One of the most out-of-the-box collaborations of the year is between the Gorillaz and Bad Bunny. Last night (Feb. 21), a portion of the British band’s song with Benito, “Tormenta,” appeared to surface online.
Back in Aug., the Gorillaz released the tracklist for their upcoming album Cracker Island. Bad Bunny was revealed to be on the LP’s song “Tormenta.” Gorillaz is also collaborating with a wide range of artists, including Stevie Nicks, Beck, Adeleye Omotayo, Thundercat, and Tame Impala.
The following month, Damon Albarn, the lead singer for the Gorillaz, confirmed the collaboration. In an interview with Warp, Albarn revealed how he crossed paths with the Puerto Rican superstar to create “Tormenta.” “What I love about Gorillaz is that I can bring [in] anyone I want, you know?” he said. “I was in Jamaica recently and recorded a Gorillaz song with Bad Bunny, that’s something exciting for next year. I still don’t know when it will come out, or how we are going to launch it, but we finished it and it is… yes, more or less a reggaeton song. It’s Bad Bunny meets Gorillaz.”
Gorillaz’s Cracker Island album is set to be released this Friday, Feb. 24. Ahead of the LP’s release, a part of “Tormenta” appeared to leak online last night. Like Albarn mentioned, from the alleged audio, the dreamy song blends reggaeton beats with the psychedelic edge of Gorillaz. “Tormenta” could be a trippy sequel to the chill music on Bad Bunny’s Un Verano Sin Ti album.
It’s not out of the ordinary for Bad Bunny to collaborate with Gorillaz. Last year, he worked with multiple alternative acts on his Un Verano Sin Ti album, including The Marías, Buscabulla, and Bomba Estéreo. “Tormenta” appears to be very promising from the reported leak, so it’s going to be exciting to hear the song in full this coming Friday.