Following last month’s triumphant surprise performance of new music and the highly-anticipated release of first track “The Happy Dictator (feat. Sparks)” comes “The Manifesto (feat. Trueno and Proof),” the second track to be released from Gorillaz’ forthcoming studio album, The Mountain.
“The Manifesto” carries the album’s themes of the cycle of life and the afterlife via the extraordinary talent of Latin Grammy-winning Argentine rap prodigy Trueno who deftly trolls his maker with the declaration “Yo no sé qué va a pasar mañana/Cuando atienda la luz que me llama/Mami mi futuro me reclama/Camino hacia la luz/I have nothing to lose” (I don’t know what tomorrow holds/When I heed the light that’s calling me/Baby, my future is demanding me/I walk toward the light/I have nothing to lose) – until the song is arrestingly bisected by a posthumous riposte from the late Detroit-born D12 rapper and Gorillaz collaborator Proof who declaims: “You aren’t ready for death/Until I showed up, hold breath/Until you blow the on one set,” an inspired moment of freestyling, captured minutes before he entered the booth during an early recording session.
The collaborative intent of The Mountain album is further reflected in the celebratory energy of “The Manifesto,” which features sarod players Amaan Ali Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash, brothers who are seventh generation musicians of the Gwalior musical lineage; along with the joyous brass of the legendary Jea Band Jaipur who have been “serving Indian weddings since 1936”; as well as Ajay Prasanna on bansuri and The Mountain Choir led by Vijayaa Shanker.
“As space dust we are here forever and that’s a mighty long time. This is a musical meditation infused with light. A journey of the soul, with beats…” – Russel Hobbs
The Mountain Tour will kick off in Manchester on March 20th 2026 and visit arenas across the UK and Ireland, with dates in Birmingham, Glasgow (SOLD OUT), Leeds, Cardiff (SOLD OUT), Nottingham, Liverpool, Belfast and Dublin, to include a second show in Manchester and Dublin, recently added due to demand; plus a one-off headline show at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday June 20th 2026 – the band’s biggest UK show to date – with support from Sparks and Trueno. Dates and ticket information below and at Gorillaz.com.
Listen to “The Manifesto (feat. Trueno and Proof)” HERE and “The Happy Dictator (feat. Sparks)” HERE.
The Mountain is Gorillaz’ ninth studio album, an expansive sonic landscape of instruments and sounds, richly layered with voices, melodies and addictive beats, spanning a collection of 15 songs that embody the very essence of Gorillaz’ collaborative ethos. The record features an extraordinary list of artists and collaborators including: Ajay Prasanna, Amaan & Ayaan Ali Bangash, Anoushka Shankar, Asha Bhosle, Asha Puthli, Bizarrap, Black Thought, Gruff Rhys, IDLES, Jalen Ngonda, Johnny Marr, Kara Jackson, Omar Souleyman, Paul Simonon, Sparks, Trueno and Yasiin Bey; as well as the voices of friends and collaborators who have gone before us, including Bobby Womack, Dave Jolicoeur, Dennis Hopper, Mark E Smith, Proof and Tony Allen. The Mountain is a playlist for a party on the border between this world and whatever happens next, exploring the journey of life and the thrill of existence.
Produced by Gorillaz, James Ford, Samuel Egglenton and Remi Kabaka Jr., plus Bizarrap (Orange County), The Mountain was recorded at Studio 13 in London and Devon, various locations in India including Mumbai, New Delhi, Rajasthan and Varanasi, as well as Ashgabat, Damascus, Los Angeles, Miami and New York. The album features artists performing in five languages: Arabic, English, Hindi, Spanish and Yoruba.
The artwork for The Mountain sees visual artist Jamie Hewlett’s distinctive, yet ever-evolving, style illustrate the world of Gorillaz with detailed and beautiful intricacy across a series of hand-drawn images which capture Murdoc, Noodle, Russel and 2D’s time in India working on the new album, available both as a book and as a collection of 12×12 prints.
The Mountain – Album Tracklisting:
- The Mountain (feat. Dennis Hopper, Ajay Prasanna, Anoushka Shankar, Amaan Ali Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash)
- The Moon Cave (feat. Asha Puthli, Bobby Womack, Dave Jolicoeur, Jalen Ngonda and Black Thought)
- The Happy Dictator (feat. Sparks)
- The Hardest Thing (feat. Tony Allen)
- Orange County (feat. Bizarrap, Kara Jackson and Anoushka Shankar)
- The God of Lying (feat. IDLES)
- The Empty Dream Machine (feat. Black Thought, Johnny Marr and Anoushka Shankar)
- The Manifesto (feat. Trueno and Proof)
- The Plastic Guru (feat. Johnny Marr and Anoushka Shankar)
- Delirium (feat. Mark E. Smith)
- Damascus (feat. Omar Souleyman and Yasiin Bey)
- The Shadowy Light (feat. Asha Bhosle, Gruff Rhys, Ajay Prasanna, Amaan Ali Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash)
- Casablanca (feat. Paul Simonon and Johnny Marr)
- The Sweet Prince (feat. Ajay Prasanna, Johnny Marr and Anoushka Shankar)
- The Sad God (feat. Black Thought, Ajay Prasanna and Anoushka Shankar)
The Mountain will be available in the following formats: Digital Download; Standard CD; Deluxe 2CD (incl. selection of Mystery Show live tracks); Standard Vinyl; Hardback Book Vinyl Edition; Limited Edition Collectors Box (incl. Art Prints). Pre-order HERE.
Pre order / pre save The Mountain HERE.
The Mountain Tour – UK & Ireland 2026:
20 March – MANCHESTER, Co-op Live – NEW DATE DUE TO DEMAND!
21 March – MANCHESTER, Co-op Live
22 March – BIRMINGHAM, bp pulse LIVE
24 March – GLASGOW, OVO Hydro* – SOLD OUT!
25 March – LEEDS, First Direct Arena*
27 March – CARDIFF, Utilita Arena* – SOLD OUT!
28 March – NOTTINGHAM, Motorpoint Arena*
29 March – LIVERPOOL, M&S Bank Arena*
31 March – BELFAST, SSE Arena*
01 April – DUBLIN, 3Arena*
02 April – DUBLIN, 3Arena* – NEW DATE DUE TO DEMAND!
*support from Trueno
20 June – LONDON, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
With support from Sparks and Trueno