.
Search

Follow Us

Edit Content
  • News
  • Exclusives
  • New Music
  • Reviews
  • Caught Live
  • Future Pop
  • News
  • Exclusives
  • New Music
  • Reviews
  • Caught Live
  • Future Pop
Facebook Instagram Spotify Tiktok
RPM031 Menu-3
  • NEWS
    • All
    • 1980s
    • 1990s
    • 2000s
    • Pop
    • R&B / Hip-Hop
    • Dance
    • Rock
    • All
    • 1980s
    • 1990s
    • 2000s
    • Pop
    • R&B / Hip-Hop
    • Dance
    • Rock
    Bjorn Ulvaeus ABBA Voyage Launch Press Handout Credit Sue Moore-4

    ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus making musical with help of AI

    The ABBA star previously appeared as one of 10,500 signatories from the creative industries, warning against artificial intelligence.

    Belinda Carlisle Once Upon A Time In California Artwork Demon-4

    Belinda Carlisle announces new album Once Upon A Time In California

    The new album from Belinda Carlisle is The GoGo’s star’s first English language pop record since 1996’s ‘A Woman & A Man’.

    Kesha Period Tits Out Tour Press Handout Credit Brendan Walter-4

    Kesha bringing Tits Out tour to UK and Europe in 2026

    The latest extension to Kesha’s previously-announced run of shows, is her first headline run on this side of the pond in over a decade.

    ABBA Credit ABBA Voyage (1)

    ABBA add new songs to Voyage show for third anniversary

    On Tuesday, May 27, the show, ‘ABBA Voyage’ relaunched with the addition of three classic hits from the group’s repertoire.

  • EXCLUSIVES
    • All
    • 1980s
    • 1990s
    • 2000s
    • Pop
    • R&B / Hip-Hop
    • Dance
    • Rock
    • All
    • 1980s
    • 1990s
    • 2000s
    • Pop
    • R&B / Hip-Hop
    • Dance
    • Rock
    Cascada Studio 24 Handout-4

    Cascada on her Studio 54-inspired new album and 20 years of global hits [Exclusive]

    As they return with their fifth album, Cascada’s Natalie Horler looks back on 20 years of hits and reacts to her recent interview that went viral online.

    Nicki French Who, What, Where Handout Energise-4

    Nicki French considered Eurovision return with new album track: ‘Would they really go for a 60 year old singer… again?’ [Exclusive]

    As she returns with her new album, Nicki French reveals she almost submitted one track into the running for next year’s Eurovision.

    Pixie Lott Encino Press Handout-4

    Pixie Lott talks new album Encino: ‘When you fall into your authentic self, that’s when the magic happens’ [Exclusive]

    A decade after releasing her self-titled third album, Pixie Lott returns with a body of work that reflects the place she’s at in her life today.

    Betty Boo Rip Up The Rulebook Credit Sandro Hyams-4

    Betty Boo: ‘It’s a philosophy that I have to not let anybody tell you that you can’t be who you want to be!’ [Exclusive]

    As she returns with her epic new album ‘Rip Up The Rulebook’, Betty Boo opens up about creating her most diverse work to date.

  • NEW MUSIC
  • REVIEWS
    • All
    • 1980s
    • 1990s
    • 2000s
    • Pop
    • R&B / Hip-Hop
    • Dance
    • Rock
    • All
    • 1980s
    • 1990s
    • 2000s
    • Pop
    • R&B / Hip-Hop
    • Dance
    • Rock
    Tom Aspaul Cabin Fever Artwork

    Tom Aspaul – Cabin Fever

    Kim Wilde Closer Artwork Cherry Red

    Kim Wilde – Closer

    Gwen Stefani Bouquet

    Gwen Stefani – Bouquet

    Cascada Studio 24

    Cascada – Studio 24

  • CAUGHT LIVE
  • FUTUREPOP
  • RELEASE RADAR
Home News

Damon Albarn teases new Gorillaz album: ‘It will be an entirely different approach to everything’

Connor Gotto by Connor Gotto
July 15, 2023
in News
Damon Albarn Credit Steve Gullick

Steve Gullick

281
SHARES
2.8k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Damon Albarn is switching things up on the next Gorillaz album. 

The hitmaker may be immersed in all things Blur ahead of the release of the band’s latest album, ‘The Ballad Of Darren’, and European tour dates, but behind the scenes he’s already masterminding his next project. 

Don't Miss...

Blur – Live At Wembley Stadium

Blur share new clip from To The End documentary film

Speaking on the ‘Broken Record’ podcast, the Girls & Boys singer revealed he and Jamie Hewlett are already busy on the follow-up to 2023’s ‘Cracker Island’.

“I’ve done a few tunes. It’s not going to be as dramatic as a quantum shift, it will be a paradigm shift, it will be very different,” he shared. “It will be an entirely different approach to everything — to the band, to everything.

“We’re at a point where we’re going to change. Why? Because it was always just Jamie and I. Although it is a very big thing now, it is still, in essence, just two people.

“If we decided between us that we want to do something unrecognisable then we will. You need that for it to stay alive, really.”

He’s also working on an opera, putting 1807’s ‘The Magic Flute Part II’ by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe – the sequel to Mozart’s ‘Magic Flute’ – to music for the first time.

“I’m doing an opera at the moment, using Goethe’s fragment he wrote about The Magic Flute Part II, which is fascinating,” continued to Parklife star. “You’ve heard of Mozart’s ‘Magic Flute’? Well, Goethe, who is a contemporary of Mozart, wrote ‘Part II’ of that — the sequel — but it never got put to music.

“It’s this legendary lost thing… [But] I don’t really know what I’m doing. I never know what I’m doing in that world, I’m a complete idiot. I don’t know if it’s any good.”

The band – also starring Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon and Alex James – is set to perform a run of shows across Europe throughout the summer in support of their new album, which the frontman describes as “an aftershock record” and a “reflection and comment on where we find ourselves now”.

“The older and madder we get, it becomes more essential that what we play is loaded with the right emotion and intention. Sometimes just a riff doesn’t do the job,” adds Graham.

Bassist Alex notes that “for any long term relationship to last with any meaning you have to be able to surprise each other somehow and somehow we all continue to do that,” while Dave admits their reunion only feels “natural”.

“With every record we do, the process reveals something new and we develop as a band. We don’t take that for granted,” he explains.

The artwork for the album features an image of Gourock lido in Renfrewshire by British photographer Martin Parr. 

‘The Ballad of Darren’ is available to pre-order now.

Tracklist: Blur – The Ballad Of Darren

1. The Ballad 

2. St Charles Square

3. Barbaric

4. Russian Strings

5. The Everglades (For Leonard)

6. The Narcissist 

7. Goodbye Albert

8. Far Away Island

9. Avalon

10. The Heights

Buy ‘The Ballad of Darren’ on CD and Vinyl.

The Ballad Of Darren CD
The Ballad Of Darren CD
The Ballad Of Darren CD
£11.00
in stock
BUY NOW
Townsendmusic.store
The Ballad Of Darren Deluxe CD
The Ballad Of Darren Deluxe CD
The Ballad Of Darren Deluxe CD
£13.00
in stock
BUY NOW
Townsendmusic.store
The Ballad Of Darren Deluxe CD
The Ballad Of Darren Deluxe CD
The Ballad Of Darren Deluxe CD
£16.49
in stock
17 new from £14.87
3 used from £13.17
as of June 6, 2025 1:52 am
BUY NOW
Amazon.co.uk
The Ballad Of Darren Heavyweight Vinyl
The Ballad Of Darren Heavyweight Vinyl
The Ballad Of Darren Heavyweight Vinyl
£19.65
in stock
25 new from £19.65
1 used from £26.49
as of June 6, 2025 1:52 am
BUY NOW
Amazon.co.uk
The Ballad of Darren Heavyweight Vinyl
The Ballad of Darren Heavyweight Vinyl
The Ballad of Darren Heavyweight Vinyl
£22.00
in stock
BUY NOW
Townsendmusic.store
The Ballad Of Darren Amazon Exclusive Red Vinyl
The Ballad Of Darren Amazon Exclusive Red Vinyl
The Ballad Of Darren Amazon Exclusive Red Vinyl
£43.91
in stock
7 new from £43.59
3 used from £40.56
as of June 6, 2025 1:52 am
BUY NOW
Amazon.co.uk
The Ballad Of Darren Blue Heavyweight Vinyl
The Ballad Of Darren Blue Heavyweight Vinyl
The Ballad Of Darren Blue Heavyweight Vinyl
£25.00
out of stock
BUY NOW
Townsendmusic.store
Tags: Blur
Connor Gotto

Connor Gotto

Founder and editor of RETROPOP. Self-proclaimed pop aficionado. Usually seen with a wine in hand.

More Like This

Blur Live At Wembley Stadium
Reviews

Blur – Live At Wembley Stadium

by Connor Gotto
July 26, 2024
Blur Credit Reuben Bastienne-Lewis (1)
News

Blur share new clip from To The End documentary film

by Connor Gotto
July 22, 2024
Blur Wembley Stadium Credit Tom Pallant-4
News

Blur announce new Live At Wembley Stadium album and concert film

by Connor Gotto
June 5, 2024
Blur To The End Movie Screengrab Handout-3
News

Blur: To The End documentary film to hit cinemas in July

by Connor Gotto
May 7, 2024
Blur Coachella Weekend 2 YouTube-3
News

Damon Albarn says Blur’s second and final Coachella performance is ‘probably our last gig’

by Connor Gotto
April 21, 2024

Follow Us

The RETROPOP Edit

Never miss a story - sign up to RETROPOP's Daily Edit newsletter for free!

Please wait...

You're in! Keep an eye on your inbox for all the latest!

The Latest

Bjorn Ulvaeus ABBA Voyage Launch Press Handout Credit Sue Moore-4

ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus making musical with help of AI

June 6, 2025
Belinda Carlisle Once Upon A Time In California Artwork Demon-4

Belinda Carlisle announces new album Once Upon A Time In California

June 4, 2025
Agnes Balenciaga Covered Eyes Press Handout Credit Fredrik Hvass-4

Agnes returns with shimmering new single Balenciaga Covered Eyes

May 30, 2025
RETROPOP No. 31 : Sept '24
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us
Change privacy settings
MEDIA KIT

RETROPOP participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.

Copyright © 2025 Irresistible. All rights reserved.

  • Home
    • Home – Layout 1
    • Home – Layout 2
    • Home – Layout 3
  • News
  • Fashion

© 2025 JNews - Premium WordPress news & magazine theme by Jegtheme.

CloseMenu

New issue out now

SHOP HERE