Blackstar

he really went sicko mode on this one

Dark, haunting and beautiful.

Enjoyed it!

Bowie but more conceptual.

Album 52/1001 💀 ⚰️👨‍🎤 ⚰️ 💀 Favourite lyrics: GIRL LOVES ME* "Cheena so sound, so titty up this Malchick, say Party up moodge, nanti vellocet round on Tuesday Real bad dizzy snatch, making all the omies mad, Thursday Popo blind to the polly in the hole by Friday Where the fuck did Monday go?" "You viddy at the cheena Choodesny with the red rot Libbilubbing litso-fitso Devotchka watch her garbles Spatchko at the rozz-shop Split a ded from his deng, deng Viddy, viddy at the cheena" *The lyrics to this song are a mix of: • Nadsat (a fictional register or argot used by the teenage gang members in Anthony Burgess' dystopian novel A Clockwork Orange. Burgess was a linguist and he used this background to depict his characters as speaking a form of Russian-influenced English) & • Polari -(a secret slang language with a history as a coded form of communication primarily used by gay men in the UK when homosexuality was illegal. It draws from a mix of sources, including Italian, Romany, Yiddish, and Cockney rhyming slang, and was used for secrecy, social bonding, and as a form of humor) Favourite song: Lazarus ☁️🗽🐦⚰️ (also one of the greatest, and eeriest, videos of all time) Honourable mention: Dollar Days 💲🗓 Blackstar ☆ Girl Loves Me 👩‍🎤❤️👨‍🎤 I Can't Give Everything Away 💀👞 4½ / 5

If there is a time that calls for self-indulgence, it's when you are one of the most famous musicians of all time and you are about to die. I thought this album was genuinely beautiful. Lazarus and I Can't Give Everything Away are just plain good songs. Maybe not the most revolutionary piece of music, but an album that did speak to me.

Album is the epitome of "too weird to live; too beautiful to die". Lazarus and Dollar Days make me want to weep and weep and weep, whereas the rest of the album is a saxophonical cacophony of echoes and warbling. ★ out of ten for the man and the legacy. (and a high 7 for this album)

Each song leaves me with a groove, a thought and an emotion.

I guess this was an unfinished album. I remember vividly when Blackstar was released and when Bowie died. That song is epic and incredible. This album is great but I'm assuming he needed more time to finish it to his liking. I like it, but it's not quite a 5.

This could be a five star album for me on further listens. Bowie’s voice is ominous and otherworldly, and the freestyle avant-garde jazz is disconcerting. And the context that Bowie started writing this when he was diagnosed with cancer, and only lived a few days past its release, adds another level to baleful atmosphere - reminding me of Mozart’s Requiem and the fact Mozart believed he was writing it for his own death. I think the AllMusic review says it best: “it is music for the dead of night but not moments of desolation; it's created for the moment when reflection can't be avoided”.

Man I miss this guy. Really good and it ended up being his swan song. There is a lot of beauty in this. He always exuded confidence. It’s hard to imagine him being frail and vulnerable.

So close to a 5. Love many of the songs but Sue

So beautiful. Don’t love every song but “I can’t give everything away” is a 5 on its own. I love you, David Bowie.

#164/1001. I've had a few familiar DB albums here before, and will probably have a few more later. I don't know why, but the classics I had to review for me sounded nowadays fake and too theatrical. And theatrical is again a key word here, but fake? No way. Fragile and weird perhaps, the songs and the blackstar video kind of convinces is that David Bowie's overtheatricality is not fake acting, that's who he is (was). The album is at times aged and uses sounds and instruments which are not in any way current - even sounding at times like they are from a wrong era - but still there is an interesting mystic atmosphere fluttering around. As a final word, a manifesto some parts of the album make sense, then again it has some out of the context diibadaaba songs, which I guess he wanted to include since this would be the last shot. I mean, (gangsta rap aside) how many living musicians would get away with a song title such as "'tis a pity she was a whore?" But yes, this album did speak to me, like a Greek drama. But would I want to watch /listen to the same drama again and again? But suddenly this was raised high in my Bowie album lists.

Blackstar

Pushing boundaries and blowing minds right to the end.

I came in thinking this album would be here because Bowie died two days later. In a sense, I was right, but what an album. Thematically it is incredible, talking about death and the place of the author in history. Musically it is Bowie meets Radiohead in a way, and it sounds tired in an interesting way. You have earned your rest Bowie, thank you.

Death is a tough subject. Shout out Frank who loves Death. Very impressed with this and as is often the case with Art Rock, will need more time to digest. Tis a Pity She Was a Whore was a highlight. Two whores in one review! Horns and drums also stood out. If it wasn’t Bowie I may go 3, but it is.

Surprisingly good and a bit „Radioheadish“. Angenehme Länge, abwechslungsreich.

This is the second David Bowie Album i got

Primera canción y ya me estoy emocionando. Si alguien tenía que hacer un testamento/carta de despedida en forma de album ese era Bowie. Las tres o cuatro que te sacuden con la instrumental constante y letras devastadoras son todo un viaje, gut-wrenching como dicen los anglos. Lo difícil que es inventar cosas nuevas en música y este señor no hizo otra cosa en toda su carrera. Ganas de que salgan otras muchas joyas suyas en la lista. Favs: Blackstar, Lazarus, Dollar Days D.E.P. </3

Pues mi primerito álbum de Bowie (no me peguéis!!) a excepción de Outside que quiero escucharlo de nuevo. Me dice AOTY que hay UNOS 25 ÁLBUMES DE ESTE HOMBRE. Y resulta que este es el último de su discografía. Eso lo sabía, y la verdad es que sin haber escuchado el resto, más allá de algunas canciones aquí y allá, es difícil juzgar este álbum dentro de un contexto autoral, así que me limito a analizarlo desde el POV de listener casual. Así a bote pronto, Lazarus es una de las mejores canciones que he escuchado en mi vida. Suena honesta y desgarradora a partes iguales, y me parece la highlight del álbum. Aún así, las otras seis canciones no están exentas de genialidad, y aunque algunas me gustan menos que otras (no soy muy fan de Girl Loves Me), hay algo en la variedad musical que lo convierte en una escucha interesante en todo momento. Creo que la creatividad conceptual de Bowie es lo que más me va a gustar de su discografía cuando me ponga a escucharla entera. Sé que es uno de esos artistas responsables de ampliar las miras de la gente en lo que a experiencias musicales respecta, así que tengo ganas de conocer a fondo su influencia a lo largo de los años. Si todo suena tan bien como Blackstar, we're in for a ride. Favs: Lazarus, Dollar Days, I Can't Give Everything Away

Understandably dark, I'm quite a fan of Bowie's work. For me this is not one of the best, but it was interesting.

Ive heard of Bowie and heard a few of his songs growing up in the late 90s early 2000's. Ive watched the labyrinth as well. I think this was my first bowie album front to back. What a trip.

Brooding, alienating, spooky, conflicted. This is record is of the outré arty Bowie and while I appreciate it as such, especially given it being part and parcel of his mortality, I'm not sure when I would choose it instead of Ziggy, Hunky Dory, or several other great Bowie records.

Poignant and moving, and wonderfully creative. Plus it’s not every day that a song is named after a seventeenth-century revenge tragedy!

gött att sitta i ett groove länge o verkligen gosa in sig i det

Fint album, mange gode spor. Treffer meg aldri helt første gang, men gjør det ved flere lytt og litt mer kontekst for plata. Laterlus har jeg hørt en del før. 3-4, tror jeg må lande på 4 ut fra hva jeg har gitt andre album

"look up here, I'm in Heaven" okay. damn.

Definitely a concept album, from the title track to Lazarus thru Gril Loves Me. Not an album a casual Bowie fan would listen to, but shows the mind of David and that he did not care about being popular, he cared about creating. Some good music, not for everyone.

me gustó bastante

> The Beatles

RIP Bowie

3.5/5

Bom!

The starman’s last album. The greatness is palpable. I really like girl loves me for some reason.

More mellow than I expected but good

muito mais inclinado prum jazzinho do que eu esperava não eh dos melhores trabalhos dele, mas eh bem marcante, né, o mano morreu dois dias depois disso aqui ter saído. uma ótima despedida, que deus o tenha

This album has slowly grown on me overtime, but I still don't love it as much as I wish I did. Even if it hasn't completely clicked with me yet I still have nothing but respect and appreciation for how triumphant this album is. Bowie really went out with a bang here and in a way that really only he could've. RIP to the goat. Favorite track: I Can't Give Everything Away ★★★½

Bowies letztes Album - zwei Tage vor seinem Tad veröffentlicht. Rock mit elektronischen & Jazz Einflüssen. Spannend zu hören. 4/5

Strong 4

4,5

Better than I remember. Finally listened to the lyrics more closely. So good. Really enjoyed this.

I decided to open my mind to this album and so here we go! From the first note I felt like I was on to something special. I believe because I had zero positive expectations of connecting with it. Oh boy this is a vibe!

Powerful last album by David Bowie — his death came as complete shock as the album was bursting with creativity and freshness.

Finally gave it a spin. This record deserves a praise for being one of a kind. Opening track is like nothing I've ever heard before, not even in David's discography, and other than that, context behind the album is great. Always crashing in the same car sample really sells it.

One of his best records but not quite perfect IMHO. Features two of his best songs I feel he's written with the opening and closing tracks and the themes and timing of the release and his passing are beyond eerie. When he left this plane so did sanity and decency in society.

Mukavan psykedeelistä meininkiä, varsinkin Girl Loves Me on loistava!

This album was a great listen. Bowie's emotions are raw, potent and present throughout this album. The production was a highlight. I just loved how diverse it felt. The structure within the songs and album as a whole strayed a little and muddied how the album came together. Barring that small complaint, this was about as a good of a final show as any generational artist could possibly give. Even if Bowie himself meant to end it off with a follow up. He is a Blackstar. Top 4: Blackstar, Lazarus, Dollar Days, and I Can't Give Everything Away 3.75-4.25

This list is a little too Bowie-heavy for my taste, but I prefer this one to most of his output from the 40-ish years prior. Does some interesting experimentation while still creating some catchy and enjoyable music.

Very interesting yet dark album

3.5 - Weniger experimentierfreudig, dafür aber gekonnt emotional und packend Highlights: Lazarus, Girl Loves Me

different, but never boring. themes of mortality and isolation. this album was bowie’s swan song, as it was released literally two days before his death. highlights: “lazarus” “girl loves me” “i can’t give everything away”

I feel like I need more listens to digest it all

This album is unique and pretty intense. It acts as David Bowie's swan song because he released it two days before he died of cancer. The songs on this album are darker and even more bizarre than his earlier music, though they still have his signature sound. I'm a fan of David Bowie so I actually really enjoyed this one! I like almost all of the songs. My favorite is probably Dollar Days because I love the saxophone. 8/10.

The best thing about Bowie is he always remained relevant. This album is no exception. A great record and a wonderful swansong capping off a brilliant career. It made me realize how much I miss Bowie already.

Electronic jazz, pop beats, sometimes like a twisted version of Sade. Interesting album. Almost mythological due to Bowie’s death and the record’s eerie sounds. Also written with humour, which helps to lighten it up a bit. Album as a whole doesn’t feel as depressing as it could have. Favourite track: Lazarus. 4/5

Jazzy and experimental with lots of dissonant and haunting sounds. None of the songs are hooky or catchy but it was interesting enough that I already want to listen to it again.

Hard to know what to do with this. This is art and Bowie was try to say... Something. It will take a few more listens until I can form an opinion.

That was surprising. David Bowie is more miss than hit with me but this was surprisingly enjoyable. It was also varied and interresting which I didn't expect. To call it his Magnum Opus seems a bit much but it is pretty good. Just misses out on 5 stars but by only by a tiny margin.

A very discordant Bowie, I think I like the second half more than the first, not without its catchy moments despite the discordance.

Au sommet du game jusqu’à la toute fin. C’est une fin très glauque et sinistre comparativement au reste de son riche catalogue, mais ça ne pouvait que finir comme ça. Je me souviens encore de la frayeur que j’ai eu la première fois que j’ai vu le vidéoclip de Lazarus, il a toujours su transposer son message à travers ses costumes autant qu’à travers sa musique, je te donne ça! Godspeed, Ziggy!

Brilliant album with such a strong lock on my memory and an incredible project. Loved having a reason to relisten today.

Nice

Not as mind-blowing as some of his career’s work, but still very good for his final album.

Probably only on here because of the connection to his death & I do think the context doubles the haunting quality of this album, but I think a lot of it stands on its own. Maybe wouldn’t have put this one on the list personally, but I’m happy I went back & listened to it.

This one is hard to rate. I don't know if it's so smart that I don't get it, or if there is not really much there to get. It's an interesting album, especially with Bowie's death surrounding its release. I've listened to it twice and have yet to form a solid opinion about it. I'm going with a 4 because it's Bowie's goodbye to the world and it's fascinating.

A unique album experience. Far from my favourite of Bowie's but it holds a special spot. I thought about this work when dad passed. The experimentalism and longevity of Bowie — who created this work while dying — this really is like a time capsule or message from beyond. 4/5

+ Lazarus, I Can't Give Everything Away

I've had Alanis Morissette and Sheryl Crow on the last two Sundays so was fully preparing myself for some Aimee, Liz, Fiona or Bjork but instead I got the final studio album by Bowie. He was of course a master of re-invention during his career, but was never to my knowledge never eligible for a Lilith Fair bill. He did die on a Sunday though so kind of apt I suppose I remember doing an early shift the next day and waking up to the news of his death, which came just a few days after the release of this album and it was a heavy mood. It's a wonderful elegiac record and the sax playing from Donny McCaslin is a standout. Was tempted to give this a 5 for Lazarus alone, yet I only gave Aladin Same a 4 so can't quite place this above his early 70s output but the fact he was still making records almost as good four decades later is remarkable really.

Ok, DB again. My favorite of his last album is the cover

Spooky. Released 2 days before his death. He knew.

Very clear that this album was made by a talented musician who spent years perfecting his craft. I believe that there is some sort of story behind the album? I should find out.

Excellent. But dark. He is clearly dying and is close to the exit. That permeates the album but in neither a maudlin or defiant way. Stoical. Appreciative, yet tinged with sadness but no regret. A challenging listen.

Egentlig et vanskelig album å vurdere fordi det er så tett knyttet til Bowies bortgang. Men uansett et sterkt album. For meg i grenselandet mellom 4 og 5. Velger sterk 4’er i dag. I morgen er det gjerne 5. 🤷🏼‍♂️

Rating: 3.9 This was exemplary. I thought people were playing up how haunting this album is, but the fact you can hear his labored breathing and shaky voice at several points throughout conveys a profound sense of finality. I guess I’ll find myself going backwards through Bowie’s long ass catalog since this is the first of his I’ve heard all the way through.

dark, jazzy, artful, angry. great final note for david bowie. crazy lore that it came out on his birthday and 2 days before he died.

Listened in the truck via YouTube music. This is the second Bowie album in a row. Blackstar was unique but so are all of his albums. Great send off for a legend.

Fantastic goodbye album by the master, that I don't play very often though. It's maybe too dark, too jazzy? Very nice lyrics though

Two days after the release of Blackstar, I was zoning out to a radio DJ set, floating somewhere between wakefulness and dreamstate, when the DJ interrupted his program to tell us that David Bowie had died. Denial spewed illogically from my brain. "No, he can't be dead, he just released an album on Friday." He had written and planned the release of this album to coincide with the end of his life. A last gift to the world from a legendary master of reinvention, a symbol of how his legacy will far outlast the limited lifespan of his mortal being. Kind of fitting and beautiful, isn't it?

RIP Bowie, you went out with a banger 4/5

Crazy to read that he died 2 days after the release of the album. It was a mix of rock and jazz that I did not hear before. I am not sure I woud listen to it again but it was a nice discovery, it felt very nostalgic!

Favorite songs: Blackstar, Lazarus, Girl Loves Me Least favorite songs: Sue (Or In a Season of Crime) 4/5

Some flashes of brilliance for sure. Heartbreaking and driving.

I own this CD. Great production. Somber. Music is moody and beautiful - Saxaphone is gorgeous. I love the jazz movements mixed with melody. Lyrics are sad and tragic. Much discussion and many questions. Favorite tracks: Lazarus, Dollar Days, and I Can't Give Everything Away

Perfect requiem. Love Bowie

Zero bad tracks and a fitting farewell

Тимати - не завидуй

Always loved Bowie but never listened to this one. Really enjoyed, very beautiful, sad and jazzy in places as well.

no estaba mal

Dark, melancholy, and downright sad. Bowie's final album may not rank with his greatest achievements, but it certainly is a worthy send-off. 4/5 #130

Amazing that Bowie made this Album while he knew he was dying. It comes through in the music, so haunting.

A beatiful way to say goodbye.. warm atmospheric art-rock RIP David Bowie

Pretty good

"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" Honestly, this album starts off rough. The title track is a ten-minute fever dream that meanders its way around being worth listening to, never quite getting there. "Tis' A Pity She Was A Whore" is actually awful. But then, something wonderful happens. Lazarus is wonderful. Sue is the kind of experimental that doesn't make me wish I was deaf. Girl Loves Me interrupts the good album that's hiding inside the album as a whole. It's like if someone told MGK to write a Bowie song. What the fuck is this. Dollar Days and I Can't Give Everything Away round out the four songs worth listening to. But honestly, those four songs make the whole thing worth listening to. I'll just skip the others.

8/10 Favorites: ⭐️, Sue

I don’t know what this guys talking about most of the time but this album is excellent. Takes me back! Killer last track!

This album feels massive to me. Makes the early Bowie albums all the more disappointing because of how well this holds up

One of the first proper album's of Bowie's I got into. I will never forget listening to the closing track in Europe and all the Bowie parties that were happening all around. As close to a classic farewell/posthumous album as there ever will be for an absolute legend.

This was cool, I liked what he did on this a lot more than what I've heard from Bowie in the past. There were a couple of tracks that felt a little undercooked but overall I thought it was cool

This is a wild ride, especially comparing with Bowie’s previous album the next day. Very 80s style arranging but with a modern feel and tone that shares a lot in common with a lot of current R&B and soul records. 2016 was an outstanding year for music and this album is a big contributor.

Alright

Not my favorite Bowie album, and not very familiar sounding in a lot of places. But the man still had it.

Solid late career album

найс, прикольно звучит.

Ich mochte die düstere Atmosphäre sehr und dass es etwas jazzig ist

I would never call any of these ground breaking , especially in context to the rest of his catalog. But it’s definitely a defiant album from a legendary musician. Honestly, if you told me Brand New was the band behind this I’d totally believe you. RIP to the legend himself

me gusta mucho y encima su ultimo disco q penita, lo amo

Pretty rad - might listen to again

Interesting experience.

siento que a pesar de que me gustaron algunas de sus canciones más que otras, de manera objetiva es un álbum muy consistente y su concepto es una pasada. me hace mucha gracia que bowie tomara inspiración de death grips para su ultimo proyecto.

Really good but there’s better Bowie.

Kyllä bowie osaa tehdä musiikkia

Bowie's poignant swan song. I enjoyed this, particularly the title track. Certainly not Bowie's best work but is interesting enough to keep your attention.

A strange but good album with a unique sound. Not every song is great, but it’s a strong final work.

Blackstar is a monumental album. Bowie was infinitely innovative, and this record is a great showcase of this, being a blend of experimental/jazz rock, where he mixes different styles and concepts. It's all used in the service of a very deep, moving concept: Bowie's impending death. It's a profound artistic choice, and it's even more remarkable how well Bowie manages to execute the concept. He delivers a thoughtful, innovative and often eerie album. The performances are great, the drumming and sax are standouts, and Bowie's vocals capture perfectly the concept. My favourite song was "Lazarus", but I feel that the record works much better as whole than as songs by themselves.

4/5. A haunting and yet relaxing, for the most part, album on death, stardom, and a possible fake play? Not sure I fully understand that last one. It is a weird and jazzy album, abstract yet structured here and there, as if the norm was complexity. They are not rock songs or even pop songs, they seem to be studies on sounds. I am hyping this album up but I don't think it was perfect. It is unique and important, in regards to its relationship with its creator. But I think not all of the songs are classics or interesting enough to impress me. Best Song: Tis A Pity She Was A Whore, Blackstar, Girl Loves Me

Shorter than I thought, beautiful parting gift.

This is one of those albums that instantly takes me back to the first time I heard it and how moving it was

Blackstar reminds me of Leonard Cohen's last gasp on You Want it Darker - both artists embrace their age and feebleness, and by doing so, engender something far more powerful than forced strength. 'At the centre of it all' is a Bowie still as vibrant and addicted to imaginative production as the early incarnations, but death challenges him to be upfront and intimate in ways honestly not employed by his previous personas: 'I'm so high, it makes my brain whirl / Dropped my cellphone down below.' Especially stunning are the horns, provided by Donny McCaslin, but really the whole experience is instrumentally rich. He claims to have been inspired by Kendrick Lamar and Death Grips. I can see it: particularly K.Dot, the lyricism and riskiness.

4/7

4 maybe 5

This grew on me as I went

Long live Bowie. There is some fucking awesome instrumentation in this album. Dude was pushing the boundaries up until the end

Typically I'm not really a David Bowie guy and I was very lukewarm on this album when it came out but listening to it ten years later good gravy does it hold up. Probably a 4.5/5 but the title track is as good a song as any popular musician has made the last 50 years.

What a death march. It is a somber album, but that sax keeps it Bowie-dacious. So very different from his early work, but I really like it.

I mean this is a masterpiece. Madness to compose the music to your own passing. I don’t care if it is pretentious. Genius is not too strong a word. Strong 4

When this came out I really enjoyed it. Doesn’t hit the same for me but such a distinctive mood. This is what an end of life album sounds like.

always cool

wow. can’t think of a swan song like this that both encapsulates an artists career while adding something entirely new to it. very impressed, but not surprised mister bowie

I like how jazz leaning it is. I love the saxophone. Okay there are points where it gets a bit squeaky for me, but still. I’m not a huge fan of some of the effects they’ve put over his voice, particularly on the first track and the songs occasionally get too experimental for me. But on the whole I really enjoyed it. Fav song: Lazarus Least fav: Sue (Or In A Season Of Crime)

A final wonderful note before the end.

After a brilliant, and sadly underappreciated comeback album in The Next Day, David Bowie clearly felt he needed to deliver something more ambitious for what he understood would be his final album. The Next Day has a comparatively packed tracklist - 14 songs to Blackstar’s 7. What Blackstar loses in length it gains in the scope and scale of the songs themselves. This is not a straightforward pop album. The title track is a multi-layered odyssey. I remember a friend of mine describing it as “weird” and not being sure about it when it was first released. Months later after Bowie's death they hailed it as “genius” and “very clever.” Well, I agree with their revised opinion. How the hell do you have a song like Blackstar in the tank while nearing end of life care? He had more energy and creativity at 69 than nearly anyone has in their prime of life. For the bulk of this album (Lazarus, Dollar Days, I Can’t Give Anything Away), after a career of writing from the perspective of different characters and rarely autobiographically, Bowie talks from the first person, as someone who is either dead or dying. Given that no-one knew about his diagnosis for the first 2 days of this LP’s release, he essentially chose to present himself to the audience as one of his characters. It's a powerful and very considered choice. He sounds mournful, nostalgic and appreciative. More than that, each of these songs are beautifully melodic with a striking central performance. The jazz musicians working around Bowie enhance every move he makes. Girl Loves Me stands out, not just as part of Blackstar, but across Bowie’s entire discography. It has an edgy, jumpy quality to it. Flirtatious and scary. He is almost rapping nonsense rhymes, which makes for a nice antidote to a lot of the more reflective and sombre songs elsewhere. There are two tracks which, for me, pull Blackstar back from being a masterpiece. Sue and ‘Tis a Pity are a rerecorded single and b-side from two years prior, both in my mind feel like a significant step down from the album as a whole. But forget that and think about this. He lived to see rave reviews from critics. He will have predicted the compound public interest ultimately generated by his death. He knew that, unlike The Next Day, this album was one of his biggest hits.

Very cool album and one of the greatest final albums by an artist ever. I don’t love everything but it’s solid for sure and I should go back and listen to Lazarus more.

Okay so this was my fourth Bowie album, and I had been rating on a downward trend. But honestly I really liked this album pretty much just as much as the first one I listened to. From what I gathered Bowie recorded this one just before he died, and I could hear the more depth to the album. (Except for the whore song that was a curveball.)

Giving this a first proper listen to be honest....the reputation of it being a heavy listen putting me off for years. Was struck much it sparkles out of the dark backdrop. It's got Jazzy elements and reminds me of Kid A era Radiohead at times as well. Meanwhile there is the sense of echos of years gone by in the production. His voice is waning - and that gives it a weird power. All in all, a fascinating listen. I'm pleased I invested the time into it finally. It's not a heavy rotation album, but I can see me coming back to this from occasionally from now on. Hell of a full stop of a hell of a career.

oh my gosh!i cant believe that i slept on this album for this long.made my sunday!

A crazy and honest moment in a sad time

I like this a lot. It's not too Bowie a Bowie, though I do also like Bowie Bowie. Blackstar itself is incredible. Enjoyed this when it came out and still do now.

Excellent

This feels really experimental and I like it. It’s clunky and nuanced and interesting in every moment. Perhaps, however, due to its extreme foreignness in sound I’m not quite accustomed to its complexities so it isn’t exactly the most enjoyable thing to listen to. But it is a fulfilling and rewarding listen and something I’m sure I could really love with time. Bowie ended his legendary legacy well.

Lemppari: Girl Loves Me Vähiten lemppari: ’Tis A Pity She Was A Whore

I never checked this out when it came out. It got a lot of hype but I chalked that up to people wanting it to be good because it was the album Bowie released just before he died. Boy was I wrong! This album is stunning. Bowie never stopped experimenting, he made incredible music right to the end. He didn’t rest on his laurels at all. And this album is a testament to that. What an artist this man was, truly a huge loss to the world of music. And as always, plus one for horns.

Lots of hype about this one, but I’m going to tune it out. Did I enjoy listening to this album. Yea, absolutely.

This is a good album, one I don’t listen to enough

May come back and give it a 5 once I re-listen, but very enjoyable album. A lot of talent for sure.

I quite liked this album. I absolutely love Girl Loves Me, and Black Star was also really good, and so is Dollar Days. This is a dynamic and varied album that is an absolute delight to listen to and I enjoyed myself a lot with this one.

Have I yet learned my lesson that past-their-prime albums can, in fact, be great? Surely now I’ve got that through my head, what with falling deeply in love with this on first listen.

Great last album for a true star.

taitaa näkyä tähtimäärä pikku spoileri albumin alussa taitaa saman verran tähtiä tulla..paskahousulle ei paljoa anneta iloa.. mietippä vanhamies.. bowie ääh ääh en voi laulaa yritän mutta haikea ääni ääh .. leonard cohen.. hineni hineni... no ei mitään heh ei mitään 69 vuotiaana vieläkin huutelee huorista jotain siellä emt en kuunnellu.. ei varmana ole muuten tämä saatananpalvoja taivaassa!! monet ei tiedä että saatana oli semberela.. jumalan kristuksen 9 kuoron johtaja, musiikkimestari saatana ennen kun tippui menetti siipensä ja tuomittiin helvettiin.. monet ei tiedä että ei ole saatana joka näyttää punaiselta pässisarviselta heinähangolliselta pikkuvintiöltä.. näyttää laihalta kalvakalta muusikolta ... BOWIE... bOWIE.. BOWEL.. BOWELS OF HELL... ★

Love this one. A fantastic send off for Bowie. He recorded this as he was dying of cancer of the liver. The whole vibe reflects it, but he still manages to keep his sound interesting and experimental despite the pall over the whole affair. I prefer his previous album before this one, The Next Day since it has a few more radio friendly tunes, but Blackstar is still really special. Highlight for me was Lazarus.

Blackstar is wild.. It’s like watching someone paint their final self-portrait with a busted brush, radioactive paint, and zero fucks. It’s theatrical, dark, scattered, and genius - classic endgame energy. A fitting swan song? Or maybe a final middle finger. Either way, it was compelling. Spins: 3 Playlist Additions: - Blackstar - 'Tis a Pity She Was a Whore - Lazarus - I Can't Give Everything Away

Not my fav cure album, but did like The Forest.

4/7

Seems strange that the first Bowie album I get on the list is his last. I’ve always enjoyed Bowies music, he’s always been a favourite of my mums, my introduction to Bowie was actually Labyrinth which also happened to be a favourite of my mums. It wasn’t until semi recently though that I did a deep(ish) dive into his catalogue and actually listened to the big albums outside of his singles and Blackstar was fittingly the most recent one I had listened to before the list. This album is strange, atmospheric, jazzy, funky, contemplative and introspective. And most of all it’s pretty great, it’s difficult to analyse this album without considering it in the context of Bowie’s death. It ultimately feels very prescient and intentional as a swan song. Without beating you over the head with it the album is about Bowies impending demise, despite the almost morbid subject matter he still musters every ounce of his enigmatic charisma to keep the experience enjoyable. Standout tracks are ★, Lazarus, Girl Loves Me, Dollar Days and I Can’t Give Everything Away. Weakest track for me is probably ‘Tis A Pity She Was A Whore. Overall 4/5

Very very beautiful even if I didn't love every single song. The opening and closing tracks in particular are gorgeous.

One for the fans but commendable nonetheless

Didn’t expect a drum n bass, trip hop/ mo wax type sound. I would have definitely dug an instrument version of this in my DJ days. Overall quite liked this. A surprise for sure

Beautiful and tragic album released only a few days before Bowie's death, I rarely listen to this one as it takes me back to the grief I felt when I learned of his passing in 2016. So it was good this project made me listen again for the first time in years; songs are mournful but a creative and fascinating blend of jazz and industrial art rock.

'Tis a pity there wasn't more.

The greatest life swan song of all time.

i've already listened to this once or twice a few years ago, but i needed a refresher ★ - 4/5 'Tis A Pity She Was A Whore - 2/5 Lazarus - 5/5 Sue (Or In A Season Of Crime) - 4/5 Girl Loves Me - 4/5 Dollar Days - 4/5 I Can't Give Everything Away - 4/5 Total score: 3.8/5 (rounding up) i remember Lazarus the most since i last listened, it's definitely the best track on here, followed by the finishing track. only one i didn't like was 'Tis A Pity, something about the instrumentals and vocals was off-putting (maybe a little too "out there" for me) overall, while this was a hard listen in some spots, i don't think anyone could ask for a better performance given his battle with cancer while making this. i consider this a beautiful farewell album from such a legendary artist

8/10 Haunting and close to the bone. damn. 3-14-2025

Not his best album but was the best thing he’d done for a long while. Poignant because of its time of release

big bowie fan but i have to admit i haven’t *really* listened to blackstar before. good excuse to do it now! it's very nice, i'm glad bowie was able to go out on a high note. not what i personally look for in bowie but very valuable.

To this point I am only familiar with a few Bowie albums so I want to thank this album for helping continue my deep dive into his work. Favorite Songs: ★ / Lazarus

Greatest swan song of all time? Well, it's either him or Dilla. It's truly incredible that as his body was failing him, Bowie thought of music. He thought of us. Looked death in the eye and said I've still got it. Not only that he's still got it but that he was capable of reaching his upper echelon. Not threatened by new challenging artists but instead galvanized. Whatever you may think of this sound or its quality, you must admit it's a testament to what an artist should be. Openminded, unbridled, and thankful for anyone who would lend them an ear. Rating: 8 Favorite Song: Lazarus

8.5/10 Good stuff from Bowie I tend to skew not as great as people think on this one. But still a great album. Favorite song: black star

Haunting, experimental, not something that's an easy listen, definitely an album for a particular mood, but certainly shows what a master Bowie was

I listened to this when it first came out and I wasn’t ready to understand it until now, the day after my father passed away. Thank you universe for this being my album of the day in this moment.

Unique in a different sense from some of the Bowie I have come to know and love. You can hear his age here, and the sounds he's playing with are super interesting, but not necessarily something I enjoy 100 percent of the time. Context helps this albums legacy, and even without it, its still a fine piece of work. Just not my favorite Bowie album

This was good, and not just for the bittersweet reason of it's release and Bowie's death. I liked the jazzy elements.

Remember listening to this first time round and being impressed, still works. Decent but won't be back although I did say that in 2014 so never say never. Mid 4.

Great stuff

This is fine, strange, new territory. What happens when one of the all time greats knows he's dying but can't tell everyone? He gets back in the studio for a final fling as a parting gift to the world. So poignant. And really interesting music. Excellent

# Album Name: Blackstar # Artist: David Bowie # Rating: 4/5 # Comments: Bowie is a funny one for me. I love his classics. It just takes a while to warm up to his albums. If i warm up to them i intend to really enjoy them. Low was like that for me. Now i love that album. My first listen to blackstar, and honestly, musically its just not bad. I The depth and meaning behind the tracks is obviously there considering where he was on his journey in life. Blackstar is very radiohead to me. Lazarus is a moving track. Give everything away is a great finale. I'll give this a low 4. # Top Tunes: BS / Laz / Give everything away # Would I listen to it again? Yes

Good, but the first song sucked hot ass cheeks

didn't really know what to expect with this one. i like david bowie but i tend not to like these sort of dour, "end of life" albums that other artists have put out. but this one didn't feel like the others. this one felt uplifting, interesting, and nice. the vibe here is pleasant and feels hopeful. it's not depressing, it just sort of is. and i appreciate that about it.

I really liked this, really wild that this was his final album. A little haunting in some sense listening to Lazarus.

This was good. I remember listening to it when it first came it. It's incredibly well produced.

Eclectic , interesting, not nostalgic.

It’s impossible to separate this album from David Bowie’s death. But if you could take it out of the equation and judge Blackstar on its own merits, how many artists make an album this good and interesting 50 years into their career?

Can really appreciate this album and love Bowie. Would I listen to this on the regular? No I wouldn't but can acknowledge the narrative and work that has gone into it as his goodbye letter to the world. What an artist!

Shades of Radiohead, Nine Inch Nails, James Blake, acid jazz, hip hop beats, some overblown theatricality. Interesting experiments-definitely more avant garde than Next Day. Really liked the “Girl Loves Me.” I could see revisiting this album; kind of fun to see how Bowie pushed himself for this swan song of an album. Didn’t really care for “Tis a Pity She’s a Whore,” but found something to enjoy in the rest of this album.

Track 1: ★ (Blackstar) Good use of synth, different from other David Bowie albums and songs I’ve listened to. Good vocals, great brass and good drum loop. Long but not boring. 7.2/10 Track 2: ’Tis a Pity She Was a Whore [Blackstar Version] Strong drums off the bat. Strings are perfect. Background vocal use is good. Love the instrumental after first verse. Great instrumental that’s consistent. Good ending. 8.7/10 Track 3: Lazarus Strong guitar start. Nice brass implementation. Sound effects add to mood. Vocals are good. Good bridge after second verse. Jazzy elements sound great. Strong outro 9/10 Track 4: Sue (Or in a Season of Crime) [Blackstar Version] Strong guitar and drums right off the bat. Straight to the point. Very breathy. Instrumentation between verses is good. Good but not my favorite based on a couple other tracks. 6.7/10 Track 5: Girl Loves Me Voice distortion is a little squeaky at start, after vocals are good. Plus background vocals are in a good area. Verse 2 was good. With the small instrumental break flowed smoothly into next chorus. 6/10 Track 6: Dollar Days Very good start, piano is beautiful. Vocally good. Good guitar. Brass solo is pure perfect. Outro with the alliteration is good. 8.5/10 Track 7: I Can’t Give Everything Away Straight song, good vocals. Vocals go with instrumental well. Good brass. Overall good closing track 8.4/10 Average score per song: 7.8

So sad Rating: 4.1

It's not his best But it's still better than I could've done

4 out of 5. Knowing this was Bowie's last album I was always hesitant to listen to it but now I'm glad I finally did.

Vrhunski album, nema se šta puno o ovome. ⭐ i Girl Loves Me su mi naj. Bowie kralj ♥️

Grande Bowie

A beautiful album! It's not my favorite, but it's very good nonetheless.

Oh I remember when this dropped out of no where. Especially how it came with the news of Bowie being sick and at the end of his life (he died within days of the album's release). What a swan song.

I think the mystic of the album- dropping on Bowie‘s birthday near the end of his life- is what makes the album.

The best

Not listened to this for a while .. a great album, admittedly not Bowie’s best, but great nonetheless. Does make me sad though 😢

Just as this record was released, the news announced of Mr. Bowie's passing after prolonged confidential illness. Blackstar was a sudden secret swan song that all the David Bowie fans and I didn't know we needed or deserved. I remember on that day how I was stunned, dismayed, but intrigued with this truly characteristically progressive farewell revelation. The tone of jazzy crass slam poetry and a cool, austere atmosphere left me feeling that he had departed on his own terms with the opportunity and open channel of expression to bring closure. Instead of feeling that his artistic brilliance had been snatched from us too soon, it felt like his departure was taken perfectly on point. Don't get me wrong, I commiserate for his plight and wish we still had him with us. And this is not my favorite record of his, but it made an impression on me that makes him immortal.

What a bombshell to drop for the first album to listen to. I love it, and obviously heard it before, but man it's a sad piece to listen to. Maybe that's a good thing... It has been a while since I listened to this album, and it does give you perspective. I also realized how much I miss Bowie.

Thoughts before listening: David Bowie's surprise release right before his death. The heaviness of the release of this album scared me away from listening at the time, despite the fact that I am a Bowie fan. I believe I have heard bits and pieces in the years since, but I believe this will be my first complete listen. Review: I am not a huge fan of the sprawling title track on this album, but once that is over, the album gets very good. Nice use of saxophone throughout on some very enjoyable moody, jazz-inspired tracks. The highs on this album are very high, but this is a 4-star Bowie album.

Bowie knew this would be his last album, which definitely affects both the tone of the music and how I listened to it. Musically, loved it. Rock and roll with powerful jazz influence, at times it felt free associative. The whole album had a sad overtone to it - the focus of the album seemed to be his regrets, lost loves, scars that couldn't be seen. In a life such as Bowie's, it's hard to imagine him leaving this world in such an unfulfilled place. Maybe you'll find what you're looking for in the next life - until then, travel well, Starman.

A distinct, discordant, unsettling overtone permeates. Bowie's voice is ghostlike and haunting. I really like it.

Great star

Good enough

This album is otherworldly. Released just before Bowie died, it sounds as if he was already on the other side reaching back into our existence. The title track is brilliant and defies genre. Lazarus is devastating. What a parting gift from one of the best.

Liked the guitar in Lazarus.

Already Listened to this previously. Beautiful album with amazing instrumentation, and lyrics. Best song: I Cant Give Everything Away Runner Up: Lazarus

Very good album. Touching in that it was his last, and he knew that when he made it 4/5

Favorite track: Lazarus other picks: blackstar, a girl loves me, i can't give everything away

50 years deep into his career, it is amazing that Bowie released what I consider to possibly be one of the top 5 albums of his career. Such a creative and singular sounding album. I'm not sure whether or not in a vacuum I would judge it as an instant classic based on quality, but we don't live in a vacuum and I do consider it a late career classic and a worthy final statement before his death.

I have been holding off on this review for a few days. I love a good coincidence, and getting this album on Jan 7th, the day before the anniversary of its fateful release, led me to the decision to really take the time to dig deep into Bowie's discography for the next three days and give him a proper chance. Now, in the past I have not been a fan of Bowie at all. Something about most of his songs I inevitably came across irritated me. It's hard to pin down what exactly the issue was, but I had always been bewildered by his immense success and legacy. After listening to the Blackstar album the first time, I was tempted to leave it at a 2-star rating. Like much of his stuff it is full of dissonance and rhythmic incoherence, and frankly was a slog to get through. Clearly I am not into jazz. But I wouldn't leave it at that. I can respect a swan song, and after spending a full day familiarizing myself with Bowies progression throughout his many studio albums, while listening to the title track again, staring up into a black winter night sky, it started to click. You can't have that sort of versatility without a bit of weirdness. His music is pretty much hit or miss for me, but I've been focusing on the frustration of the misses so much that I overlooked the greatness of the hits. Now, how to rate this album in particular? I can't think of many occasions in which the title track would be enjoyable, but for what it is it is brilliant and I wouldn't want it any other way. Lazarus and Dollar Days are fantastic, as is the drumming throughout the entire album, and the closing track is pretty good albeit a bit long. The issue is that I honestly still can't stand the remaining three songs. Now, normally I'd never consider a 4-star rating for an album with 3/7 somewhat unbearable songs. But if I have been unreasonably harsh to Hunky Dory, which I learned to thoroughly appreciate over the past three days, I can be generous here. I found some fantastic music because while this album might be irritating, it is above all interesting. Maybe Bowie will be my gateway into jazz, who knows. If you read this far, thank you for your time. This turned out longer than I anticipated. I'm not sure if this text is going to be helpful for others, I mostly wrote this for myself to look back upon years later. If I had to give some advice, I guess if you're on the fence about this album, consider giving it another listen. So far I've found something new to appreciate everytime I did. Today is January 10th, and I'm excited about where my musical journey will lead me next. I'm sure there's a lot more to discover. Rest in peace, Starman.

Excellent

Not my favorite Bowie. As a long time fan I was rocked when he died which was two days after this records release. So a listen takes me back. I don't like to go back.

A great album. I really enjoyed it.

Väistämättä artistin kuolema vaikuttaa kaikkien kuuntelukokemukseen. Tää albumi on PR-voitto mutta onneksi ihan hyvä. Kätsy mitta, sama äänimaailma pysyy koko levyn mutta ei ehdi tylsistyttää. Kaipaan kuitenkin koukkuja, ekassa biisissä on mitta sitten pitää hakea enemmän. Ei tämä neroutta ole mutta jees.

Me encantó

Favourite tracks: tis a pity; black star; Lazarus

wow, this one just sailed right thru me. i know it's his last record & i rly vibed with it, i just can't forget the fact he fucked teenagers at his peak! & never will! so 4 stars is all you get, david

Complicated

If I remember correctly, I only listened to the album casually and very superficially when it first came out. It's a good thing I've listened more closely now. As is so often the case with Bowie, it wasn't the music I was expecting from him. And also as so often, I liked it a lot. A great album that I will certainly listen to again. 4/5

Some great, some good

A lot of nice songs

4/5

Found this one very enjoyable! Specifically, really liked the title track - ★

I kind of dig this? But I would never like, listen to it for fun. Is that weird?

I count myself as a mild to moderate Bowie fan, but I’d never listened to Blackstar. It’s predictably great. 4/5 Highlights: Blackstar

Brilliant. Really really solid Much better than his previous album. Blackstar, more like 4 star

Contextually incredible, musically strong. Not as amazing as some make out IMHO, but certainly an album worth listening to, if not one I’d have on repeat

Actually decent you know, his voice still a bit annoying

Exceptionally dark yet groovy album. Hard to even describe the vibes the album entails knowing it’s essentially a goodbye from Bowie to his fans. What a life that man lived, and his swan-song album is near perfection.

Poetic and stark. Very cool listen

Listening to a David Bowie album is a guarantee that you will find many sounds at the same time and still sound good. And on his latest album, this could not be different. Yes, it is a very dark album, even due to its theme, but there still seems to be a small hope that everything will be okay. Bowie's work is always so brilliant that he can transform a sonic chaos into art in a matter of minutes. He will never be forgotten, there is no doubt about that.

"What I really need in this project is ANOTHER David Bowie album" said literally no one. There are too many goddamned Bowie albums. One caveat, however, is that this seems to be a 2016 album, which is a long time from his heyday, so I admit to being somewhat intrigued, in spite of myself. Well, damn. It's fantastic. A little weird, a little out there, definitely different than any of the Bowie I've heard so far, but really good. I'm sure there are loads of Bowie "purists" that hate this album, but I this is definitely an album where Bowie was branching out, trying new sounds. Definitely not resting on his laurels. I doubt that this album will be as timeless as some of his others have been. For one thing, where his earlier records sounded uniquely, singularly Bowie, this album sounds like I've heard parts of it before, but this is Bowie doing it, if that makes sense. Ultimately, however, I liked it.

great honesty facing the death

Bowie’s art rock surrealist excellence came to a flourishing and sombre crescendo with Blackstar. What came two days before his death was a final outing of supreme splendour, with Bowie exploring, understanding and grappling with the inevitability of his own death in the only fitting way - through outpouring of his thoughts into music. Existential, yes, but not complete doom and gloom. A sort of forty-minute “oh well, it’s been fun” to his own life - loaded with the same eccentricism that lined his very best records, putting this record rightly alongside them.

The Good: David Bowie The Bad: Last Album The Ugly: Nobody likes listening to a swan-song… I am not one of those die-hard Bowie fans, so I was not aware that this was his last album till I started reading the reviews and wiki information. Having said that, the first time I played the album, I found it hard to get through… especially the lengthy first song on the album. I gave the album a second try, and a third, and what I noticed is that melancholy was what increased more and more, as well as me not understanding many of the lyrics. Is Bowie a genius? What is a genius? Is this album worthy of all its accolades? I don’t know, I would have to check the list of albums published around the same time. What is certain is that the album grows on you bit by bit… 4*

This was weird and cool and original. I enjoyed it and I appreciate the effort to do something different.

Interesting ideas and the emotion is really palpable.

Black star was the first David Bowie song that I ever listened to on my own, so I have a bit of nostalgia for it. This album is strange, but it doesn’t get stranger than that song. Cool to hear the whole album, which is very much still a Bowie album. Definitely a swan song. Very enjoyable. Standouts: Black Star, Lazarus, Girl Loves Me, Dollar Days, and I Can’t Give Everything Away.

Very kind of David to leave us such a parting gift! And incredible that at age 69 he could still put together an album this good. Starts out a little slow and weird with Black Star (album would be better without this song, but then what would the album title be?) The album peaks at Girl Loves Me. Fantastic finish with Dollar Days and I Can’t Give Everything Away (which sounds like the words of a dying man). He truly went out with class. (4.4*s) Black ones, that is.

I can't tell what's more impressive, making Ziggy Stardust at 25, or making Blackstar at 66. I can tell you which one's better though, and that's Ziggy Stardust

I loosely remember when this thing came out and the hype around it and the shock that Bowie died just days after. I think it's cool that this guy who's entire life was making art where he is the art. He creates a world and character that he stars. This album is a continuation of that, a performative death to cap off a performative life. This is the kind of thing that Calculon would have loved to make. Sonically this album is a lot and at times challenging. The title track is great, very noisy. Lazarus is another stand out, haunting and loud. You do get the sense that this isn't a halloween haunting, this is a rock and roll haunting. There are some ballads on the backside that are strong. The buildup and jazz on dollar days is my favorite part. I'm not close to death myself but it impresses me the way that Bowie looks death in the face on this album. Bowie was the type who was true to his vision and this project feels uncompromised. Is it bold to make a song with the line "look I'm in heaven" with his history of, broadly, sexual indecency? I'm not the one to judge. But I will say Bowie's trajectory as a rock star and ultimately his demise feels true to who he was and even if his death wasn't particularly poetic, I think the way he made art of it is a feat worth celebrating. Few get a farewell like this.

- great opening song - track nr 3 fantastic music - track nr 4 is sooo hard - "Dollar Days" are perfect, maybe the best song on this album 4/5 - that was fun

While not his usual style, I found this album to be rather interesting. It can however be a little repetitive at times or quirky.

Really enjoyed it from beginning to end. Standout songs: Blackstar Girl Loves Me Dollar days

I was expecting that be blown away by this departing album from one of the greatest artists of our time, but it was mostly just "good" with a few standout parts. Maybe my expectations were too high? Maybe it will grow on me in time? Otherwise, it's not up there with the better Bowie albums.

favourite song - lazarus favourite lyric - idk, good lyrics overall tho cover - 2/10 overall album - 4/5

idk I feel like im still missing something here w/ bowie

Nice and ethereal

this was a bit weird (and sad) but still good

have you ever heard a song and thought wow that's how I felt while listening to this album black star I think that this album is good because I like the voice and the instruments as well I think that this album is good and I recommend listening to this album because its pretty good and isnt really that bad to listen to

I really liked the instrumentals the lyrics were ok but had deep meaning.I would recommend this album to most people great album 8.9/10.

"Something happened on the day he died/Spirit rose a meter and stepped aside." David Bowie's final album was released on his 69th birthday and two days before he died from cancer. Recorded in secret and without an advance press, Blackstar is watermarked with the specter of mortality. All musical recordings contain voices that are simultaneously embodied and disembodied. This is starkly real on Blackstar, where Bowie's presence and absence spiral in dance. Like his career, this album is rich with experimentation and a keen musical sensibility. Experimental jazz is marked by Bowie's ethereal voice - a voice both sonic and written - throughout this album. The soundscape is jarring, immersive, and challenging but never off-putting. All of us are in the process of writing our final chapters. Few of us are so self-conscious about our last testament. From Starman to Blackstar, Bowie continues challenging and vexing us to grasp the interplay of finite and infinite in the human condition. This album is not straightforward, but neither is life. A classic parting gift.

This was exciting for me because I have barely listened to David Bowie ever in my life. It feels so wrong like I'm someone who's never listened to the Beatles or something lol. What I have heard by him before were just main bops that I wasn't really into. It's still not blowing my mind but I enjoyed this album! I get the hype.

I remember this album's release very vividly - the local Austin radio station hyped the title single SO much and I remember not being able to escape conversation and excitement about the album. I think it lived up to the hype. I Can't Give Everything Away deserves more play.

Plenty of artists have reinvented themselves in an avant garde manner to make some very weird (at the time) music. Here David Bowie joins the likes of David Bowie, Miles Davis, Bob Dylan and many more. This is nothing new for Bowie, but when you look at the timing of the release - this album as a goodbye puts him at a level with possibly only Warren Zevon. Bowie can be a tough listen because of his constant change cycles, but I challenge you to listen to Lazarus with getting a gut punch to the feels. 4/5

Bowie's last album before he died of cancer - it was released only two days before he died. I still remember both days vividly - the day on which the album came out (the anticipation was huge) and the shock just two days later when the news came out that he passed away. It was his last gift to his fans - it centers around mortality, which makes it very heavy and haunting but it's uplifting in some way, because he came to terms with the fact that his life on this planet would end soon. Great farewell from one of the most unique musicians from the past 70 years.

I can’t quite tell if the is Bowie glow. Just giving him the nod because of who he is. He clearly isn’t just phoning it in, but it also isn’t his most accessible work. That said, it is engaging and compelling

Not bad

Sultry, jazzy, sexy. This is a really beautifully composed record with very distinct elements that continues to set Bowie on his own stage. The progressions and sequences of these songs are captivating and mesmerizing at times. Really nice one.

Haunting and ethereal. You can tell he knew this album would be the last thing he ever did.

I was never a fan od David Bowie, but I think that I wanna come back to this record. Its haunting,especially after reading the backgorund and meaning of this whole album,my favorite track was definitely Lazarus or Dollar Days. I love the moments and the jazzy melodies here and there,it woke me up.

One of the greatest ever

Groovy and moody with some funky rhythms

Witness a man staring death in its face! This album is transcendental, given the context that Bowie knows he’s terminally ill. Complete existentialism at the end of life for one of the world’s greatest artists. Makes for a powerful listen

Day-vid Bow-eee knocks it out of the park again with another great album. No radical ch-ch-ch-changes here, it’s definitely Bowie and very enjoyable

- Das einzige Album von Bowie, welches ich schon vor dieser Challenge komplett gehört habe, einfach, weil mich die Geschichte dahinter schon damals fasziniert hat. - Gleichzeitig auch mein Lieblingsalbum von Bowie. Hat irgendwie einen total eigenen Vibe und eine sehr abgerundete und "komplette" Ausstrahlung. - Jedoch ist es auch bei diesem album nicht, so, dass es mich jetzt restlos begeistert zurücklässt. Auch hier gibt es Passagen, die ich etwas weird und langweilig finde. Das soll nicht heißen, dass ich damit meinem vorherigen Punkt des abgerundeten Vibes widerspreche. - Textlich absolut großartig 3,75/4

Great album, finished sooner than I would've liked.

Nice variety, quite experimental.

Kind of unfortunately, you can tell Bowie is getting pretty old on the album in his voice. If this was recorded 10 years earlier, I think Bowie's voice would really shine, but the instrumentalists end up being the shining light, musically, on the album. It's so different and experimental, that I'm tempted to say that it falls a little flat, but I was emotionally invested in every song. A number of the songs also had an incredible groove that was impossible to not bob along to. Bowie's voice ends up kind of being the worst part of the album, which sucks to say out loud. But everything else was tastefully crafted, including the lyrics, that it ends up holding the album back from being truly elite for me. Still excellent, though. Favorite Song(s): Blackstar, Lazarus, Girl Loves Me

Very unique album.

13:10. Very interesting sound. I hadn't taken real time to listen to David Bowie before. I don't really like his voice at all. 13:22. David Bowie confuses me. I think this album deserves my full attention to actually take in what is happening. 13:35. Was this zeitgeist, or just drugs? Or both, of course. 13:41. I think I enjoyed this. But I'm not sure. 13:45. I really appreciate the sound and the band and the musicality. I think the lyrics are good. Couldn't care less about the voice. I think I'm intrigued.

I was at 2.5 stars on this on my first listen but I jumped up to about a 3.75 on my second. It certainly gets emotional bonus points for being his final album but I ended up digging a lot of the songwriting by the end of my second listen.

Nice n short, mystical but slightly samey

Fav: Dollar Days Least Fav: Girl Loves Me A lot more jazzy than I expected. I enjoyed the album but as I don’t really listen to Bowie much I felt as if some of the emotional impact wasn’t as strong as it could’ve been, in spite of this I thought it was well done and no song was necessarily bad but just had a couple of weaker sections.

8/10

This is a really interesting album. I think the jazzy instrumentals do a lot of the carrying, but David's performances are still really good too. Sometimes the lyrics can be a little simple or too all-over-the-place for me. 7/10

This getting released around the same time as his death adds an extra level of spookiness to Lazarus.

Kind of weird but interesting to hear this knowing he wrote it as he was dying

Bowie's swan song. I remember listening to it the day it came out at work and then over the weekend he passed. Blackstar is an incredible song and top tier Bowie song overall. I watched the music video so much when it first came out. Shit is the most creepy/artsy video I think I've ever seen. This is such a good blend of genres on this one and once again shows Bowies innovativeness even in his dying age. Strong 4 almost 5 but not quite.

Bowie was certainly an experimenter right to the end of his life. Of course this is very poignant and the context is hard to disregard when considering the music. His use of horns is interesting, sometimes they create a mournful atmosphere, and sometimes they sound in the brink of reaching a mad crescendo, a bit like Radiohead's The National Anthem. I also find the lyrics to be self reflective and interesting. Probably not an album I'd listen to endlessly but certainly impressive that he created this while dying of cancer

YOOOOOOO star- 6 or 7 tis a pity she was a whore- 6 lazarus- 6 or 7. "i was looking for your ass" sue- 6 girl loves me- "where the fuck did monday go" 6 or 7 dollar days- 6 or 7 i cant give everything away- :( 7 rest in peace, i miss you man

The last Bowie album and the lyrics are just as weird as ever. You can hear a difference in his voice. There is a lot of saxophone on this album. You can definitely hear a sadness in the songs, the title of Lazarus gives that one away, but there's a quality to the music that conveys the feeling too. I listened to this album right after he died and remembered liking it much more than I do now. I love the sound of the album, but the individual songs are kind of up and down. I Can't Give Everything feels like a perfect ending to an amazing career.

- Personal impression: Fantastic album, very "David Bowie" in style - Described as weird, experimental, and a pleasure to listen to - Awareness of David Bowie's famous songs, but not a regular listener - Belief that the album was recorded just before David Bowie's passing - Plans to explore more of David Bowie's work - Rating: Four out of five stars

Laatste Bowie album ooit. Interessant, super moody ook, tenminste de opener Blackstar is een heel duistere plaat. Sowieso is het album iets meer jazzy dan andere Bowie albums die meer poppy kunnen zijn. Het album is veel duisterder, met veel referenties naar de dood. Dan te bedenken dat hij overleed 2 dagen na release, best wel heftig eigenlijk... Als je het album hoort zou ik zeggen dat hij precies wist dat ie niet lang meer had. De muziek hoort daar ook bij, met veel strijkers en een soort trage jazz. Heel indrukwekkend album! FAVO: Blackstar, Lazarus, I cant give everything away

Great album. Very dark though.

This was beautiful and chaotic and discordant.

3.5

meme photo: lie down - try not to cry - cry a lot this album project has easily led to the most David Bowie I've listened to since his death, because that was the first celebrity/public figure death that really deeply upset me and I didn't like to be reminded about it. I had to take a couple of breaks during Blackstar and it reminded me of all the conversations I had with friends where we went from just talking about the album and videos to talking about how it was a secret farewell message. Life is hard! Death is hard! It feels trite to say that so much of this album is haunting, but it is - the vocals and the machinelike-but-human drumming especially. I do think the title and closing tracks are stronger than the rest, except for maybe Lazarus.

Incredible final send off to a once in a lifetime artist.

3.5★. Third Bowie prompt on this list so far (The other two being Young Americans and Heroes) and it's easily my favorite of the small bunch. Not a revelation by any means though as I've listened to it a couple of times before. It's not an album that admittedly moves me deeply like it undoubtedly does many Bowie fans (and it's easy to see why, Cohen's last album does the same thing for me) but it's an album I enjoy/admire a lot, and I love how dire and grave it sounds.

staring death to in the face

Probably a 3.5 without context, but the details surrounding its release and Bowie's passing give it a level of mournful poignancy that elevates it to a 4.

His Bowieness👑 shows his creativity and talent and will to reinvent himself for the last time. Not his best but still a pretty strong album. "Sue..." costs him the ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ for me. Beyond that it´s a great production. 4,5

David Bowie was an underrated superstar. No big hits on this album, but it is a really great album. Tiz a Pity She was a Whore and Lazarus are well written and they just suck you into their magic. I love it.

I haven’t explored much of David Bowie's music before, and in fact, Blackstar is the first Bowie album I’ve listened to from start to finish. So, what’s my take on it? Simply put, it’s incredible. As I mentioned, my experience with Bowie has been limited—I've probably only heard about ten of his songs in total. I always associated him with a jazzy, disco-infused glam rock vibe. But this album took me by surprise with its art rock and experimental sound. Blackstar is a no-skip album for me. Every track is solid, with none dipping below an 8/10 in my book. The album's second single, 'Lazarus,' and the closing track, 'I Can't Give Everything Away,' are particular standouts. The latter, especially, has a serene, haunting quality that feels poignant without being overly somber. In short, Blackstar blew me away. It’s inspired me to dive deeper into Bowie’s discography.

Interesting interpretation of rock and combination, couple of great tracks

Yet another album recorded by a man that KNEW he was dying. Written and recorded as his literal swan song- I love this record. Bowie meets NIN meets the grim reaper. All of that said it is definitely an album you have to be prepared for, in the mood for, to really be enjoyed. The opening track sounds absolutely nothing like what you would expect from David Bowie and it’s almost 10 minutes long. That is a statement in itself. there’s a handful of songs that sound more reminiscence of his older material, but the point of this record was to explore something new because he knew, at least in his own mind, that he was about to go on the greatest exploration he had ever gone on. When I am in the correct mindset to listen to this record and feel it, and hear his words, to connect with it and therefore him it’s a five star album. The rest of the time it sits between a three and four.

Wanted to give it 5 stars but just falls short. A really good album filled with interesting songs and influences. One that I will go back to regularly.

Such an incredible insight into what an artist things, feels, desires, reflects on and shares when he know he’s close to dying. That alone makes this album so extremely memorable, with Lazarus really digging in deep.

B+

Really great late Bowie - interesting and challenging. It was his best for ages, ir really only a minor classic by his standards.