Gnarls Barkley Announces New Album 'Atlanta,' Shares 'Pictures'

Gnarls Barkley, the duo consisting of vocalist CeeLo Green and producer Danger Mouse, is back.

The genre-bending act has announced their third and final album, Atlanta, will release March 6 via 10K Projects/Atlantic Records. The album will be available digitally as well as on vinyl and CD.

The beloved duo officially teased their return on Wednesday (Feb. 25) via Instagram, sharing a cryptic post featuring artwork by Butcher Billy. “GNARLS BARKLEY,” they captioned, with the eyes emoji.

Later, they shared the album trailer, confirming the final installment of their trilogy: “The last chapter 3.6. 26.”

Titled after the city they’re from, Atlanta will consist of 13 tracks, including the lead single “Pictures,” released Thursday (Feb. 26).

On “Pictures,” Green flips through a photobook of memories from his formative years. “A minute goes by, now it’s the past / I hope life is saving the best for last,” he sings on the Danger Mouse production.

Speaking on the song’s meaning, Green shares, “‘Pictures’ is like going back to square one. It’s a full circle moment. The spirit of Gnarls Barkley is always self-discovery. The sweet, the sad, and the strange. The universe, the adventure inside of yourself.”

On the track, Green also pays homage to Atlanta’s MARTA system, which both he and Danger Mouse frequently boarded growing up — years before they finally crossed paths.

“The song came from a childhood experience,” Green explains of its inspiration. “I had a middle school principal who, every Friday, would tell me to go when I would get to school. Without fail. I was in 8th grade and I would leave school and ride the train alone from 8 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. The hook of the song is literally about being on the train. When you are in transit it’s like a motion picture passing you by…staring out the window of the MARTA train.”

Atlanta is the follow-up to Gnarls Barkley’s 2008 sophomore set, The Odd Couple. The album, which debuted at No. 12 on the Billboard 200, included the singles “Who’s Gonna Save My Soul,” “Going On” and “Run (I’m a Natural Disaster).”

In 2006, Gnarls Barkley released their critically-acclaimed debut album, St. Elsewhere. It included their international hit “Crazy,” which reached No. 1 on the U.K. charts and No. 2 on Billboard’s Hot 100.

At the 49th Grammy Awards, it won Best Urban/Alternative Performance for “Crazy.” They also took home a trophy for Best Alternative Music Album.

In a 2020 interview with Rated R&B, Green confirmed that Gnarls Barkley’s third album was in the works. “I just talked about Danger Mouse yesterday, so we are on board and on schedule. There was never a formal date; it was just kind of taking these moments to get together,” he said. “It’s always been scheduling conflicts but it’s also been us just waiting for the right time. We are finally getting to a point where we can make it happen for real.”

Stream Gnarls Barkley’s new song “Pictures” and see the tracklist for Atlanta below.