Demon Days, Gorillaz’s magnum opus, turns 20 this year! It’s a cacophony of samples, lyrics screaming about the political landscape of the US in the early 2000s, and smash hits like “Feel Good Inc.”

Damon Albarn, the head of the music side of the Gorillaz project, is known to introduce collaborators onto his albums for their unique viewpoint. Albarn was born and raised in London, so he can only observe what happens in American life. During his time working on Demon Days, he specifically brought on several American artists to deliver their thoughts and feelings on the current state of the world. The title is aptly named Demon Days due to the rise of global conflict, and the public getting a front row seat to it all through the steady rise of the Internet.

One of the more notable examples is Bootie Brown’s feature on “Dirty Harry.” The song is about everyday American tensions and fears in a post 9/11 world, and how that fear extends to the war in Afghanistan and the 2003 invasion of Iraq. It criticizes Bush’s leadership — “‘The war is over’ so said the speaker / With the flight suit on / Maybe to him, I’m just a pawn / So he can advance” — and spotlights the PTSD the soldiers experience — “Your water’s from a bottle, mine’s from a canteen / At night I hear the shots ring, so I’m a light sleeper.” “You can’t conceal the hate that consumes you.” Even though the war in Afghanistan ended recently in 2021, the unease never seemed to fully dissolve. Tensions are still high against anything deemed as “un-American” to this day (and it’s growing worse by the day). For an album released in 2005, these themes are not only relevant 20 years later, but they seem to be evergreen. There’s no break in the strain.

Speaking of evergreen themes, the album also speaks on the environment and the impacts of pollution. “O Green World,” “Every Planet We Reach Is Dead,” and “Fire Coming Out of the Monkey’s Head” are prime examples for the solemn reflection on a world that is slowly being drained of its natural resources. We’re dooming the planet little by little if we continue to disregard its preservation. The constant questions asked at the end of each verse in “Every Planet We Reach is Dead” –- “What are we going to do?” “How are we going to work this out?” — are still echoing today. What are we going to do when we drain all our natural resources? How are we going to work out the climate issues? We haven’t found an answer and it seems to only be getting worse.

There are other topics the album touches upon, such as sensationalized violence that influences children on “Kids With Guns.” It’s another evergreen theme… think about any school shooting that’s happened recently and the point of the song speaks for itself.

Even through all the criticisms of the world and politics, every song on this album is filled with samples, unique basslines, and a blend of different genres. From movie clips to old soul music, Albarn is a master at layering samples to create a unique sound that contributes to its timelessness. It’s fun to listen to! I used to dance around my room to “DARE” the same way Noodle (Gorillaz virtual guitarist) danced in her room in the music video. The dance-y nature of these songs was the reason “Feel Good Inc.” made its way into the iconic Apple iPod silhouette commercials — which in turn launched it to the top of the charts in 2006. It was something to groove to, even when the lyrics touched on more dismal topics.

The album closes with a more hopeful tone in its title track. “Demon Days” gives the listener a dreamy experience with a choir backed by a gentle orchestra. There’s a feeling of praying for better days in a sunlit church. During live shows, this is when they project a beautiful stained glass illustration of the animated band made by Jamie Hewlett (the band’s artist behind all the music videos and illustrations). The audience is given a space to (metaphorically) hold hands and sing out to pick ourselves up and turn around to the sun.

I personally was way too young to understand the political themes when I first discovered this album at the tender age of 11 years old. Of course, I caught onto the themes as I got older, and I do credit it as a very formative album. I find myself throwing on this album whenever there’s political turbulence that makes it seem like the end of the world. I use it to remind myself things have gotten bad in the past, and the best thing we can do is just remember that tomorrow is a brand new day. After the results of the 2016 election, I wrote the lyrics from the Demon Days title track chorus in the back of a college notebook to look back on when the world got too scary. I still hold these lyrics close, especially now. I don’t carry around that notebook anymore since I graduated college a while ago, but I still write it down in new spots to continue carrying these words with me.

“In these demon days, we’re so cold inside

It’s so hard for a good soul to survive

You can’t even trust the air you breathe

‘Cause Mother Earth want us all to leave

When lies become reality

You numb yourself with drugs and TV

Pick yourself up, it’s a brand new day

So turn yourself ’round

Don’t burn yourself, turn yourself

Turn yourself around to the sun”