Cracker Island debuted at number one on theUK Albums Chart, becoming the first Gorillaz album to reach number one in the UK sinceDemon Days (2005). It also peaked at number three on the USBillboard 200 and reached the top 10 in 19 countries. The album received mostly positive reviews from critics, who praised its production and described it as a safe, but effective showcase of the band's style. It was nominated forBest Alternative Music Album at the66th Annual Grammy Awards. The album's release was preceded by an extensive six-month world tour in 2022, the longest in the band's history, and was followed by performances at the 2023Coachella Festival.
The majority of the work on the album began in 2021. "Tormenta", made in collaboration withBad Bunny, was the first song completed. It was planned as the lead single for the second season of the Gorillaz web seriesSong Machine, before the project was shelved in favour of a traditional studio album (as was "New Gold", which became the second single).[4][5] According toDamon Albarn, the co-creator of Gorillaz, the album was complete by May 2022.[6] The main producer wasGreg Kurstin, alongside British music producerRemi Kabaka Jr.[7] "Baby Queen" was inspired by a 1997 meeting that Albarn had withPrincess Siribha Chudabhorn at a concert in Bangkok for his bandBlur.[8]
Five singles were released from the album. Gorillaz released the first single, "Cracker Island" (featuring bassistThundercat), on 22 June 2022.[9] Along with this release, Gorillaz announced that the band would be following up theMeanwhile EP with a full new album. The name was announced asCracker Island, with its release date, artwork and tracklist revealed on 31 August, alongside the release of the second single, "New Gold" (featuringTame Impala andBootie Brown).[10][11] The third single, "Baby Queen", was released on theFIFA 23 soundtrack on 30 September, after being leaked earlier that month;[12] it was released as a single on 4 November.[13] The fourth single, "Skinny Ape", was released on 8 December, alongside the announcement of two virtual shows inTimes Square andPiccadilly Circus on 17 and 18 December, respectively.[14] The fifth single, "Silent Running" (featuring Adeleye Omotayo), was released on 27 January 2023, with a music video released on 8 February.[15][16]
A deluxe edition ofCracker Island was released on 27 February featuring an additional five tracks: "Captain Chicken" featuringDel the Funky Homosapien (who collaborated with Gorillaz ontheir first album), "Controllah" featuringMC Bin Laden, "Crocadillaz" featuringDe La Soul (with the lateTrugoy the Dove)[17] andDawn Penn, a2D piano version of "Silent Running" featuring Adeleye Omotayo, and aDom Dolla remix of "New Gold" featuring Tame Impala and Bootie Brown.[18][19]
Cracker Island received generally positive reviews. OnMetacritic, which assigns anormalised rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, it received anaverage score of 80, based on 23 reviews, indicating generally favourable reviews.[21] The aggregator website AnyDecentMusic? gave the album a 7.1 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.[20]
ReviewingCracker Island forAllMusic,Stephen Thomas Erlewine called it "less an exploration of new sonic territory so much as it is a reaffirmation of [Damon Albarn's] strengths" and felt that "there's a clean, efficient energy propellingCracker Island that gives the album a fresh pulse."[3] Writing forClash, Emma Harrison wrote that it "is more akin to a sprint as opposed to a marathon on the virtual virtuosos' eighth studio album ... despite its diminutive length,Cracker Island packs one hell of a punch and spans genres far and wide."[22] InDIY, Lisa Wright declared the album "very much a set piece that prioritises concept and narrative, resulting in one of Gorillaz's most restrained, contemplative releases yet - one that will perhaps appeal to fans of Albarn's solo work more than devotees of his monkeys' more genre-hopping forays."[23]
InPitchfork,Ben Cardew saidCracker Island "walks a very thin line between playing to the band's strengths and relying too heavily on old tricks".[27] InSlant Magazine, Paul Attard wrote: "When left to his own devices (and stripped of his usual slew ofTumblr-approved guests), Albarn engineers some ofCracker Island's most stand-out material, albeit ones that still vary greatly in quality. Songs like the Greg Kurstin-produced 'Tarantula' and 'Skinny Ape,' while still containing some unnecessary passages (most conspicuously the latter'sska breakdown), are comparatively barebones and cleanly produced. Even better is 'Baby Queen,' a gorgeous piece ofdream-pop that cuts back on Albarn's worst theatrical tendencies."[29]
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