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Damon Albarn’s not getting any younger. He is, however, perhaps more popular than he’s ever been before. Sure, that might be because he’s a musical genius and has a hotly anticipated new album, Humanz, coming out with Gorillaz next week, but it the U.K. artist’s ongoing relevance may also be due to his daughter’s influence. If it weren’t for her, it turns out, Albarn’s list of collaborators might have looked a lot different.
“Some of the decisions for this record were fueled by wanting to impress her still,” Albarn told Billboard, speaking of his 17-year old daughter, Missy. In the article, he cites her being a big fan of rappers Vince Staples and Danny Brown, both of whom are featured on Humanz. Other collaborators include Noel Gallagher, Mavis Staples, Carly Simon, Grace Jones, De La Soul, Savages’ Jehnny Beth, Pusha T, Kelela, and D.R.A.M.
The “virtual band” has already released a number of songs from the record, and, depending on your exact location, you can stream the album in full this weekend using Gorillaz’s app. They’ll be touring this summer, stopping in at festivals like Outside Lands and Life is Beautiful.
Below, listen to “Ascension”, the band’s collaboration with Staples.