In a remarkable confluence of international music and Indian culture, the first months of 2026 are seeing India at the center of two major album launches and a wave of listening events that highlight both global pop and homegrown classical talent. With Mumbai named among the 40 cities worldwide to host a listening party for Harry Styles’ much-anticipated fourth album, Kiss All the Time, and Gorillaz’s new record The Mountain being previewed in five Indian cities, music lovers across the subcontinent are finding themselves at the heart of the action.
According to Rolling Stone India, these listening parties are fast becoming a staple of album marketing campaigns, offering fans unique opportunities to experience new music ahead of official releases. The upcoming Gorillaz sessions in Bengaluru, Delhi, Goa, Hyderabad, and Mumbai are free to attend, giving fans a first taste of an album that is, in many ways, a love letter to India.
The Mountain, Gorillaz’s ninth studio album, is set for release on February 27, 2026. The record, described by the band as "a playlist for a party on the border between this world and whatever happens next, exploring the journey of life and the thrill of existence," was recorded in a whirlwind tour across London, Devon, Turkmenistan, Syria, the US, and, crucially, India. The album’s Indian connection runs deep, featuring collaborations with celebrated Indian musicians such as flautist Ajay Prassana, sarod players Amaan and Ayaan Ali Bangash, sitar virtuoso Anoushka Shankar, and iconic singers Asha Bhosle and Asha Puthli.
Gorillaz creator Damon Albarn, in an interview with Rolling Stone India, emphasized the band’s intent to bring their virtual act to Indian stages. "It [the project] is all geared towards arriving in India at some point," Albarn said. "That’s the whole point of it – so that we can play some wonderful gigs in India."
The genesis of The Mountain is as personal as it is global. Jamie Hewlett, Gorillaz’s visual mastermind, recounted to The Irish News how a family emergency in Jaipur led to an extended stay in India, which profoundly shaped the album’s direction. "That pretty traumatic experience actually ended up with me falling in love with Jaipur. So, when I came back, I said ‘We need to go to India and do something’," Hewlett explained. The idea was initially just to immerse themselves in India’s musical landscape, but after both Albarn and Hewlett lost their fathers within days of each other, the project’s theme became more focused and introspective.
Albarn’s connection to India and its music is lifelong. He shared, "I honestly think that music like Ravi Shankar was the soundtrack of my early childhood more than The Beatles." During the album’s creation, Albarn even took some of his father’s ashes to the Ganges, a gesture rooted in his parents’ love for Indian culture and spirituality. The duo’s travels took them through Mumbai, Jaipur, New Delhi, Varanasi, and Rishikesh, absorbing the sights, sounds, and rhythms of each city.
One of the album’s pivotal moments occurred at Jaipur’s Amber Fort, where Albarn recorded a one-string violin player performing an old Rajasthan folk tune. This melody became the backbone of the title track, though, as Albarn humorously noted, "I played it to loads of [Indian] musicians, and none of them have ever heard it. But this guy at the Amber Fort, it’s the only tune he’s playing. Maybe I’ve just changed it so much it’s not recognizable."
The recording sessions themselves were as vibrant and chaotic as the cities they took place in. Hewlett described a particularly memorable day in Jaipur: "We were in a tiny room with 40 or so brass players, all dressed up in colourful costumes, and it was probably close to 40 degrees. There was an electricity pylon across the street with sparks coming off it, and guys trying to fix it, and there was a tanker truck outside the window with a leak, so it really stank of petrol in this tiny room. All with cows just walking through the chaos, just casually chillin’."
The album’s roster of collaborators is as eclectic as Gorillaz’s reputation demands. Alongside the Indian musicians, contributors include Bizarrap, Black Thought, Gruff Rhys, Idles, Johnny Marr, Paul Simonon, Sparks, and Yasiin Bey. The voices of late icons like Bobby Womack, Dennis Hopper, Mark E. Smith, Proof, and Tony Allen also feature, adding layers of nostalgia and tribute.
On the visual front, Hewlett is putting the finishing touches on an eight-minute animated film, created entirely with hand-drawn techniques. "There’s no computers and definitely no AI. It’s all human-made," Hewlett said, referencing inspiration from classic animation like The Jungle Book. The band’s commitment to craftsmanship and storytelling is evident in both sound and imagery.
Meanwhile, two of Gorillaz’s Indian collaborators, Amaan and Ayaan Ali Bangash, are making headlines of their own. Fresh from their work on The Mountain and a high-profile collaboration with Yungblud at Lollapalooza India, the sarod maestros have announced Celebrating Our Tigers, a seven-track album dedicated to India’s iconic tiger reserves. Launched in association with WWF-India, where the brothers now serve as Goodwill Ambassadors, the album is set for global release on February 20, 2026.
"Through ‘Celebrating Our Tigers’, we wanted to create more than just music. We aimed to craft an immersive experience that echoes the raw beauty and majesty of India’s wilderness," Amaan Ali Bangash told News18. His brother Ayaan added, "Music has the power to communicate emotion and stories beyond words, and with ‘Celebrating Our Tigers’, we invite listeners to celebrate this conservation triumph and reflect on our shared responsibility to protect these iconic animals for generations to come."
The album journeys through India’s most celebrated tiger reserves — from the forests of Jim Corbett and Bandhavgarh to the mangrove labyrinth of the Sundarbans — with each composition inspired by the emotional and ecological pulse of these regions. A special highlight is the track "Kabini", featuring Zohaan Ali Bangash and Abeer Ali Bangash, the teenage twin grandsons of Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, symbolizing a deeply personal and intergenerational commitment to wildlife conservation.
The project arrives at a time when India’s wild tiger population is showing signs of recovery, thanks to sustained conservation efforts. WWF-India’s Dr. Sejal Worah praised the brothers’ efforts, saying, "Their album, ‘Celebrating Our Tigers’ beautifully blends music and nature, drawing attention to the majesty of India’s tigers and the landscapes they inhabit."
Both albums, in their own ways, pay tribute to India’s diversity — its music, its wildlife, and its people. As the world tunes into new sounds and stories from the subcontinent, India’s place on the global cultural map has rarely been more vibrant or more vital.
With listening parties, cross-cultural collaborations, and a renewed focus on conservation, this season’s musical releases are not just about melodies — they’re about forging connections, honoring heritage, and inspiring action for the future.