English band Gorillaz announce new album set to release in 2026, collaborate with Anoushka Shankar

Being Gorillaz`s ninth studio album, it follows the 2023 release "Cracker Island". Photo Courtesy: Official Instagram of Gorillaz

Gorillaz, the animated band led by British musician Damon Albarn, announced Thursday, September 11, the release next year of a new album, "The Mountain", as well as a UK and Ireland tour.

The band -- the brainchild of Albarn and cartoonist Jamie Hewlett -- unveiled a single, "The Happy Dictator", from the upcoming 15-track release due out on March 20, 2026.

It features the American pop and rock duo Sparks.

The new album boasts a host of musical collaborations, including celebrated Syrian electro-folk singer Omar Souleyman, former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr and sitar player Anoushka Shankar.

American rapper Mos Def, who has used the name Yasiin Bey for more than a decade, will also feature.

Gorillaz's ninth studio album, it follows the 2023 release "Cracker Island" and also includes vocals from late artist friends, including Bobby Womack, Mark E. Smith, and Tony Allen.

The various artists featured collectively sing in five languages: Arabic, English, Hindi, Spanish, and Yoruba.

It was first unveiled at a "secret concert" in London last week.

The nine-date tour will kick off in Manchester on March 21, 2026, and culminate in a concert at London's Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on June 20, 2026.

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