Cult British rock band Gorillaz is back with the release of Damascus, the fourth single from their forthcoming album, The Mountain.
Featuring American rapper Yasiin Bey–formerly known as Mos Def — alongside Syrian singer Omar Souleyman, the tripartite collaboration brings the city back into a conversation it was once held away from due to the long-shadow of war. Feel-good and built on a celebratory cadence, the song resists any form or kind of heaviness as if it was reintroducing the former embattled capital under a new light, one that is warmer and resolutely present-tense.
“Shipped from Damascus, Nemo Point; The fantasy is real, feel free, enjoy,” Yasiin Bey can be heard singing on the track.
Damascus arrives as part of a wider rollout that has already delivered a series of standout singles including The God of Lying featuring British post-punk band IDLES, The Happy Dictator with American art pop duo Sparks, and The Manifesto with Argentine MC Trueno and late American rapper Proof.
Preparing for the release of their ninth studio album — scheduled to land on February 27, 2026 — every teaser shared so far of The Mountain’s track-list suggests that Damascus won’t be the record’s only city-based homage to come from our neck of the woods. A track titled Casablanca is also on the horizon.