Last year, Gorillaz followed up their 2020 project The Now Now with a collection of singles. The songs featured artists like The Cure's Robert Smith, Elton John, Beck, ScHoolboy Q, and slowthai, and eventually were compiled in one full-length project called Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez. That prolific streak was followed by a period of quiet, but on Thursday, the animated pop group shared a surprise three-song EP called Meanwhile.
Like the Song Machine album, Meanwhile features guests on every song. London rappers AJ Tracey, Jemani Blackman, and Alicaì Harley show up, as does reggae legend Barrington Levy. According to a press release, the songs are "a joyous homage to the iconic Notting Hill Carnival" where Gorillaz took the stage for the very first time in 2000 to perform a dancehall refix of "Clint Eastwood."
"Meanwhile Gardens are just round the corner from Memory Lane," said 2D, the animated band's lead singer, in a statement. "If you get to Crawley you've gone too far.” Listen to the songs below.
