David Bowie died within days after the January 8, 2016 release of Blackstar, an event that immediately shaped perceptions of his 25th album. Unbeknownst to all but his inner circle, Bowie wrote and recorded Blackstar after receiving word that he had liver cancer, so the album was certainly shaped through the prism of this diagnosis.
A close listen reveals how the album is littered with references to dying indeed, it concludes with a note of acceptance in "I Can't Give Everything Away" but Bowie's remarkable achievement with Blackstar is how it's an album about mortality that is utterly alive, and at times even playful.
Heavyweight vinyl produced by ISO Records. Gatefold star-shaped die-cut sleeve.
