"Sleeping Powder" | ||||
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Single by Gorillaz | ||||
Released | 8 June 2017 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 2:46 | |||
Label | Parlophone | |||
Songwriter(s) | Damon Albarn | |||
Producer(s) | Gorillaz | |||
Gorillaz singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Sleeping Powder" on YouTube |
"Sleeping Powder" is a song by British virtual band Gorillaz. [3] [4] The song and its accompanying music video were released on 8 June 2017 via YouTube, with a live debut occurring that same day. [5] It was later released for streaming via Spotify and iTunes on 16 June 2017.
"Sleeping Powder" was the first song to be recorded and released after the release of Humanz . Through deliberate design (and in contrast to Humanz), it doesn't feature any musical collaborators. Damon Albarn, speaking through the perspective of fictional band member 2-D, explained this decision: "2-D felt maybe he was unrepresented on Humanz. It wasn't a problem, but maybe he was a bit too generous, you know? So he thought he'd do a song just by himself, and make a video just with him, and not tell anyone else." [6]
"Sleeping Powder" was written only three days before its June 8 debut, and its video was completed a day prior to release. [6] To facilitate such a speedy turnaround for a music video, motion capture (provided by Albarn) was used for 2-D's animation. [7] Backgrounds were largely composed of assorted stock footage.
The music video opens with a clip from the 1987 anti-drug PSA, This Is Your Brain on Drugs .
2-D sits at a grand piano, playing along with the song's opening. As the song progresses, the room begins to warp, with the walls and furniture floating away to reveal a blue void. With every scene transition, the background shifts through several clips of stock footage while 2-D dances to the music. The music video ends as it started, with the room reconstructing itself as 2-D plays the piano once more.
Digital release single
Gorillaz are an English virtual band created in 1998 by musician Damon Albarn and artist Jamie Hewlett, from London, England. The band primarily consists of four animated members: 2-D, Murdoc Niccals, Noodle, and Russel Hobbs (drums). Their fictional universe is presented in music videos, interviews and short cartoons. Gorillaz' music often features collaborations with a wide range of featured artists, with Albarn as the only permanent musical contributor.
"Tomorrow Comes Today" is a song from British alternative rock virtual band Gorillaz's self-titled debut album Gorillaz and was their first release when issued as an EP in November 2000. The first three songs from the EP ended up on their debut album, however, "Latin Simone" was heavily edited, and dubbed into Spanish, for the album release. The new version was sung by Ibrahim Ferrer, and renamed "Latin Simone ". The original version is sung by 2-D and appears along with "12D3" on some versions of the later-released compilation album G-Sides. The song itself was also the fourth and final single from that album, released on 25 February 2002. It peaked at number 33 on the UK Singles Chart. A demo version of the song, "I Got Law" was included as a bonus track of the Japanese edition of 13 by Blur, Damon Albarn's other musical project.
Stuart Harold "2-D" Pot is a fictional English singer, musician and member of the British virtual band Gorillaz. He provides the lead vocals and plays the keyboard for the band. 2-D's singing voice is provided by Blur frontman Damon Albarn on Gorillaz' recordings and performances; his speaking voice was provided by actor Nelson De Freitas in various Gorillaz direct-to-video projects such as Phase One: Celebrity Take Down and Phase Two: Slowboat to Hades. In 2017, Kevin Bishop was cast as the new speaking voice of 2-D. He was created by Albarn and Jamie Hewlett in 1998.
Russel Hobbs is a fictional American musician and member of the British virtual band Gorillaz. He provides the drums and percussion for the band. Like all the other Gorillaz band members, he was created by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett in 1998 and made his first official appearance in Gorillaz' debut EP Tomorrow Comes Today in 2000. Russel's spoken voice is supplied by Remi Kabaka Jr., who joined Gorillaz in an official capacity on actual percussion in 2016.
Jeffrey Wootton is an English musician, guitarist and songwriter from Manchester. He has been the lead guitarist in Gorillaz since 2010.
"DoYaThing" is a single by British alternative rock virtual band Gorillaz, featuring LCD Soundsystem frontman James Murphy and André 3000 of Outkast. The single was released on 23 February 2012. It was commissioned by Converse as a part of their "Three Artists. One Song" project where three artists collaborate on a track. The song is also the starting point for a limited edition Chuck Taylor All-Stars collection designed by Gorillaz artist Jamie Hewlett. The shoe designs feature artwork from other projects related to Gorillaz. It was released in two different versions: the approximately 4-and-a-half-minute radio edit, and the explicit 13-minute version. The former was released as a free download on Converse's website, while the latter was released for streaming on Gorillaz's website. The cover features a baboon representing Murphy and a masked figure representing André 3000, referencing the single cover for "I'm a Goner" by Matt and Kim.
"Hallelujah Money" is a song by British alternative rock virtual band Gorillaz, featuring Benjamin Clementine. The song was released on 19 January 2017. The song marks the group's musical comeback, and their first musical release since 2012's "DoYaThing". "Hallelujah Money" is a political song with gospel-style vocals on top of avant garde/electronic music. The song features English artist and musician Benjamin Clementine, marking Clementine's first collaboration with Gorillaz.
"Andromeda" is a song by British virtual band Gorillaz, featuring American rapper DRAM, the song was released on 23 March 2017. It was released as the fourth single from their fifth studio album Humanz. It was nominated for Best Dance Recording at the 2018 Grammy Awards.
"Ascension" is a song by British alternative rock virtual band Gorillaz, featuring Vince Staples. The song was released on 23 March 2017. It was released as the third single from their fifth studio album Humanz.
"Charger" is a song by British virtual band Gorillaz, released on their fifth studio album Humanz. It features guest vocals by Grace Jones, who accompanies lead singer Damon Albarn throughout the track.
"Let Me Out" is a song by British alternative rock virtual band Gorillaz, featuring Pusha T and Mavis Staples. The song was released on 6 April 2017. It was released as the fifth single from their fifth studio album Humanz.
"Saturnz Barz" is a song by British virtual band Gorillaz, featuring Jamaican dancehall artist Popcaan. The song was released on 23 March 2017. It was released as the lead single from their fifth studio album Humanz. The song marks the group's comeback since 2012's "DoYaThing", although 2017 had seen the non-single release of the song "Hallelujah Money" which features English singer Benjamin Clementine. "Saturnz Barz" was produced by frontman Damon Albarn, Remi Kabaka Jr. and producer The Twilite Tone, and marks the group's first collaboration with Popcaan. "Saturnz Barz" reached number one on the US Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart and number five on the US Hot Rock Songs chart.
"Strobelite" is a single by British virtual band Gorillaz, released on their fifth studio album Humanz. It features guest vocals by Peven Everett. The single was released on 4 August 2017.
"We Got the Power" is a song by British alternative rock virtual band Gorillaz, featuring Jehnny Beth of British post-punk band Savages and backing vocals from former Oasis guitarist and songwriter Noel Gallagher and American rapper D.R.A.M., who also appears on the group's single "Andromeda". The song was released on 23 March 2017. It was released as the second single from their fifth studio album Humanz.
Humanz is the fifth studio album by British virtual band Gorillaz. It was released on 28 April 2017 in the United Kingdom by Parlophone and in the United States by Warner Bros. Records. The album was announced on the band's official Instagram page on 23 March 2017. According to a press release, it was recorded in London, Paris, New York City, Chicago, and Jamaica, and was produced by The Twilite Tone and Remi Kabaka Jr. It was the band's first studio album since 2010's The Fall, and features collaborations with Jehnny Beth, Grace Jones, Kali Uchis, Vince Staples, Popcaan, D.R.A.M., Anthony Hamilton, De La Soul, Danny Brown, Kelela, Mavis Staples, Pusha T, and Benjamin Clementine.
The Now Now is the sixth studio album recorded by the British virtual band Gorillaz, released on 29 June 2018 via Parlophone and Warner Bros. Records. Recording for the album began in late 2017 – according to Gorillaz co-creator Damon Albarn, it was recorded quickly so the band would have new material to play at future concerts.
"Hollywood" is a song by British virtual band Gorillaz featuring American rapper Snoop Dogg and American house musician Jamie Principle. It was officially released on 21 June 2018, as the fifth single from their sixth studio album, The Now Now.
"Humility" is a single by British virtual band Gorillaz featuring American jazz guitarist George Benson. It was released on 31 May 2018 along with "Lake Zurich" as the first single from their sixth studio album, The Now Now. On 12 July 2018, two remixes of the song by Superorganism and DJ Koze were released. It charted in a total of 8 countries reaching number 85 on the US Billboard Hot 100, with its highest position in any chart being number 7 in Billboard's Hot Rock Songs.
"Tranz" is a song by British virtual band Gorillaz. It was released on 14 September 2018 with a music video as the sixth and final single from their sixth studio album, The Now Now. On 28 September 2018, a remix of the song by British electronic musician Poté was released. The song charted at #16 on the Billboard's Hot Rock Songs.
Song Machine is an audiovisual project by British virtual band Gorillaz. It is a music video web series consisting of a collection of music videos and singles that are released monthly by the band as episodes of the series, with each episode featuring additional guests. Each episode is released with accompanying interludes called "Machine Bitez", a series of skits consisting of short conversations and interviews with Song Machine's guests from Gorillaz' virtual band members. The project was officially launched on 30 January 2020. Season one of Song Machine consists of 9 episodes and was released as an album titled Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez on 23 October 2020. A second season was previously announced in 2020, though a release date has not been set.