Gorillaz have returned with their third single, “The God of Lying,” featuring IDLES from their forthcoming album, The Mountain. They aren’t chasing chart hits this time; they’re chasing truth.
Released on 6 November 2025, this collaboration between Damon Albarn and Joe Talbot weaves psychedelic reggae rhythms with existential dread, creating a track that you will need patience to really get the gist.
Recorded across London, Devon, and Mumbai, the song roots itself in dub-inspired production that recalls “Hallelujah Money” from 2017’s Humanz.
The instrumental feels deliberately sparse, chirping synths bubble beneath the surface while a rhythmic reggae beat maintains steady momentum, with Ajay Prasanna’s bansuri and Viraj Acharya’s percussion adding global texture.
The song’s structure resembles a dialogue between two perspectives on modern disillusionment. Talbot poses existential questions in verses delivered somewhere between spoken word and melodic chanting, interrogating our relationship with media consumption, political apathy, and spiritual emptiness.
His West Country accent becomes an instrument itself, adding authenticity to lines like “Are you deafened by the headlines or does your head not hear at all?”
Albarn responds in the chorus with his distinctive voice, increasingly rare in recent Gorillaz output but welcome when it appears.
That almost fragile vocal quality feels particularly vulnerable here, offering glimpses of someone desperately seeking escape.
The bridge introduces stark confession: visiting a liquor store, confronting one’s reflection, begging for self-acceptance. It’s raw honesty that cuts through philosophical questioning with personal crisis.
When you look closer at Gorillaz “The God of Lying” lyrics meaning, it becomes clear that the song explores grief, political division, and the search for purpose, motifs running throughout The Mountain.
Albarn and Jamie Hewlett created this album following personal losses, with Indian recording sessions exploring themes of death and transition.
Character 2D’s statement encapsulates the tension: “Doubt is very tiring but questioning things is really good for you.”
Let’s be clear: this isn’t an immediate crowd-pleaser. Talbot’s delivery remains measured rather than adopting IDLES’ typical post-punk aggression. Every decision creates unease rather than comfort.
This is Gorillaz playing the long game, creating album-oriented music for The Mountain‘s greater narrative rather than chasing streams.
As their first release on independent label KONG, they’re free to prioritise artistic vision over commercial compromise.
The choice to release this as a single might frustrate casual fans expecting another “Feel Good Inc.,” but it signals the album will require open-mindedness.
The instrumental work is exceptional; textured, global, perfectly balanced between hypnotic repetition and subtle variation.
When The Mountain arrives in full on 20 March 2026, “The God of Lying” will likely reveal its true purpose within the album’s arc.
Until then, it stands as a fascinating, occasionally uncomfortable, ultimately rewarding addition to the Gorillaz catalogue.
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