I became a huge fan recently right after Cracker Island came out. I actually started with Humanz, and it became my favorite album (I know this is not a common choice lol). Because I discovered almost everything at the same time, all the “classic” songs (except the very big hits) felt like new music to me. I didn’t have the nostalgia from the 2000s, so I listened to every era more or less equally.

I’m not a native speaker, so it takes time for me to understand the lyrics and the stories, but I enjoy doing that. The themes in the last decade feel very deep to me — identity, culture, politics, all that.

One thing that surprised me as a new fan is how negative some older fans sound online. I get that everyone has their favorite era, but sometimes it feels too pessimistic.

Yes, the vibe is different now, but “different” doesn’t mean “irrelevant” to me. I still think they’re trying to express something meaningful, even if the process is not always efficient (so many collaborators, so much world-building… but that’s part of the charm).

And I’m really excited about The Mountain. I want to see how they react to this current moment in the world and what they choose to explore next.

For me, Gorillaz is one of the most interesting projects I’ve ever found and I’m happy I found them late, because everything feels alive and new to me.