In Greek mythology, Andromeda was an Ethiopian princess rescued by the hero Perseus. A northern constellation is named after her as is the Andromeda galaxy. It translates to “to be mindful of a man” from the Greek element ανηρ (aner) “man” (genitive ανδρος) combined with μεδομαι (medomai) “to be mindful of”. Damon explained in an interview how Ethyl, the deceased mother of his partner, loved astronomy. This is why he likes to imagine her spirit being in another constellation, and why space themes are found throughout Humanz. ‘Andromeda’ is also a reference to an old soul club in Colchester Damon used to visit in the early 1980s.

“Andromeda” is one of four singles released on March 23, coinciding with the reveal of Gorillaz’s fifth album, Humanz. The song was premiered on BBC Radio 1 alongside “Saturnz Barz.”

The track features emerging R&B star D.R.A.M., and represents the first collaboration between the artists.