Gorillaz bounces back into the music spotlight with a new album set for release this year

In support of their third studio album "Plastic Beach", Gorillaz held a concert tour titled 'The Escape to Plastic Beach Tour' on 2010. (Photo : Twitter/Gorillaz)

After a long hiatus, Gorillaz is stepping back into the limelight. According to reports, the virtual band will release their fifth studio album at some point this year.







In October 2015, musician Damon Albarn revealed that both he and artist, Jamie Hewlett, is working on a new Gorillaz album. After quite a while, Albarn and Hewlett have finally given fans an update on their long-awaited studio album.








In an interview with DIY Mag, Hewlett confirmed that Gorillaz has already begun chipping away at their new album. The said studio album is the band's first material since 2010's "Plastic Beach."



The 48-year-old artist expressed his excitement over the new album, adding that it is currently under development, and that it is going extremely well. As of this writing, any details about the upcoming album is still being kept under wraps as Hewlett added that he is still in that phase of experimentation.



"2016 is going to be Gorillaz all year," Hewlett claimed.



Although not that much has been revealed, it is strongly speculated that the virtual band will collaborate with David Bowie on their next album release. The news broke out after Hewlett shared a photo of an early 1970's animated Bowie.



The virtual band consisting of Noddle, Russel Hobbs, 2D and Murdoc Niccals, have already collaborated with some musicians in the past such as Snoop Dogg, Mark E. Smith, Shaun Ryder, De La Soul, among others.



With the return of Gorillaz in the limelight, Hewlett said that visually, things will be diverse for the animated band. He even added that Albarn has changed with his music and moves forward.



"[But] of course, it's going to be different," he said. "I can't do what I've already done, that's not interesting to me. It's going to be a different look."



In preparation for the upcoming release, Albarn told NME about how he missed the life of being in the studio throughout the day, five days a week, working for the new disc.



To date, Gorillaz new fifth studio album is expected to be released at some point this year. Furthermore, future live shows will definitely happen, although Albarn added that it is too soon to know about the list of guest stars. Check out the video below:





