Courtesy of Gorillaz
Forget about the Phantom of the Opera: “The Pink Phantom” is here.
“The Pink Phantom” is a song that features Elton John collaborating with the U.K. band Gorillaz and rapper 6LACK. Gorillaz isn’t actually a band, though: It’s the brainchild of Damon Albarn, frontman of the popular and influential British group Blur, and artist Jamie Hewlett. Hewlett created cartoon characters to be the “band,” but Albarn is the only permanent member — it’s basically him and whomever he feels like collaborating with.
“The Pink Phantom” is part of the cartoon band’s ongoing collaborative Song Machine series, and will appear on the Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez album, due out October 23. You can download “The Pink Phantom” now via digital outlets. There’s also a video, in which Elton is depicted as a cartoon character.
“I’ve always loved Damon because he encompasses so many different sorts of music,” Elton says of the Gorillaz co-creator. “He has his fingers in so many pies and although he’s achieved so much, he never sits still creatively. He’s constantly pushing forward and embracing the new, which is admirable and rare.”
Elton adds, “I’ve always been a Gorillaz fan anyway, so when [Albarn] asked me to do a Gorillaz track, it was a no-brainer. I’m so very, very happy that that’s come about.”
On Instagram, Elton notes, “Even working remotely (I was in London and he was in Devon, [England]), collaborating with Damon on this was such an engaging and creative process.”
Gorillaz will play tracks from Song Machine during a global livestream, kicking off December 12. No word on whether Elton or any of the other artists on the album will join them.
By Josh Johnson & Andrea Dresdale
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