Fans criticized Gorillaz for launching an NFT (non-fungible token) after it was revealed that the sale of digital items has a major effect on climate change.
Gorillaz announced yesterday (March 26) that he would sell an NFT to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his debut album.
However, in a recent Wired, the impact of the sale of NFTs on climate change and the environment can be extremely negative. According to the publication, the 10 seconds required for the cryptocurrency website Nifty Gateway consumed 8.7 megawatts of energy – which is similar to how much electricity a home uses per year.
The cartoon band, created by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett, explored the theme of environmentalism and the devastation of the Earth on their album ‘Plastic Beach’ – an irony that was not missed by fans.
“I am seriously so sad and disappointed by gorillaz doing NFTs,” wrote a Twitter user. “They made an entire album about the environment ten years ago, but now don’t hesitate to do something that helps to destroy the environment to make money.
even if they don’t know about the environmental impact, it just means that they are agreeing to something without doing any research. remember when Jamie said that the things they partner with are always good people, lol
– 🦍 sari 🦍 (@harvestkitty) March 26, 2021
“Even if they don’t know about the environmental impact, it just means that they are agreeing to something without doing any research. remember when Jamie said that the things they are partners with are always good people, lol. “
GORILLAZ MAKES NFTS IN SPITE OF MAKING THE PLASTIC BEACH OF LITERAL ALBUM, WHICH IS ABOUT ENVIRONMENTALISM, IS MAKING ME LOSE MY MIND
– dilf destroyer (@dasawkem) March 26, 2021
Another added: “Gorillaz making NFTs, despite having made the literal album ‘Plastic Beach’, which is about environmentalism, is making me go crazy.”
See more reactions below.
I can’t do this anymore, GORILLAZ WAS NOT TALKING ABOUT HOW THE EARTH IS BEING DESTROYED IN YOUR MUSIC ??? AND NOW THEY ARE TAKING NFTS
– charee ☆ (@shyuhree) March 26, 2021
Gorillaz recording Plastic Beach, only to make NFTs almost 11 years later pic.twitter.com/Wc3uIK9X3K
– Eddie‼ 🤖🌈 (@intaminblitz) March 26, 2021
I really hope people get away from the gorillaz that makes NFTs is not “bad gorillaz now umu”, but instead, “capitalism will take anything marketable and the juice for every penny, even if it means destroying your soul”
– Dark’s Arts (@DarkzArts) March 26, 2021
not gorillaz supporting nfts after making plastic beach …
that album must not have meant anything huh pic.twitter.com/Q38ZVbhJt3
– kaiju ⛓️✨ slowly crawling out of exhaustion (@kaijukings) March 26, 2021
gorillaz entering NFTs is seriously the betrayal of the millennia, I can’t even gather the words to express
– 𖤐 lars 𖤐 (@larsaddams) March 26, 2021
A petition was initiated by fan Jamie Bradner asking Gorillaz to cancel his plans to produce an NFT. In the post, Bradner called the “decision to create NFTs in collaboration with Superplastic based on the art of Gorillaz is poorly informed at best and goes against what Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett originally created”. At the time of writing, 375 people signed the petition.
NME contacted Gorillaz representatives for official comments on the matter.
The band’s eponymous debut album was released on March 26, 2001 and will be celebrated with a number of new items, including a new collection of the G Foot clothing line and a series of vinyl toys.