TUNE OF THE WEEK: THE MANIFESTO
(Kong via Sony Music, 2025)
With contributors from India, the US, Argentina and UK, The Manifesto is a truly international collaboration.
Gorillaz released a new single on Friday, the second from their forthcoming album The Mountain. The seven-minute epic features the Argentine rap sensation Trueno, alongside the late US rapper Proof. Over a textured soundscape of Indian classical instrumentation, Trueno muses “Ya no sé qué va pasar mañana, cuando atienda la luz que me llama” (“I don’t know what will happen tomorrow, when I answer the light that calls me”), encapsulating the theme of the album: life, death, and rebirth.
23-year-old Trueno is part of a growing vibrant scene of young artists in Buenos Aires. His funky tracks nod to 90s hip-hop and his politically conscious songwriting have earned him major critical and commercial success in South America and beyond. His third album EL ÚLTIMO BAILE was released last year.
The Mountain is set for release in March 2025 and is produced by James Ford (Fontaines D.C., Pulp, The Last Dinner Party). The Damon Albarn-led outfit were inspired by a trip to India in late 2024, where they recorded in Mumbai, New Delhi, Rajasthan, and Varanasi. As such, the track includes contributions from Indian musicians Amaan Ali Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash on the sarod and Ajay Prasanna on bansuri (flute).
