October 23, 2020, was an exciting day for Gorillaz fans and music listeners alike. The anticipated album Song Machine, Season One Strange Times was finally released in its entirety on most music streaming platforms. The virtual band has been teasing the album for about 8 months now, releasing short clips of the band members talking called Machine Bitez and trailers for music videos to get fans hyped up.
The structure of the album is not typical for Gorillaz; there is no overarching theme like one would find on Plastic Beach or dreamy nostalgia on The Now Now. Nevertheless, each song on the album is its own piece of the puzzle that completes the album. This is in part with the many collaborators that are featured on the album. The mastermind behind Gorillaz, Damon Albarn, has never been shy about collaborating with artists in the past, but nothing like this album.
Collaborators on this album came from all over the place. Some of them included Robert Smith from The Cure, slowthai, Tony Allen, ScHoolboy Q, Beck, EARTHGANG, and many artists across the board. The diversity of artists was not a bad thing either; one might think they would not blend well together but the album is seamless. Every song feels new and fresh. This album is just what fans needed in times like these.