The album debuted at number two on theUK Albums Chart and number twelve on theUSBillboard 200. It received positive reviews from critics, who praised its stylistic diversity and high-profile roster of guest collaborators.[3][4] Due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, the album was not supported by a live tour; instead, the band performed in-studio performances broadcast live in December 2020 as "Song Machine Live From Kong."
On 28 January 2020, the band officially released images via social media teasing a concept entitledSong Machine. A 23-second promotional single entitled "Song Machine Theme Tune" was released on streaming services with an accompanying video.[5]Damon Albarn andRemi Kabaka Jr spoke toBBC Radio 1'sAnnie Mac for the official premiere, saying thatSong Machine "may have an obtuse narrative arc at the end of each season, but it's moreOzark, thanDesignated Survivor. You just keep going until you run out of ideas."[6][7]
Upon the premiere ofEpisode One on 30 January, Albarn revealed that the group had been in the studio withSchoolboy Q among others, although he did say that these songs were likely to be saved for future series ofSong Machine.[8]A press release was put out to explain Song Machine further, with virtual Gorillaz memberRussel Hobbs saying: "Song Machine is a whole new way of doing what we do, Gorillaz breaking the mould 'cos the mould got old. World is moving faster than a supercharged particle, so we've gotta stay ready to drop. We don't even know who's stepping through the studio next.Song Machine feeds on the unknown, runs on pure chaos. So whatever the hell's coming, we're primed and ready to produce like there's no tomorrow."[9]
Episode Two released on 27 February 2020.[10] Despite an initially revealed monthly schedule, no singles were released in March due to the spike of theCOVID-19 pandemic. On March 24, the band released a statement via Instagram, reassuring fans that despite "serious times" Song Machine would proceed.[11]Episode Three was then released on 9 April.
On 2 May, a standalone single called "How Far?" was released without any prior announcement in the middle of Season One's release schedule as a tribute toTony Allen, who died on 30 April, and was a frequent collaborator with Albarn.[12] As a result,Episode Four, originally teased to be up next at the end of the music video forAries, delayed its release to 9 June.[13] On 13 June, the album was revealed on the Gorillaz website under the nameAlmanac CD, said to be a 10 track album that would be packaged with the Gorillaz Almanac in October 2020.
After the premiere ofEpisode Five on 20 July, it was stated that the project would commence a brief hiatus, lasting until an unspecified date in September.[14][15] On 7 September, it was revealed the band's next single would be titled "Strange Timez", and would featureRobert Smith.[16] Episode Six, the first of the singles to have had its music fully recorded during the pandemic, was released on 9 September, alongside the announcement of the album's title and tracklist.[17]
Episode Seven was released on 1 October.[18]Episode Eight was released on 5 November. Episode Nine was released on 24 December; unlike previousSong Machine releases, the song was not released as a single.
Soey Kim ofVogue commented that the record "is an ambitious and chaotic amalgamation of sounds and genres", and further specified that the sound ranged from "punk rock to R&B to hip-hop."[32] Thomas Smith ofNME also noted the album's stylistic diversity, stating that the record is a "varied affair that pulls from Albarn and the band's perchance [sic] for exploration: punk rock sits effortlessly next to glitzy piano ballads, while playful hip-hop and melancholic post-rave ambience soothe our pounding heads."[33]
Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez received critical acclaim from critics onMetacritic, which assigns anormalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the release received anaverage score of 81, based on 15 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[35] Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave the album a 7.6 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.[34]
In a positive review,The Guardian'sAlexis Petridis lauded the album’s guest artists, stating "It's not just that the guests demonstrate Albarn's excellent taste in music, although they do – fromSt Vincent toOctavian toGeorgia toUnknown Mortal Orchestra, at least in the deluxe edition tracks – it's what he chooses to do with their voices."[40]Consequence of Sound's Jordan Blum also praised the guest artists, commenting that the album "encapsulates Gorillaz's trademark tongue-in-cheek bizarreness, stylistic flexibility, and enticing incorporation of guest musicians."[37] Blum also praised the album's pacing, stating that the album "flows very smoothly nonetheless, maintaining fluid pacing while also shifting styles with consistent regularity."[37]
All tracks are written byDamon Albarn,Remi Kabaka Jr., and the tracks' respective guest(s) and produced byGorillaz and Remi Kabaka Jr., except where noted.
Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez– Standard edition
^Damon Albarn, Elton John (24 October 2020).Rocket Hour (Radio). Apple Music.Well it started last October [...] Then it got to May last year, I mean May this year.
[36]
