NFTs are currently the biggest buzzword in the music industry. Artists like Grimes, Diplo, and now The Weeknd have tried to capitalize on the cryptocurrency art industry by selling music and digital artwork as an NFT. Gorillaz announced they were doing just that Friday, detailing plans to sale NFTs to commemorate the 20th anniversary of their debut album. But the problem with NFTs is that they have a massive environmental impact, something Gorillaz fans aren’t too happy with.
According to Wired, NFTs have a clear impact on climate change. In one instance, the 10 seconds it took for cryptocurrency website Nifty Gateway to sell six NFTs consumed 8.7 megawatt-hours of energy, comparable to the amount of electricity used by a household in a single year. That’s why Gorillaz fans are up in arms that a band whose 2010 album Plastic Beach warned against the harmful effects of climate change were so quick to join an industry perpetuating carbon emissions.
After news of the Gorillaz NFT broke, fans took to Twitter to share their surprise. “why the f*ck is gorillaz participating in this nft bullsh*t when they made a whole album dedicated to the harmful effects on the environment?” one fan asked.
why the fuck is gorillaz participating in this nft bullshit when they made a whole album dedicated to the harmful effects on the environment??? and apparently in song machine lore, noodle wanted to see the world before it was gone due to climate change pic.twitter.com/DRyUowViO4
— el ♤ (@wxntz_jpg) March 26, 2021
Another listener had something to say about the band’s corporatism: “its wildly hilarious and sad to me that Gorillaz started like 23 years ago to mock the overly corporate manufactured music industry and now here they are in 2021 getting into this NFT bullsh*t.”
its wildly hilarious and sad to me that Gorillaz started like 23 years ago to mock the overly corporate manufactured music industry and now here they are in 2021 getting into this NFT bullshit pic.twitter.com/SG7mJc8fSh
— some bones in space
(@undeadartclub) March 26, 2021
Others were quick to give similar arguments.
i cannot do this anymore WASNT GORILLAZ TALKING ABOUT HOW THE EARTH IS BEING DESTROYED IN THEIR MUSIC??? AND NOW THEYRE DOING NFTS
— charee ☆ (@shyuhree) March 26, 2021
gorillaz in 2001: FUCK MTV FUCK THE ESTABLISHMENT POLITICS ARE BULLSHIT FUCK THE GOVERNMENT SAVE THE EARTH
gorillaz in 2021: hehe look at our nft lololol
— woodpecker (@PeachyKneeSocks) March 26, 2021
Gorillaz: [makes multiple songs and an entire album about the effects of environmental devastation and how corporations would destroy the earth for profit if they could]
Also Gorillaz: pic.twitter.com/eqkX0Q19OA
— Mobile Suit Gundamina (@ScraftyDevil) March 26, 2021
GORILLAZ DOING NFTS DESPITE MAKING THE LITERAL ALBUM PLASTIC BEACH, WHICH IS ABOUT ENVIRONMENTALISM, IS MAKING ME LOSE MY MIND
— dilf destroyer (@dasawkem) March 26, 2021
Gorillaz recording Plastic Beach, only to go on and make NFTs almost 11 years later pic.twitter.com/Wc3uIK9X3K
— Eddie
(@intaminblitz) March 26, 2021
See fans react to Gorillaz’s NFT announcement above.
Gorillaz are a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.