Five Good Covers presents five cross-genre reinterpretations of an oft-covered song.

Gorillaz, formed in 1998 as a virtual band made up of four animated members, has always been non-traditional. Their music is accompanied by a fictional world displayed in music videos and cartoons. During their first tour the band members played behind a screen while videos played for the audience. After the band members found this a bit restricting, their future tours brought the members in front of the crowd but through lighting and other visuals, were kept silhouetted. In some sense the band was ahead of their time. Now, in a world where concerts can’t exist, the Gorillaz seem poised to benefit from creative alternatives to connect with their fans. Thank goodness they are back again with their Song Machine project that is being released as a series of episodes featuring a variety of collaborators.

But for now, let’s go back to 2004 when we all had a chance at feeling good despite some demon days. “Feel Good Inc.” brought the Gorillaz to the masses. It won the Grammy for Best Pop Collaboration and made it to best songs of the 2000s lists from Rolling Stone and Pitchfork despite mixed reviews from the same outlets upon its release. These covers range from faithful renditions to mood-changing takes on the mid-aughts hit.

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