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Momentary Bliss
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Wikipedia article
{{Infobox song
| name = Momentary Bliss
| cover = Gorillaz - Momentary Bliss.png
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Gorillaz featuring Slowthai and Slaves
| album = Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez
| B-side =
| released =
| recorded = November 2019
| studio = Studio 13
| genre =
| length = 3:41
| label =
| writer =
| producer =
| chronology = Gorillaz
| prev_title = Tranz
| prev_year = 2018
| next_title = Dsol
| next_year = 2020
| misc =
}}
"'Momentary Bliss'" is a song by British virtual band Gorillaz, featuring British rapper Slowthai and the Kent-based punk rock duo Slaves. The song was the first song to be released for Gorillaz' 'Song Machine' initiative, a web series consisting of singles and music videos released over the course of the year from the band, with each episode featuring different guest musicians on new Gorillaz material, and is the first single released for their seventh studio album, 'Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez'.
Background and recording
"Momentary Bliss" was recorded in the summer of 2019 at Damon Albarn's Studio 13 in West London. Albarn had previously worked with Slaves as part of the Africa Express project, with the band also previously working with Slowthai on his album 'Nothing Great About Britain', on the song "Missing".
The song was announced as being the first of eleven tracks to be released from Gorillaz' 'Song Machine' initiative, which sees the band release a new song every month with previously unannounced collaborators. Damon Albarn and Remi Kabaka spoke to BBC Radio 1's Annie Mac for the song's official premiere, saying that 'Song Machine' "may have an obtuse narrative arc at the end of each season, but it's more 'Ozark', than 'Designated Survivor'. You just keep going until you run out of ideas."
A press release was put out to explain the initiative further, with virtual Gorillaz member Russel Hobbs saying: "'Song Machine' is a whole new way of doing what we do, Gorillaz breaking the mould 'cos the mould got old. World is moving faster than a supercharged particle, so we've gotta stay ready to drop. We don't even know who's stepping through the studio next. 'Song Machine' feeds on the unknown, runs on pure chaos. So whatever the hell's coming, we're primed and ready to produce like there's no tomorrow."
Composition
Critics have described the single as punk rock, electronic, pop punk, ska, hip hop, britpop and reggae rock. Mark Beaumont of The Independent described the song as sci-fi ska. Thereafter, Thomas Smith of NME noted the punk timbre, describing the song as a punk rager.
Damon Albarn utilizes an interpolation of the chorus of "Lovely Rita" by The Beatles; this interpolation takes place before Slowthai's first verse, before 2-D's verse, and in both Holman's intro and ending chorus.
Music video
The song's music video was filmed at Albarn's studio in West London, featuring both Slowthai and Slaves. The video which premiered on 30 January 2020 features the band's animated characters recording the song with guests. The video also marked the return of Murdoc Niccals, who had been absent from the band's sixth studio album 'The Now Now'.
In the video, directed by Jamie Hewlett, Tim McCourt, and Max Taylor, Murdoc attempts to poison Albarn's drink during a recording session but ends up becoming sick after observing no side effects and testing the poison on himself.
Tracklist
{{tracklist
| total_length = 6:22
| extra_column = Producers
| title1 = Machine Bitez #1
| note1 = with 2-D, Murdoc and Russel
| length1 = 0:44
| title2 = Momentary Bliss
| note2 = featuring Slowthai and Slaves
| writer2 =
| extra2 =
| length2 = 3:41
| title3 = Machine Bitez #2
| note3 = with 2-D and Slaves
| length3 = 0:56
| title4 = Machine Bitez #3
| note4 = with 2-D and Slowthai
| length4 = 1:01
}}
Personnel
'Gorillaz'
* Damon Albarn vocals, instrumentation, director, guitar
* Jamie Hewlett artwork, character design, video direction
* Remi Kabaka Jr. drum programming
'Additional musicians and personnel'
*Slowthai vocals
*Laurie Vincent guitar, vocals
*Isaac Holman drums, vocals
*Mike Dean drum programming
*Stephen Sedgwick mixing engineer, engineering
*Samuel Egglenton engineering
*John Davis mastering engineer
Charts
References
Category:2019 songs
Category:2020 singles
Category:Gorillaz songs
Category:Britpop songs
Category:British indie rock songs
Category:British pop punk songs
Category:British punk rock songs
Category:British synth-pop songs
Category:Parlophone singles
Category:Reggae rock songs
Category:Ska songs
Category:Slowthai songs
Category:Songs written by Damon Albarn
Category:Songs written by Mike Dean (record producer)
Category:Songs written by Remi Kabaka Jr.
Category:Songs written by Slowthai
Category:Song Machine
Category:Warner Records singles
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