Blackstar

I’ve never been one to feel particularly attached to celebrity, but that day in 2016, waking to the news that David Bowie had died, I was deeply saddened. During my stop for coffee that morning, the look on my face must’ve said it all…the cashier handed me my coffee and said “Today’s kind of a bummer, isn’t it?” “Yeah…I loved Bowie. It sucks,” was about all I could muster and the clerk nodded in agreement. In retrospect, it was a nice moment: Being brought together with someone I only had a casual acquaintance with over David Bowie, even if only briefly, was a testament to Bowie’s unique greatness. I did all the things that day that you were supposed to do: I listened to Bowie on the way to and from work, talked with coworkers about our favorite songs, watched the videos of people gathering all over the world to celebrate his life and posted photos and video of my Bowie vinyl collection to instagram. The one thing I didn’t do, was listen to Blackstar. It had come out only a day or two earlier and was cast in an entirely new light after the news broke. I just couldn’t do it, I wasn’t ready. I needed to spend more time with my favorites before I could say goodbye. I must have listened to Station to Station, Low, Scary Monsters a dozen times each that week. Well, weeks turned to months, months to years and here I am, more than 6 years later…really, truly digesting Blackstar for the first time. That’s not to say I haven’t heard it before. I’ve listened a handful of times in the last few years, but it’s been difficult to want to come back to it, to confront it for what it is: David Bowie saying farewell. It’s a difficult record: musically, lyrically and, for me, emotionally. Blackstar is a record that you need to come to terms with. I’m not sure it’s a record I’ll revisit frequently, even after spending the day today replaying it. Ultimately, it is a rewarding listen, ranking among his best, and I suspect that as sad as I was to say goodbye, the same went for David Bowie.

Ah yes, the classic "artist has recently died so let's pretend that their weird-ass, self-indulgent final album is actually a genius masterpiece".

Meh. If the man didn't die a couple days after the release, would it really be praised as much as it is? No disrespect to the Bowie. The response to this album is inflated. It's a mess IMO

What is there to say about this project? It's one of the best swansongs in popular music, and is a personal favorite on top of being my de facto introduction to Bowie qua Bowie (the absolute introduction was the Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack, but that was Ziggy). It's jazzy without being incomprehensible, but also avoids going pop: This thing is incredibly depressing. Repeated listens have only revealed more depth. As a musical idea, it's probably slightly less than perfect. I believe, though, that it's better as an album for it: It's only fitting that Bowie went out stretching a bit. And while we're talking about perfection, Lazarus is without question a perfect song.

What a legacy from a genius artist... the atmosphere of this album is haunting but beautiful!

Less a swan song and more a swan opera. But it's not maudlin. It's reflective of a life being one of the defining voices in both the art and music of the 20th century. It's a man coming to terms with his legacy. A star slowly fading but still there in the sky, glimmering. You can't quite see it. But it's in heaven. It can be a hard listen, but an important one.

Lots of artists talk about death. None have presented their journey, emotions, or physical experiences, as honestly and vividly as Bowie did while the horizon approached ever closer.

Zero bad tracks - Lazarus and I Can't Give Everything Away are tops

Awesome album, and the context around is next level. Releasing a track called Lazarus with lyrics like "Look at me, I'm in heaven", on an album released 2 days before you die? Very meta.

A haunting vision of mortality. This is one of those albums that gets better and better with repeated listens. Best track: I Can't Give Everything Away

Almost immediately - and I hate having a knee-jerk reaction - I come back to my usual Bowie thoughts: I really don't like him as a singer at all. It's not just his voice, it's the affectations and the style. Obviously a personal taste but it has always been nearly-impossible to get around. His album "Low" was a rare project where his voice didn't seem to be the main instrument and was more a part of the environment, which resulted in a different sort of album I enjoyed. This one had hype upon its release (because of Bowie's concurrent death) but I'd never listened before. And yeah - his vocals are often horrible. Apologies if you loved the dude. Music is wild but too often in a bad way. e.g. "Sue" is difficult to get through. Also stop already with the yodeling on "Girl Loves Me" Positive: I actually like "I Can't Give Everything Away" - would have loved more of this. I just have to settle on the fact that I don't really like Bowie's music overall and I look forward to the next 74 albums I'll have to listen to of his on this list... 4/10 2 stars.

Cancer, very sad.

I expect a lot from David Bowie. I know that this was his last album and he was dying while making this record, but I am just not a fan of this one. This doesnt even come close to Ziggy Stardust or some of his other albums. Girl loves me was a solid song. I liked the ending of the last track too. A lot of different noises and sounds on this record. He was a special artist. 3/10 he has much better albums.

It’s rare to find an artist that is consistently making incredible and forward thinking music this far in their career. With David Bowie’s last album, he once again reinvents himself and comes back with an album that is musically interesting and lyrically mysterious. His death in the wake of this album release may have given context to the lyrics, but this album stands on its own.

So bad, I never want to hear any of this crap again

Nope. I never got the whole Bowie thing. I find most of his stuff dreary and droning. I quite literally fell asleep trying to listen to this. There are some interesting song ideas here, I guess, but then Bowie drones all over them. I still don't get the Bowie thing.

Bowie's farewell album. I hope he's had a safe journey back to the far away galaxy he came from.

I walked into this one blind with the preconceived notion that it's impossibly overrated due to the fact that Bowie shuffled off his mortal coil just days after it was released. Obviously Bowie knew he was dying as he was making this, and many made a big deal about the "Look up here, I'm in heaven" line that opens "Lazarus". And realizing that the opening title track was close to ten minutes long didn't help create any excitement for me as I dove in. I was elated to find out all of this album's praise is well-deserved, and I ended up listening to the entire album in its entirety multiple times. As far as Swan Songs go, it's not quite Abbey Road, but it's a perfect send off for Bowie and right up there with Hunky Dory and Ziggy Stardust as his best albums. It's a beautiful and haunting - and yet somewhat not depressing - final bow. I'm not crazy about the album cover. It would have been poetic to instead have that final photo ever taken of Bowie, the one his wife Iman took of him smiling and holding a cigarette.

Pure unadulterated genius. Quietly and secretly taking the time to construct a final masterpiece before an unexpected and unannounced departure is something only Bowie could pull off. And it is a masterpiece, no doubt about that. What a badass baller move, man. Fucking Bowie. Even in death he's an innovator far ahead of our time, the likes of which we'll never see again. A rare, perfect gem, that blazes (that's right, BLAZES, not shines) brighter than any other. Thank you.

The word "genius" is thrown around too easily in music, but there's no other word to describe Bowie. This is dying as performance art. Should we have expected anything less from him? Not only that, but how many musicians are still transforming themselves on their 26th (!) album? Every track is brilliant and all the more deeper for the fact that he knew he was dying (although a few of them predate his cancer diagnosis). The song "Blackstar" is haunting - the 10 minute video is worth watching - disturbing and cool at the same time. "'Tis a Pity She was a Whore" - frenetic jazz over a driving bass line (that makes me think of "The Talking Drum" by King Crimson every time). "Lazarus" - this was the first one I heard off the album, seeing the video just after he died. Watching/listening to him sing "Look up here, I'm in heaven" was eerie (and still is). Again, death as performance art. "Sue (Or In a Season of Crime)" - the lyrics are a fun (?) descent into darkness. Almost like Poe - it also reminds me of some of the music on his album Outside (one of my favorites). "Girl Loves Me" - love the lyrics using words from A Clockwork Orange. Just another incredibly cool track (like all of them - let's also take a moment to acknowledge how awesome his band is on this album - also, how powerful is his singing on this album??). "Dollar Days" - this one is really tough to listen to, knowing that he was dying - the line "I'm dying to..." meant to be heard as "I'm dying, too." Is it a wail of despair or a cry of effort to make his last statement? Plus, that ending is so majestic with the combination of the sax solo, guitar line, and Bowie repeating "I'm trying to, I'm dying to." Man. Finally, "I Can't Give Everything Away" is just a beautiful ending to an amazing album and life. RIP genius and thanks for this beautiful, dark coda.

Where do I start with this wonderful parting gift Bowie left us with? What a wonderful fusion of modern electronic, rock, and jazz. How wonderful to hear wind instruments in contemporary pop. How great to listen to lyrics that aren’t afraid of non political correctness yet are also meaningful. Truly original and creative, and probably the best album of its decade. Blackstar the song is easily the best of its decade. Thank you, Bowie. I miss you

“And the clock walts so patiently on your song” Listening to him sing Lazarus is so sad. We love Bowie and he made this album for us on his deathbed. I've been trying to learn Bowie's "Soul Love" on guitar recently so I have been listening to it on Spotify. It has only half the number of plays that the song Deathstar does. If I could put my objective hat on, I would question if Bowie fans really don't like Soul Love as much. But I can't get my objective hat on today; it just doesn't fit. Rather than spending his last 6 months with his loved ones he spent the time making an album for us.

This is one of the best albums I've ever heard. I'll never forget the first time I listened to it. A song or two were released prior to Bowie's death, but when the album came out, Bowie had just died or died within days of it. The album is as perfect a mix of who Bowie is than any record I've heard from him. Brilliant musical pieces with depth and lyrics that haunt me to this day. A beautiful, tragic, and complete album that delivers beyond the music and lyrics. I can't say enough about this album.

Bowie has a perfect score with me so far with the albums that have appeared. His last album is as daring and creative as his many others, and it without a doubt cements him as the greatest solo musician in popular music of all time. Creative genius. It is tough to separate the spooky vibe of the album from his death shortly after its release. And because of that, we inherently must praise this album as it carries with it a tribute to all that made Bowie a legend.

Qué brutalidad de disco. Qué brutalidad el momento en que se estrenó. Nunca he sido mucho de comprender las letras de las canciones y acá no va a ser la excepción pero qué brutalidad la de David Bowie. Hasta las palabras tienen melodía. Qué brutalidad los brasses y las percusiones. Los poquititos riffs bien selectos. Qué pinche discazo. Brutal.

Haunting and awesome.

If I had known that I would die within a day, then this album definitely became the final sketch of my life path. Everything is perfect in it: from the musical part and vocals, to the images that Bowie builds for us. This is a requiem, an epitaph that Bowie left in this world and this is what deserves every minute spent listening to the album.

To the very end of his life (which came just two days after Blackstar’s release), David Bowie was unafraid to dip his toe into new musical waters; long past the point of having to prove anything to anyone, he still drew inspiration from hip hop and electronic music, art rock and jazz, blending it all into a dazzling, deeply emotional sonic symphony that stands with the very best of his work. A beautiful end to a singular life.

Bowie's 26th and final studio album. There has been a lot written on the songs and their meaning pertaining to his impending death. It is pretty clear that a number of them are written addressing exactly that, especially given the timing of the album's release and his death two days later. This album was recorded in NYC with a jazz quartet. As opposed to telling a bunch of studio rock musicians to try and play jazz, this was the opposite, have a jazz quartet play like rock band. Well, I think this is sort of true; they still sound very much like jazz but is one the reasons it has a very unique and great sound. The more you listen to this album, the sadder it kind of becomes but the more you appeciate the orchestrated final act of Bowie. Every song kind of has a majestic feel to it; Bowie's voice with a complex and improvised jazz backing. "Blackstar" has a unique percussion, sounds more like an orchestra and makes allusions to his impending death. Similarly, the lyrics in "Lazarus" stress how one day soon he'll be free and in "Dollar Days" how he'll never get to see the English evergreens hell try to get to. Maybe, my favorite song for the music is "I Can't Give Everything Away" with its improvised jazz. There are so many great last albums for artists to say this is the best but it ranks up there and I don't know if there is one that so specifically conveys it is the swan song.

Black Star is the most perfect requiem ever written. David Bowie knew he was dying and injected that last months of soul searching and reflection into this album. It was heart wrenching to listen to its for the first time a feq days after he had passed away. I one way it felt ghoulish but for the most part it was a fitting tribute and parting gift from an artist that has meant so much to me.

This man changed my life and sculpted so many of my musical tastes. This album is yet another serving of his endless creativity: unique, exciting, tragic. This heavy dish is not for easy listening.

I can’t speak from experience, but I figure it must be very difficult to make a swansong album. On top of knowing your end is at hand (mentally and physically), but you must also leave your fans with something good to remember you by. I remember David Bowie’s passing somewhat well, but never heard that he released an album two days prior to his death. I’m regretfully not well-versed in Bowie’s discography to say whether or not it’s the perfect end for him, but as a stand-alone album, it is a great swan song. Lazarus in itself feels like a proper emotional goodbye to a legendary artist. Blackstar in its entirety presents classic Bowie with hints of art and experimental jazz. The result is an album that as haunting as it is reflective. I can’t say it was perfect, but for what it is, it works well. It’s a very fitting goodbye for someone such as David Bowie. Favorite track: Lazarus Other hits: I Can’t Give Everything Away, Dollar Days, Sue (Or In A Season Of Crime), Tis A Pity She Was A Whore

An exotic, beautiful and haunting trip through the mind of a musical genius coming to terms with his own death, ★ is an essential album to any Bowie fan. In face of extreme adversity, David Bowie managed to succeed in originality, sofistication and emotion in nearly every song. Truly a powerful statement to end a legendary career.

Not sure if this is up with Bowie’s greats, but each of three playthroughs moved me, and I love the atmosphere of this record, circumstances of its making perhaps playing into that. The skittish drums, the sax-playing that calls back to when it was used as an instrument of manic intensity with the Stooges, and Bowie wringing his ghostliest dregs out of his voice are my first notes on what makes this special. I’m reminded of his Berlin records, as this is largely mood music with some exquisite song-songs in between. This was the record that made me realise - belatedly, of course - that his authenticity was in his theatricality, which he maintained to his death, and is still bold. I am excited to see what Simon thinks!

When I first heard the title track on the radio I was stunned - excited for a new Bowie album for the first time since Outside 20 years ago (then)! And so it is, with new ones always viewed as "his best since..", this one was easily the most *interesting* since Lodger. Its (almost immediate) poignancy adds to the mystery. What an unbelievable talent, what a legacy

4 At the risk of coming off as melodramatic, I feel like I have to start this review off by saying David Bowie’s death is still the one that has upset me more than any other famous person to date. I can remember exactly when and where I was when I heard the news - on my way to my morning class at the Psychology building at Michigan State University… and I cried. I previously talked about what the man means to me in my Hunky Dory review, so I won’t get too into that here, but January 11, 2016 was a sad day in history for me (he passed the day before, but the news didn’t break until the next day… no pun intended) Anyway, sorry for the schmaltzy anecdote, but I do believe his terminal diagnosis and eventual death is important context for the listening of this album. These songs were knowingly his final creative offerings, his final testimony, and a final thank you to the world and those who loved him. Musically, it sounds unlike anything of his released prior - I think the closest comparison would be the soundscape of the Berlin Trilogy, but even then this feels distinct in that it relies more on a jazz backdrop than an electronic one. Supposedly Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly was a huge influence, which I’ve always found fascinating. I think it speaks a lot to Bowie’s musical passion that a modern icon of a completely different genre could influence and inspire him this late into his career (reminds me a bit of Johnny Cash and Hurt). Lyrically, the album is filled with introspection and reflection upon a career and life that was unapologetically brazen. However, it definitely adds a certain haunting element to the music - I mean, look at the first verse of Lazarus: “Look up here, I'm in heaven I've got scars that can't be seen I've got drama, can't be stolen Everybody knows me now” Chills. So, that all being said, this isn’t my favorite Bowie album, nor do I find myself picking out individual songs to listen to on it often. I would even say there are some minor misses for me here in ‘Tis a Pity She Was a Whore and Sue (Or in a Season of Crime), which I don’t feel like quite fit the rest of the album tonally. Yet, as a whole, the complete package is a unique piece of art that feels cathartic whenever I decide to listen, like another chance to say goodbye to an old friend. It may not be perfect, but it’s an excellent bookend to the career of an artist who only falls to this Earth once in a lifetime.

I remember the double whammy of having this drop and then Bowie passing shortly after. With that retrospect, it’s clear this LP is both a reflection on and confrontation of mortality. Not all the new instrumental ideas work, but there is an overall feeling of completeness and tempered celebration that makes the album flow despite its rougher sections. Few of us will have the chance to eulogize our own death beforehand, but then again no one was quite like Bowie.

The mythos of this album is something otherworldly; the music is, too, but like much that is alien, it’s at times challenging to fully comprehend.

Very cool very swag I like

It’s weird that it’s been five years already. I’ve never really listened to this one, so far it’s melancholic but 100% Bowie. He knew he was close to the end.

David Bowie delivers again, this was utterly haunting and danced around into at times what felt like 11 different genres. Just experiment after experiment, with every track bringing something unique and I really appreciated it all. RIP Bowie.

This album immediately reminded me of another on this project: "You Want It Darker" by Leonard Cohen. Like Cohen, David Bowie seems to have a level of premonition about his own lingering death. The music, lyrics, and tone are all a bit eerie, even for Bowie, and possess a certain level of gloom throughout the album. Hearing a heavier than usual jazz flair from Bowie was also quite interesting. I tend to prefer Bowie more in the glam sphere, but the decision to go more jazzy was certainly intriguing, and what I believe to be an intentional decision to create some artistic contrast and dissonance. Bowie was no stranger to experimenting, and I feel like this album is no exception. This album defies falling into any one sound or genre. This album is also busy, and not necessarily in a bad way; there are many things going on in the tracks that paint a bizarrely beautiful picture. This is not my favorite iteration of Bowie, but it's certainly a captivating iteration nonetheless. Bowie went out on a high note with this album, reminding us why he was and continues to be a king of the weird.

Enjoyed Blackstar, Lazarus and Dollar Days. Found some of the other songs a little less enjoyable. It is Bowie so I came into the listen knowing that there were going to be some quirkiness. Probably should be on the list because of influence and last album.

Last album by the great. It’s really hard to judge considering how it was written. But it is also hard to listen to

I am frustrated by the curve on which we as a society grade an aging artist's late-career projects that have no actual cultural or chart impact. It's like the bullshit "lifetime achievement award" to pay your respeks. "Oh wow, so brave, good for you still out there making music." Who honestly wants to this self-indulgent shit instead of a contemporary artists at the top of their game. Listen to his back catalog and then this and tell me they are being judged the same way. I DGAF if he died, this still sounds like shit. I'm sick of everyone pretending this kind of stuff is good just because of the artist's "legendary" status.

Day339 - i loved this the day it came out and it just gets cooler every listen

I could take or leave the first few songs but by the time I hit the last song I was hooked. Halfway through the final song I got a message that a long time client who I had just negotiated a release from jail had died. He was 61, homeless and a lifelong alcoholic. How fitting.

Incredible album, given the context - and one that can hang with his 70s works. I think this is the only album that's made me cry.

David Bowie may have inspired Geordie Greep. Interestingly, someone I thought was unique may have been inspired by such a large star in the industry. It was a pleasant surprise.

GOAT. Everything he does is great!

Blackstar is an appropriately beautiful swansong for such an ambitious artist. Favorite track: 'Dollar Days'

Listening to this always makes me sad. Such raw talent.

First listen. Been on the list for some time. Wow! I expected it to be good, but not this good! I haven't listened to a lot of David Bowie, but after a few listens this feels like at least being among his best work and one that I will grow to love even more as time goes by.

i mean even if i wasnt really into this for whatever reason, it would probably still feel too immense for words. without strictly imitating any of his previous work (at least that im aware of, tho im sure it takes influences from all over), it feels like bowie grasps the core of the appeal of his chameleonic always-on-the-artistic-move persona by creating a cryptic and emotive blend of sounds and styles that make anything Seem possible. for as often as this album is described as morose or oppressive it most often feels to me like wide open spaces and cosmic bursts of creativity as hungry as anything else he made at any other stage of his life. the way bowie cracks himself open and spills his caged-up vulnerabilities everywhere will be most people's main takeaway from the record, rightfully so, but i think at this point i find myself most moved by the final of finals I Can't Give Everything Away, which finds a beauty and serenity in all the things that bowie Could have shared with the world but never will. the beauty i think comes from simply the enormity of not just existence, but existence that is potentially worthwhile, u will never ever run out of things to discover and appreciate in this life. even if he wanted it would not be possible for even a nonstop maverick like bowie to express every single worthwhile thing in his life and head. he sure made a better stab at it than most though

A man coping with his own mortality. A great album that’s only better with the sad context. Rest in peace to one of the greatest pop-rock artists of all time.

Fantastic goodbye and end to a great career. I highly respectable way to meet death, and it thought me a lot about the mindset one can approach the end of ones life with.

This is why this site is great! I have a new favourite artist

Bowie

This is such a phenomenal album, but it is a hard listen knowing it was Bowie's farewell to the world. Haunting production from start to finish, even in the more upbeat-ish tracks like "Tis a Pity" and "Sue". There's a lot of prog elements to the album as well that keep it exciting and fresh. Favorite tracks: Blackstar, Girl Loves Me and Dollar Days

awesome, poignant

god damn

outstanding album, it’s crazy how he released this 2 days before he died, truly amazing, shows how much he dedicated music in his life

Overall this is a pretty good album. Its lyrics feel perfect considering he was dying of cancer. The Music goes well with the lyrics. Making this overall a great album, and I would recommend listening to it.

Incredible. His best album. I have no words for just how well produced and realized all these songs are. REAL jazz elements implemented in rock like never seen before. His voice is incredibly dynamic and exciting here. The songwriting has never been this forward-thinking since maybe Low. What a way to end your career.

Good god this album is SAD. It’s him confronting his own death and it sounds like it. Some crazy solos, almost discordant metallic sounds and Bowie singing in a dirgelike style makes this a masterpiece.

It has been a while since I listened to this, but I still think that it's brilliant. Perhaps if it wasn't Bowie's parting gift I'd see it in a different light. But it was, so I can't.

More like 5 stars, am I right?

I think that it's fine sometimes that the circumstances around an album's release influences the way people perceive it, and this album certainly takes on a more final tone due to its proximity to Bowie's death. Even though this isn't Bowie's best work, it is still rather good! It seems a rare occurrence that an artist can continue quality output throughout their life, and David Bowie is to be commended for his skill and his adaption of new styles on display here. I think I've talked myself up to giving this album a 4.5/5 (rounded up). Favorite track: "Lazarus"

5/5

Bowie's last dance I was almost 15 when Bowie died. At that time the only thing I knew about him was the Aladin Sane cover (as recognizable as a plate of rice and beans) and I definitely wasn't ready for this album at the time. But I remember seeing the Lazarus video and thinking "This is Bowie dying" Today, 8 years later, having explored the entire discography and having Bowie as one of my main artistic influences, I can feel what Blackstar is. I can see that this was a beautiful ending worthy of a legend!

An absolutely phenomenal album. The thought and artistry displayed is awesome. The way the sax creates like a billowing tragic yet warming sound throughout, the gentle guitar and trumpet dancing in the background. Truly feels like we are floating in space in some moments, death all about, tumbling through time. Even better coming back to it older in life than when it came out. I love it

really tranports you to a different world for the length of the album. feels like going through a dark scary tunnel and then emerging on rainbow road and driving off a cliff at the end with your eyes closed smiling peacefully as you meet your fiery end and are freed from this mortal coil.

I hadn't listened to this since it came out amd forgot just how good this album was. I have a distinct memory of being in a bar with some friends the week Bowie died and talking about him and this album. A genuine icon.

I thought this would be an overrated endeavor being the critical acclaim and it being his last album. I was wrong, this is a great farewell. R.I.P.

Bowie. Love Bowie

- Das letzte Album vor Bowies Tod und zwar im Monat seines Todes erschienen. Wenn man sich die Songs anhört und durchliest und v.a. das Musikvideo zu Lazarus sieht, merkt man: Bowie wusste genau, wann es passieren wird und hat das gesamte Album darauf hin ausgelegt: Ein experimentelles und zugleich monumentales Abschlusswerk. Eine Verabschiedung von der Kunst. Eine letzte Verbeugung vor der Welt. - Es handelt sich wohl um das existenziellste Konteptalbum, das es gibt, denn existenzieller als der Tod geht nicht. Er wusste, dass er von uns gehen wird und ist quasi einen Konzepttod gestorben und das finde ich schon ziemlich einzigartig. Geht mehr Kunst als das?! - Finde das Album einfach toll, exzentrisch, unvorhersehbar und in meinem Augen trotzdem gut anhörbar. Rating: 4,5/5

I remember hearing the singles on the radio and I immediately picked up the album when it dropped. But I did not have time to really dedicate to listening to it so let it sit beside the record player. And then Bowie passed and that was a punch in the gut. It took me a while before I could bring myself to listen to Blackstar and I often wonder if I would view it differently if I had sooner. It is a brilliant piece of work, not only a culmination of all Bowie's talent and artistry, but a farewell to the world. The bass and the horns are particularly fantastic on this record. I love how the album is jazzy and experimental while being encompassed in a gloom that accentuates without stifling. Bowie's lyrics here take on so much more meaning knowing what he was dealing with. Reading back about all the things that he was frantically doing near the end, spearheading the Lazarus Broadway play on top of recording Blackstar with a couple amazing videos to boot, was reminiscent of that last run that Johnny Cash did. Blackstar is a gorgeous end cap to a long and impressive career.

Easy 5-star. Complex, somber. An amazing work and a powerful goodbye.

I have nothing new to add to the conversation, other than that this was my first time listening to a Bowie album front to back, and that I didn't know the context of this album coming out only days before his death until I listened. That context aside, Bowie's swansong is a phenomenal listen. The lyrics and instrumentation are largely experimental (apparently Death Grips and Kendrick were major inspirations during the recording process), but the musicality has a distinct flow that keeps you hooked throughout. And the final track "I Can't Give Everything Away" hurts so much more after knowing the context of his imminent death... feels like his saying one last goodbye.

No idea what's happening. 10/10 no additional questions

This is the second time I hear this album, it's a great goodbye to the one and only starman, david bowie, I heard it right when it was released, and heard it all day every day, all month, since he passed away. See you space cowboy

One of the greatest albums of David Bowie, best sounding

I was out here telling everyone to get ready for a new era of Bowie, because the blackstar video just blew me away! I was ready for jazzy goth Bowie. However, just like everyone, I was not ready for his death, or the emotions that came with it, that caught me completely off guard, even though he was explicitly telling us he was dying, I didn't think it was self referential, until it obviously was. I don't know if I'll ever get over it, Love Bowie, Starman forever!

The drum work on this is incredible. See Sue (Or In A Season Of Crime). Dollar Days is ascendant.

I’m a full on Bowie fan now because of this list.

Bowie's swan song (album?). A bleak album from a dying man that is as pure a testament to his freakish ability to maintain relevance through his entire life. Album opens with ★, a mood setter with absolutely beautiful production and composition. Jazzy in its nature, this multi-part odyssey features Bowie's distressed voice fed through layers of effects over an uncomfortable and ever-shifting electro-jazz arrangement in the first segment, before flipping into an orchestral backed section and largely ditches the vocal distortion. Lazarus plays like a TV On the Radio song in tone. I think its the use of horns + effects with the moody bass line. This song is fucking great -- the production here is top-notch. Sue (Or In A Season Of Crime) once again finds Bowie stretching his genre boundaries with another moody and propulsive electro-prog-rock (a la Mars Volta) instrumental. The instrumental on its own is entertaining and takes the show -- his voice kind of exists like a powerful ghost on top of it. Girl Loves Me is one of my favorites on here -- once again, I can't help but picture this as a TV on the Radio song. I Can't Give Everything Away is a fine closing track on his career. A self aware farewell song that is bright and uplifting . Not nearly so boundary pushing as the rest, but I think that makes for a better conclusion in all honesty. Also just took a look at the supporting cast here. No wonder this came together so well. Mark Guiliana behind the kit is fantastic -- if you haven't listened to his work with Brad Mehldau before, do yourself a favor and check it out (Mehliana: Taming the Dragon). Also Donny McCaslin on saxophone and flute has some great solo jazz works (Fast Future). Then there is James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem giving percussion support on a few tracks. This is a weird album for me. I love it when I listen to it, but never think to put it on. No idea why that should be. This is a soft 5 for me.

This has been by far my favorite Bowie album and I didn't even know that this one existed. I have never heard a single song from this in my life. This was probably the most interesting wikipedia article read so far as well, the fact that this came out on his 69th birthday then he died 2 days later is absolutely insane and is the perfect way for him to go out. The dark, spooky, jazzy tones that this album gave off with everything song were pretty amazing. Lazarus is one of the coolest songs that I have ever heard. And the ending song where it kind of just fades away to the end while repeating I Can't Give Everything Away was a perfect ending. I also listened to this at the perfect time because I am currently in the outer bands of a hurricane so the weather is very dark and gloomy. Perfect match for this music.

This packs a huge additional emotional punch as it is still, to me, Bowie's "Death Album" and brings back memories of that time and the national, if not global mourning, and my partner, who was a massive fan of him, being hit by it. I am not a huge fan. I don't really know his albums very well, but I know they were good to start with and he hit a bit of a shit patch from the 80s onward. This and "The Next Day" seem different though. Somehow the weird melodies and embrace of modern electronic sounds and jazz saxophones add up to something rather beautiful and an emotional goodbye.

A truly sad and amazing album. Sometimes very hard to listen, if you cared for Bowie.

Absolutely Epic

I love Bowie and I love this album. I've said a lot about Bowie so far in my reviews for the other albums that have come up so far for me on the list. But this album means so much to me. To all of us Bowie fans. It was his final gift to us. To the world. And I love him all the more for it.

Delightfully eclectic and experimental, with just the right touch of jazz influences

Great

I miss him.

This album managed to be quite different from other things I've listened so far, and it quite fits being Bowie's last album

The context of this album being finished and released just before Bowie's death adds a weight to the whole production, but Blackstar presents an understanding of mortality that would've been just as poignant even if he had lived longer. Blackstar is an incredible song but Lazarus feels heavy and personal. The final song being I Can't Give Everything Away is beautiful. The richness of that song is one you can get lost in. The part that grabs my attention the most is the minor moment partway through when the instrumentals fall back and it's just Bowie singing with a simple bassline until everything else rebuilds. The way it balances harmony and outbursts and rising and falling feels incredibly purposeful and I feel pretentious for writing this but it hits me as a reflection on what it feels like to experience a lifetime. Bowie's my favourite artist and this album feels like one I'll listen to for years and keep finding intriguing. Production, instrumental work, and mixing are all stunning; the vocals are masterful.

First thing that hit me is top tier production. Next the use of use of classic formulas for the foundation of each of the songs. Like the break beat on track two. The bass on track three. Not a fan of the saxophone usually but it works well all over this album. The meaty guitar near the end of Lazarus. Girl Loves Me sounds influenced by hip hop without being something I feel I've heard before in a very interesting way. Dollar Days is a great evolution of a style of song that would be at home in the 1970s but with modern production it doesn't feel dated. Harmonica. As always with Bowie for me even the tracks that don't work as strong for me on first exposure they leave me with curiosity. This might be my favorite Bowie album now or at least up there. This album assures me that I have lots of time to keep creating.

When I first heard all of these Bowie albums in this book, I didn't really like any of them fully. Great songs but never a great album. Once I got to Blackstar though, everything changed. This is a masterpiece. I have since relistened and relistened to the Bowie albums and I now actually really like 3 others he made. Blackstar is a rare album. I'm just speechless coming up with anything else to say about it. It just left me stunned. By far my favorite Bowie album, I know he has a lot of albums on this list but Blackstar is one that can never be argued to take off. It's too good, and too important

Amazing.

It's hard to listen to this album outside its context - Bowie knew he was dying and turned it into a beautiful album. 'Lazarus' and 'I can't give everything away' are just incredible.