Editing Damon Albarn (section)

====Reunion====
[[File:Blur - Hyde Park 3rd July 2009 (09).jpg|250px|thumbnail|right|Blur performing at [[Hyde Park, London|Hyde Park]] in July 2009]]
In December 2008, Blur announced they would reunite for a concert at [[Hyde Park, London|London's Hyde Park]] on 3 July 2009.<ref name="BBCHydePark">"[http://news.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/hi/music/newsid_7771000/7771915.stm Blur confirm massive outdoor show] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081212085616/http://news.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/hi/music/newsid_7771000/7771915.stm |date=12 December 2008 }}". BBC. 9 December 2008. Retrieved 10 December 2008.</ref> Days later, the band added a second date, for 2 July.<ref>"[http://news.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/hi/music/newsid_7779000/7779399.stm Blur add second date at Hyde Park] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150221212019/http://news.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/hi/music/newsid_7779000/7779399.stm |date=21 February 2015 }}". BBC News. 12 December 2008. Retrieved 21 August 2012.</ref> A series of June preview shows were also announced, ending at Manchester Evening News arena on the 26th. All the shows were well received; ''[[The Guardian]]''{{'}}s music critic [[Alexis Petridis]] gave their performance at Goldsmiths College a full five stars, and wrote that "Blur's music seems to have potentiated by the passing of years ... they sound both more frenetic and punky and more nuanced and exploratory than they did at the height of their fame".<ref>Petridis, Alexis. "[https://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/jun/23/review-blur-live-goldsmiths-college Blur, Goldsmiths College, London] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170327081440/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/jun/23/review-blur-live-goldsmiths-college |date=27 March 2017 }}". ''The Guardian''. 23 June 2009. Retrieved 26 June 2009.</ref> Blur headlined the [[Glastonbury Festival]] on 28 June, where they played for the first time since their headline slot in 1998. Reviews of the Glastonbury performance were enthusiastic; ''The Guardian'' called them "the best Glastonbury headliners in an age".<ref>Jonze, Time. "[https://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/jun/29/blur-glastonbury-2009 Blur at Glastonbury 2009] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170327081432/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/jun/29/blur-glastonbury-2009 |date=27 March 2017 }}". ''The Guardian''. 29 June 2009. Retrieved 26 March 2010.</ref>

The band released their second greatest-hits album ''[[Midlife: A Beginner's Guide to Blur]]'' in June 2009. After the completion of the reunion dates, Albarn told ''Q'' that the band had no intention of recording or touring live again. He said, "I just can't do it anymore", and explained that the main motivation for participating in the reunion was to repair his relationship with Coxon, which succeeded.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8168723.stm |title=Entertainment &#124; Albarn rules out more Blur gigs |work=BBC News |date=25 July 2009 |access-date=30 April 2014 |archive-date=20 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141220132522/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8168723.stm |url-status=live }}</ref>

In January 2010, ''[[No Distance Left to Run (film)|No Distance Left to Run]]'', a documentary about the band, was released in cinemas and a month later on DVD and was nominated as [[Grammy Award for Best Long Form Music Video|Best Long Form Music Video]] for the [[53rd Grammy Awards]], Blur's first-ever Grammy nomination.<ref>(3 December 2010). [https://archive.today/20120917124718/http://www.vblurpage.com/news/2010/1203.htm "No Distance Left To Run nominated for Grammy Award"] Retrieved 8 December 2010.</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/37602-blur-documentary-coming-to-dvd |title=Blur Documentary Coming to DVD |website=Pitchfork |date=15 January 2010 |access-date=30 April 2014 |archive-date=27 May 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140527033218/http://pitchfork.com/news/37602-blur-documentary-coming-to-dvd/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In April 2010, Blur released their first new recording since 2003, "[[Fool's Day]]" in April 2010 as part of the [[Record Store Day]] event as a vinyl record limited to 1000 copies; it was later made available as a free download on their website.<ref>Chester, Tim. [https://www.nme.com/blog/index.php?blog=122&title=free_blur_mp3_download&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1 "Free Blur MP3 Download"]{{dead link|date=April 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}. ''NME''. 18 April 2010. Retrieved 21 August 2012.</ref>

In February 2012, Blur were awarded the Outstanding Contribution to Music award at the [[2012 Brit Awards]].<ref>Topping, Alexandria. "[https://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/feb/21/brit-awards-adele-triumphant-return?INTCMP=SRCH Brit awards: Adele takes away two awards on a triumphant return] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170327081243/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/feb/21/brit-awards-adele-triumphant-return?INTCMP=SRCH |date=27 March 2017 }}". ''The Guardian''. 21 February 2012. Retrieved 21 August 2012.</ref> Later that month, Albarn and Coxon premiered a new track together live, "Under the Westway".<ref>"[http://news.qthemusic.com/2012/02/blurs_damon_graham_reunite_liv.html Blur's Damon & Graham play new song as they reunite live for War Child's 2012 Brit Award gig] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120705033037/http://news.qthemusic.com/2012/02/blurs_damon_graham_reunite_liv.html |date=5 July 2012 }}". ''Q''. Retrieved 2 March 2012.</ref> Blur entered the studio early that year to record material for a new album, but in May producer William Orbit told the ''NME'' that Albarn had halted recording.<ref name="halted_nme">"[https://www.nme.com/news/blur--2/63943 William Orbit: 'Damon Albarn has halted new Blur recording sessions'] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120625112310/http://www.nme.com/news/blur--2/63943 |date=25 June 2012 }}". ''NME''. 23 May 2012. Retrieved 22 August 2012.</ref> Blur released two singles "[[The Puritan (song)|The Puritan]]" and "[[Under the Westway]]" on 2 July.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/news/blur--2/64481 |title=Blur announce the release of two brand new singles  |work=NME |date=22 June 2012 |access-date=30 April 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140109202527/http://www.nme.com/news/blur--2/64481 |archive-date=9 January 2014 }}</ref> That August, Blur headlined a show at Hyde Park for the [[2012 Summer Olympics closing ceremony]] which was followed by a world tour the following year.<ref name="Olympics">"[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-17110538 London 2012: Blur to headline Olympics closing show] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180618065345/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-17110538 |date=18 June 2018 }}", BBC. Retrieved 25 July 2012.</ref> On 19 February 2015, Blur announced on social media that they would be releasing their eighth studio album on 27 April, titled ''[[The Magic Whip]]'', Blur's first album in 12 years and first in 16 years in their original line-up.<ref>"[https://www.facebook.com/blur/posts/10153603290425744 Blur – Finally, we can confirm that we will be releasing an album,...]". Facebook. 19 February 2015. Retrieved 19 February 2015.</ref><ref name="BlurAnnouncement2015">{{cite web|url=http://overblown.co.uk/blur-share-go-out-announce-new-album-hyde-park-gig/|title=Blur Share 'Go Out', Announce New Album, Hyde Park Gig|website=overblown.co.uk|publisher=Overblown|last1=Coughlan|first1=Jamie|date=19 February 2015|access-date=19 February 2015|archive-date=19 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150219194832/http://overblown.co.uk/blur-share-go-out-announce-new-album-hyde-park-gig/|url-status=live}}</ref>