Gorillaz’s most relevant work ever or their most superficial. The large number of collaborations may lead to an uneven listening experience. The fusion of so many genres together may lead to a lack of coherence.
Will the different cultural sounds be justified or will their integration be just decorative in purpose. Fusion between modern and retro can go wrong where neither is justified.
8. Conclusion
The Happy Dictator – the first single is a deep song masquerading as a pop one. Gorillaz has always made it a point to speak out about the horrors that go on in the world while also providing a glimmer of hope. The music video has political, social and existential commentary. The rest of the songs will not shy away from being heavy either.
‘The Mountain’ is Gorillaz’s most ambitious chapter that leans heavily into global hybridity and honoring traditions while moving towards multi-genre pop. It is an epic global crossover that will pave the way for the future of music.
