Feel Good Inc.

"Feel Good Inc." is a song by British virtual band Gorillaz featuring American hip-hop group De La Soul. Released on 9 May 2005 as the lead single from the band's second studio album, Demon Days, the single peaked at No. 2 in the United Kingdom and No. 14 in the United States, topping the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart for eight consecutive weeks and appearing on the Billboard Hot 100 year-end rankings for both 2005 and 2006. The song peaked within the top 10 in 16 countries, reaching No. 1 in Spain, Poland and Greece. The song has been certified six times platinum in New Zealand, five times Platinum in Canada, and four times platinum in the United Kingdom.

"Feel Good Inc."
Single by Gorillaz featuring De La Soul
from the album Demon Days
B-side	"Spitting Out the Demons" "Bill Murray" "68 State" "Murdoc Is God"
Released	9 May 2005 (2005-05-09)
Studio	Kong (Essex, England) 13 (London, England)
Genre	Alternative rock[1] hip-hop[2][3] rap rock[4] funk rock[5]
Length	3:42 (album version) 3:28 (radio edit)
Label	Parlophone Virgin
Songwriter(s)	Gorillaz David Jolicoeur
Producer(s)	Gorillaz Danger Mouse Jason Cox James Dring
Gorillaz singles chronology
"Lil' Dub Chefin'" (2002) "Feel Good Inc." (2005) "Dare" (2005)
De La Soul singles chronology
"Rock Co.Kane Flow" (2004) "Feel Good Inc." (2005) "Thou Shalt Always Kill" (2009)
Music video
"Feel Good Inc." on YouTube

The song was listed in Pitchfork Media and Rolling Stone's Best Songs of the 2000s. "Feel Good Inc." was nominated for three Grammys at the 48th Annual Grammy Awards in 2006, including Record of the Year, ultimately winning for Best Pop Collaboration.^[6] Popdose ranked it 26th on their list of 100 best songs of the decade.^[7]

Music video

Background

The main themes of the "Feel Good Inc." video are intellectual freedom and the media's dumbing down of mass culture.^[8] Jamie Hewlett said in an interview that the inspiration for some scenes in the video came from Hayao Miyazaki; specifically, the windmill-powered landmass, which has been compared to that of Miyazaki's Castle in the Sky.^[9] On 26 April 2022, the video was re-uploaded to the Gorillaz YouTube channel with commentary from virtual band member Murdoc Niccals.^[10] The music video was filmed in February of 2005.

Synopsis

At the beginning of the video, the camera rises up to the top of the Feel Good Inc. tower, and a sample of the Spacemonkeyz dub of "Clint Eastwood", entitled "A Fistful of Peanuts", can be heard. The camera focuses into the tower, where 2-D yearns for the freedom to join Noodle on her floating island. The characters lying on the floor represent those who have already been "dumbed down", while the band members are the ones who have awakened. 2-D attempts to awaken all the people lying on the floor from their half-dead state by yelling at them through his megaphone, in the style of a political activist. Ominous helicopters, which closely resemble Korean War-era Bell H-13s, chase the floating island, monitoring the behaviour inside and ensuring that no one escapes. It is unclear whether they are preventing Noodle's escape or are chasing her away.^[8]

Back in the tower, De La Soul appear as larger-than life, seemingly omnipotent images on surrounding television screens, taunting the Gorillaz band members^[11] and driving 2-D into a wild, hypnotic frenzy as he tries to resist the urge to be dumbed down. At the end of the video, 2-D, beaten by his surroundings, returns to the state he was in when the video began, repeating the words "feel good" until the video finally ends, in an exact reversal of the intro. The repetition of "feel good" represents that 2-D is convincing himself that everything is okay (as if he is brainwashing himself to believe it), instead of confronting the harsh truth of the situation.^[8] The music video for "El Mañana" continues the narrative, depicting two helicopter gunships catching up to Noodle's floating windmill island.

Awards and nominations

Awards 2005 MTV Video Music Awards Breakthrough Video Best Special Effects in a Video 2006 Grammy Awards Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals

Nominations 2006 Grammy Awards Record of the Year Best Short Form Music Video

Formats and track listings

Australian, European and UK 2-track CD single[12] "Feel Good Inc." – 3:42 "Spitting Out the Demons" – 5:10 European CD maxi-single[13] "Feel Good Inc." – 3:42 "Spitting Out the Demons" – 5:10 "Bill Murray" – 3:51 "Feel Good Inc." (video) – 4:13 Japanese CD EP[14] "Feel Good Inc." – 3:42 "Spitting Out the Demons" – 5:10 "Bill Murray" – 3:51 "Murdoc Is God" – 2:26 "Feel Good Inc." (video) – 4:13 European and UK DVD single[15] "Feel Good Inc." (video) – 4:13 "Spitting Out the Demons" – 5:10 "Bill Murray" – 3:51

European and UK 7-inch picture disc[16] A. "Feel Good Inc." – 3:42 B. "68 State" – 4:48 European digital single 1[17] "Feel Good Inc." (instrumental) – 3:42 European digital single 2[18] "Feel Good Inc." – 2:49 "68 State" – 4:48 US digital EP[19] "Feel Good Inc." – 3:42 "Spitting Out the Demons" – 5:09 "Bill Murray" – 3:52 "Dare" featuring Shaun Ryder (Soulwax remix) – 5:44

Credits and personnel

Credits are lifted from the European CD single and Demon Days liner notes.^[13][20]

Studios

• Recorded at Kong Studios (Essex, England) and 13 (London, England)
• Mixed at Pierce Rooms (London, England)
• Mastered at Masterdisk (New York City)

Song personnel Gorillaz – writing, production, mixing De La Soul – featured vocals David Jolicoeur – writing Simon Tong – additional guitar Danger Mouse – production, mixing, programming Jason Cox – additional production, mixing, engineering James Dring – additional production, programming Howie Weinberg – mastering J.C. Hewett – artwork and design Zombie Flesh Eaters – artwork and design

Video personnel Jamie Hewlett – director Pete Candeland – director Passion Pictures – production Rushes – post production Chu-Li Shewring – sound design Sebastian Monk – sound design

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (2005–2006) Peak position Australia (ARIA)[21] 3 Australian Urban (ARIA)[22] 2 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[23] 4 Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders)[24] 2 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[25] 36 Canada (Nielsen SoundScan)[26] 6 Canada CHR/Pop Top 30 (Radio & Records)[27] 13 Canada Hot AC Top 40 (Radio & Records)[28] 22 Canada Rock Top 30 (Radio & Records)[29] 26 CIS Airplay (TopHit)[30] 7 Czech Republic (IFPI)[31] 5 Denmark (Tracklisten)[32] 19 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[33] 2 Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[34] 4 France (SNEP)[35] 26 Germany (GfK)[36] 8 Greece (IFPI)[37] 1 Hungary (Rádiós Top 40)[38] 27 Hungary (Dance Top 40)[39] 28 Hungary (Single Top 40)[40] 7 Iceland (Tónlist)[41] 3 Ireland (IRMA)[42] 4 Ireland Dance (IRMA)[43] 1 Italy (FIMI)[44] 5 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade)[45] 20 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[46] 87 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[47] 2 Norway (VG-lista)[48] 4 Polish Airplay Top 100 (ZPAV)[49] 1 Russia Airplay (TopHit)[50] 12 Scotland (OCC)[51] 2 Spain (PROMUSICAE)[52] 1 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[53] 14 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[54] 12 UK Singles (OCC)[55] 2 US Billboard Hot 100[56] 14 US Adult Pop Airplay (Billboard)[57] 18 US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[58] 1 US Dance/Mix Show Airplay (Billboard)[59] 4 US Pop Airplay (Billboard)[60] 13 Chart (2025) Peak position Global 200 (Billboard)[61] 130

Year-end charts Chart (2005) Position Australia (ARIA)[62] 9 Australian Urban (ARIA)[63] 6 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[64] 25 CIS (TopHit)[65] 42 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[66] 20 Germany (Media Control GfK)[67] 43 Italy (FIMI)[68] 45 New Zealand (RIANZ)[69] 18 Russia Airplay (TopHit)[70] 27 Sweden (Hitlistan)[71] 100 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[72] 71 UK Singles (OCC)[73] 14 US Billboard Hot 100[74] 37 US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[75] 72 US Dance Radio Airplay (Billboard)[76] 28 US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[77] 66 US Modern Rock Tracks (Billboard)[78] 4 Venezuela Pop Rock (Record Report)[79] 4 Chart (2006) Position US Billboard Hot 100[80] 97

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[81]	Platinum	70,000^
Canada (Music Canada)[82]	5× Platinum	400,000‡
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[83]	Platinum	90,000‡
Germany (BVMI)[84]	3× Gold	450,000‡
Italy (FIMI)[85] sales since 2009	Platinum	50,000‡
New Zealand (RMNZ)[86]	6× Platinum	180,000‡
Portugal (AFP)[87]	3× Platinum	30,000‡
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[88]	Platinum	60,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[89]	4× Platinum	2,400,000‡
United States (RIAA)[90] Mastertone	Gold	500,000^
United States Digital	—	2,924,479[91]
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Ref.
United States	4 April 2005	Alternative radio	Virgin	[92]
	9 May 2005	Digital download		[19]
Australia		CD	Parlophone	[93]
United Kingdom		7-inch vinyl CD DVD		[94]