Rejoice, music lovers! On January 19, 2017, Gorillaz released their new single, “Hallelujah Money.” Gorillaz is an alternative rock, hip hop, electronica, and visual band from England. Gorillaz hasn’t released anything since their fourth studio album, The Fall, which was released on December 25, 2010. A full six years has passed since Gorillaz released anything new; which is why fans scrambled to listen to this new single as soon as it dropped.
Arriving 24 hours before Donald Trump’s inauguration, “Hallelujah Money” is a response to Trump’s inflammatory campaign as well as his election. For this track, Gorillaz collaborated with English singer-songwriter and poet, Benjamin Clementine, which is a terrific addition to this single. His lyrics and vocals make this track one of the band’s most innovative and haunting songs ever.
At first, I thought the song wasn’t very good. It was a little different than what I was used to from Gorillaz, but after giving it a few more listens, it grew on me. Gorillaz has tried to do something new and innovative with every album they released, but some fans may like it and others may not. That is the beauty of a band like Gorillaz. They aren’t afraid to be different or make a statement. Once I figured that out, I grew to appreciate their music. “Hallelujah Money” may be an odd track to listen to at first, but give it a chance and it will truly impress you.
Check out the “Hallelujah Money” music video:
Also released on January 19th was Arcade Fire’s newest single, “I Give You Power.” Arcade Fire is a Canadian indie rock band. Their last release was their vibrant dance-rock album Reflektor, which debuted in October 2013. So, it has also been a while since they released something, but not as long as Gorillaz.
I listened to “I Give You Power” after listening to “Hallelujah Money,” and I concluded that they are both very different, but very similar songs. They are similar in the fact that they are both anti-Trump songs and they exist to make a statement. However, “I Give You Power” is not as powerful as “Hallelujah Money.” In fact, it isn’t as powerful as other Arcade Fire songs. The lyrics in this new single are very simplistic and one-dimensional. The beat and the rhythm of this single makes it seem like it is more of a club track rather than a political one. It was just a very odd track considering Arcade Fire has done way better in the past. I appreciate tracks that make a statement, but this one fell very flat.
Check out the “I Give You Power” music video:
Caesar Torres
Features Editor