Editing Gorillaz (section)

===Hiatus and return with ''Humanz'' (2012–2018)===
Following the release of ''DoYaThing'' and the publicization of Albarn and Hewlett's fall-out in 2012, Gorillaz entered a multiyear hiatus. During the hiatus, Albarn released a solo album, ''[[Everyday Robots]]'', scored stage productions and continued to record and tour with Blur, while Hewlett held art exhibitions and attempted to create a film project which was ultimately never realized.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46UfK7818Hg&t=931s |title=Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett (Gorillaz) interview for M6, May 2017 – YouTube |website=YouTube |access-date=15 July 2020 |archive-date=3 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803141718/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46UfK7818Hg&t=931s |url-status=dead }}</ref> While on tour in support of ''Everyday Robots'' in 2014, Albarn signaled openness to returning to Gorillaz, telling ''[[The National Post]]'' that he "wouldn't mind having another stab at a Gorillaz record".<ref>{{cite news |url = http://arts.nationalpost.com/2014/04/29/i-dont-take-britpop-seriously-and-no-one-should-damon-albarn-does-a-rare-bit-of-looking-back-on-his-first-solo-record/ |archive-url = https://archive.today/20140501210752/http://arts.nationalpost.com/2014/04/29/i-dont-take-britpop-seriously-and-no-one-should-damon-albarn-does-a-rare-bit-of-looking-back-on-his-first-solo-record/ |url-status=dead |archive-date = 1 May 2014 |title = 'I don't take Britpop seriously and no one should': Damon Albarn does a rare bit of looking back on his first solo record, Everyday Robots |first = Jonathan |last = Dekel |date = 29 April 2014 |work = National Post }}</ref> Two months later he reported that he had "been writing quite a lot of songs on the road for Gorillaz".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fuse.tv/videos/2014/06/bonnaroo-2014-damon-albarn-interview|title=Damon Albarn Hypes Up New Gorillaz Tracks|publisher=Fuse|date=15 June 2014|access-date=19 October 2014|author=Xu, Tina|page=1|archive-date=26 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141026114607/http://www.fuse.tv/videos/2014/06/bonnaroo-2014-damon-albarn-interview|url-status=live}}</ref> and at the end of 2014 confirmed in an interview with ''[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]'' that he was planning to record another Gorillaz album.<ref>{{cite magazine | url=https://consequence.net/2014/10/damon-albarn-new-gorillaz-album-coming-in-2016/ | title=Damon Albarn says new Gorillaz album coming in 2016 | magazine=Consequence of Sound | date=19 October 2014 | access-date=19 October 2014 | author=Kaye, Ben | page=1 | archive-date=12 April 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210412142125/https://consequence.net/2014/10/damon-albarn-new-gorillaz-album-coming-in-2016/ | url-status=live }}</ref> Speaking about his relationship with Hewlett, Albarn said that the pair's well-publicised fall-out had helped their relationship in the long term.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nme.com/news/gorillaz/88966 |title=New Gorillaz album will be released in 2016, says Jamie Hewlett |work=NME |date=12 October 2015 |access-date=20 January 2016 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304192502/http://www.nme.com/news/gorillaz/88966 |url-status=live }}</ref> Hewlett described the moment when he and Albarn agreed to continue Gorillaz at an afterparty after one of Albarn's solo shows in 2014: "We'd had a bit to drink, and he said, 'Do you want to do another one?' And I said, 'Do you?' and he said, 'Do you?' And I said, 'Yeah, sure.' I started work on it straight away, learning to draw the characters again. I played around by myself for eight months while he was performing with Blur in 2015."<ref>{{cite web |first=Lane |last=Brown |url=http://www.vulture.com/2017/04/damon-albarn-and-noel-gallagher-on-gorillazs-we-got-the-power.html |title=Damon Albarn and Noel Gallagher on Their Gorillaz Team-Up |website=Vulture.com |date=25 April 2017 |access-date=28 April 2017 |archive-date=19 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200619090300/https://www.vulture.com/2017/04/damon-albarn-and-noel-gallagher-on-gorillazs-we-got-the-power.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[File:Twilight Tone.jpg|thumb|right|American hip-hop and house producer [[the Twilite Tone]] co-produced the band's fifth album ''[[Humanz]]''.]]Recording sessions for the band's fifth studio album, ''[[Humanz]]'', began in late 2015 and continued through 2016, taking place in London, New York City, Paris and Jamaica.<ref name="Inside Track: Gorillaz 'Charger'">{{cite web|last1=Tingen|first1=Paul|author-link1=Paul Tingen|title=Inside Track: Gorillaz 'Charger'|url=https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/inside-track-gorillaz-charger|website=Sound on Sound|access-date=8 December 2017|date=July 2017|archive-date=12 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171212031701/https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/inside-track-gorillaz-charger|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="imgur.com">{{cite web |url=http://imgur.com/a/WwMYH |title=Gorillaz – HUMANZ (2LP Vinyl) – Album on Imgur |website=Imgur.com |date=22 April 2017 |access-date=27 April 2017 |archive-date=7 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807044444/https://imgur.com/a/WwMYH |url-status=live }}</ref> Albarn enlisted American hip-hop and house producer Anthony Khan, known by his stage name [[the Twilite Tone]], to co-produce the album. Albarn chose Khan from a list of possible producers compiled by [[Parlophone]], the band's record label after Albarn and Khan spoke via Skype. ''Humanz'' was also co-produced by [[Remi Kabaka Jr.]], a friend of Albarn's who had worked with him in the non-profit musical organization [[Africa Express (organization)|Africa Express]] and also has been the voice actor for the Gorillaz virtual band member Russel Hobbs since 2000.<ref name="Inside Track: Gorillaz 'Charger'"/><ref name="imgur.com"/> In conceptualizing the album, Albarn and Khan envisioned ''Humanz'' as being the soundtrack for "a party for the end of the world", with Albarn specifically imagining a future in which [[Donald Trump]] won the [[2016 U.S. presidential election]] as context for the album's narrative (Trump becoming president was still considered an unlikely event at the time of recording), explaining "Let's use that as a kind of dark fantasy for this record, let's imagine the night Donald Trump wins the election and how we're all going to feel that night."<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpldsoUROC8&t=1591s |title=Gorillaz Interview (Damon Albarn, Twilite Tone, de la Soul) – Sway in the Morning – YouTube |website=YouTube |access-date=15 July 2020 |archive-date=1 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201001200018/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpldsoUROC8&t=1591s |url-status=dead }}</ref> Khan stated that "The idea of Donald Trump being president allowed us to create a narrative together. I suggested that the album should be about joy, pain and urgency. That was to be our state of mind before we even touched a keyboard or an [[Akai MPC|MPC]]. Especially in American music, dare I say black music, there's a way of communicating joy that at the same time allows you to feel the struggle the person has been through. And the urgency is there because something needs to be done. So that was the mantra. I wanted to blend Damon, a Briton, with the joy and pain and struggle that African-American music can express."<ref name="Inside Track: Gorillaz 'Charger'"/> ''Humanz'' again featured a large cast of featured artists, including [[Popcaan]], [[Vince Staples]], [[DRAM (rapper)|DRAM]], [[Jehnny Beth]], [[Pusha T]], [[Peven Everett]], [[Danny Brown]], [[Grace Jones]] and [[Mavis Staples]], among others. The first track from the album released publicly was "[[Hallelujah Money]]" featuring [[Benjamin Clementine]], released on 20 January 2017 with an accompanying video featuring Clementine. While not an official single, Albarn explained that the band chose to release the track on the day of Trump's [[First inauguration of Donald Trump|inauguration]] because "It was meant to be something sung at the imaginary inauguration of Donald Trump, which turned out to be the real inauguration of Donald Trump, so we released it because we had imagined that happening and it did happen."<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46UfK7818Hg&t=109s |title=Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett (Gorillaz) interview for M6, May 2017 – YouTube |website=YouTube |access-date=15 July 2020 |archive-date=3 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200903214011/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46UfK7818Hg&t=109s |url-status=dead }}</ref>

[[File:Gorillaz, Brixton Academy, London (34377484273).jpg|thumb|left|Gorillaz (with Albarn to the left) on stage at the [[Brixton Academy]] in London, June 2017]]''Humanz'' was released on 28 April 2017, the band's first new studio album in 7 years. Featuring a "modern-sounding urban hip-hop/R&B sensibility",<ref name="Inside Track: Gorillaz 'Charger'"/> the album debuted at #2 on both the UK Album charts and the US ''Billboard'' 200. ''Humanz'' received generally positive reviews from critics, although received some criticism from fans and critics for what was perceived as a diminished presence from Albarn in contrast to the abundance of featured artists.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://mixmag.net/feature/gorillaz-new-album-has-moments-of-genius-but-one-too-many-collaborators|title='Humanz' review: Gorillaz new album has moments of genius, but one too many collaborators|website=Mixmag|access-date=23 October 2020|archive-date=11 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111190739/https://mixmag.net/feature/gorillaz-new-album-has-moments-of-genius-but-one-too-many-collaborators|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|last=Doherty|first=Niall|title=Looney Tunes: Virtual Band's Frenzied Fifth Revels In The Chaos|magazine=[[Q (magazine)|Q]]|location=London|issue=372|date=June 2017|page=113}}</ref> The album was released in both standard and deluxe editions, with the deluxe edition featuring an additional 6 bonus tracks and was promoted by the lead single "[[Saturnz Barz]]" featuring Popcaan and the later single "[[Strobelite]]" featuring Peven Everett. The Hewlett-directed music video for "Saturnz Barz" made use of YouTube's [[360-degree video]] format and reportedly cost $800,000 to create.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vulture.com/2017/04/damon-albarn-and-noel-gallagher-on-gorillazs-we-got-the-power.html|title=Damon Albarn and Noel Gallagher on the Making of Gorillaz's 'We Got the Power'|first=Lane|last=Brown|website=Vulture.com|date=25 April 2017|access-date=23 October 2020|archive-date=29 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170429020434/http://www.vulture.com/2017/04/damon-albarn-and-noel-gallagher-on-gorillazs-we-got-the-power.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

The band embarked on the [[Humanz Tour]] to support the album from the summer of 2017 to early 2018. Like the band's previous tour, the Humanz Tour featured the touring band in full view of the audience with a large screen behind them displaying Hewlett-created visuals and featured several of the different collaborative artists from the band's history. The tour was preceded by a handful of European warm-up shows, including the first Demon Dayz Festival held on 10 June 2017 at the [[Dreamland Margate]] theme park, a Gorillaz curated music festival which was later repeated in Los Angeles in October 2018. On 8 June 2017 the band released the non-album single "[[Sleeping Powder]]" with an accompanying music video and on 3 November 2017 a "Super Deluxe" version of ''Humanz'', featuring an additional 14 unreleased tracks from the album's sessions, including alternative versions of previously released songs as well as the single "[[Garage Palace]]" featuring [[Little Simz]].