Enlisting high-riding UK rapper, AJ Tracey, Gorillaz maintain their relevance more than two decades since the animated apes’ inception. New track, Jimmy Jimmy, is testament to their appealing longevity.
Jimmy Jimmy’s brilliance relies solely on AJ Tracey’s rhymes. His vocals smoothly punctuate the track, peppering flavour and melody to a song that, at its core, is musically very basic. Omit Tracey’s vocal performance, and Jimmy Jimmy is nothing more than mediocre reggae club music. However, the simplicity is intentional, and Damon Albarn’s restraint in not crowding the song with unnecessary bells and whistles is a master stroke.
Ultimately, the formulation and execution works well, and why shouldn’t it? Gorillaz have an extensive history of successfully collaborating with critically acclaimed hip-hop artists. Word of warning: you’ll be singing the words, “Jimmy, Jimmy,” for the rest of the day.
7/10
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