Gorillaz 2016 Speculation Flying on Internet Hype

Gorillaz 2016 Release in the Works?

The Internet is absolutely buzzing with speculation about a Gorillaz 2016 release. All citing a singular article from The Sydney Morning Herald, music and news sites including Billboard.com, RollingStone.com, and SPIN are reporting that Damon Albarn is confirming a new Gorillaz album for 2016. Unfortunately, the article in question doesn't actually have any quotes from Albarn about a forthcoming Gorillaz 2016 release. The article simple offers the information without context or follow-up. There's a lot of focus on the "reactivating" part of the news, but that's  simply because there is no other information to go off right now.

A serial collaborator who has released a dozen albums since Blur's last album, Think Tank, in 2003, Albarn is currently writing a West End theatre musical adaptation of a children's book, is in the process of reactivating Gorillaz for a 2016 release and is trying to find time to record a new The Good, the Bad & The Queen album, which he says is fully written.

In April 2014, NME ran an article quoting Albarn

I could put a Gorillaz record out next week; I've got enough stuff I haven't finished.

This news may not have come as a huge surprise to fans of Albarn. The musician is wildly prolific, producing projects ranging in scope from pop records to operas and musicals. Just in the realm of pop and rock music, Albarn is involved with numerous different bands including Blur, The Good, The Bad and The Queen, Rocket Juice & the Moon on top of his own solo endeavors. Anyone who has followed Albarn's discography could probably guess that another Gorillaz' release would most likely occur. The main barrier to that happening was a rather public split between Albarn and co-founder and animator, Jamie Hewlett. The exciting news from the NME article was that apparently Hewlett and Albarn have reconciled:

There are points in every relationship where they fall out with people that they're close to and then theyreconcile, hopefully, and actually, you know the relationship's probably in a healthier place as a result of that,

While I'll be eagerly awaiting more details, but just the possibility of a new Gorillaz album in the works is exciting news.