Gorillaz deliver second single from upcoming ‘Song Machine’ LP, ‘Desolé’

Animated electronic band, Gorillaz, have released the second single from their forthcoming studio album, Song Machine. The collaborative track, “Desolé” (French for “Sorry”) features Grammy-nominated Malian singer, Fatoumata Diawara, and has three versions in English, French, and Bambara. The new song also follows the last Gorillaz single, “Momentary Bliss,” featuring slowthai and Slaves.

“Making Désolé with Fatou was a real moment for me, you know,” says Gorillaz drummer Russel in a press statement. “She’s an African Queen. This lady made the song what it is, beautiful, like life. What can I say about Désolé? They say sorry is the hardest word, but that’s not true…. Try saying antidisestablishmentarianism with a mouth full of gluten free cronuts on a speed boat without licking your lips.”

The track also comes with an animated music video directed by Jamie Hewlett. Band members 2D, Noodle, and Russel head out on a cruise across Lake Como, Italy. They are accompanied by Fatoumata Diawara as they face monsters out at sea. Meanwhile, Murdoc has been left behind in the recording studio, which is why the song’s title fittingly translates to “sorry.”

Song Machine is the band’s seventh studio album, following The Now Now, which landed back in 2018.