Blur are embarking on a fresh hiatus following their chart-topping 2023 reunion.
The band reconvened to release ‘The Ballad Of Darren’ – their first album in eight years – over the summer, but as they head toward the end of their latest run of shows in South America, frontman Damon Albarn has confirmed they’re taking a break.
“It is time to wrap up this campaign,” he told French publication Les Inrockuptibles, as translated by Far Out Magazine. “It’s too much for me. It was the right thing to do and an immense honour to play these songs again, spend time with these guys, make an album, blah-blah-blah.”
He added: “I’m not saying I won’t do it again, it was a beautiful success, but I’m not dwelling on the past.”
The group – also starring Graham Coxon, Alex James and Dave Rowntree – may have sold out venues worldwide, including multiple nights at London’s Wembley Stadium, but Albarn has plenty to look forward to in the months ahead.
In addition to having an opera coming out, he is also preparing to start work on another album with his animated group Gorillaz with Jamie Hewlett.
In a review of the album, RETROPOP praised ‘The Ballad Of Darren’, writing that the record “reads as a thank you to fans for a lifetime of continued support and a reminder that, decades into their chart-topping run, Blur are very much alive”.
