History Music / BlackstarAlbum

* ClusterFBomb: "Girl Loves Me", to the point where it directly led to the album being the only one in Bowie's catalog to receive a Parental Advisory sticker.

* EpicRocking: The title track is nearly ten minutes long, while "Lazarus" is 6 and 1/2.

Already strongly received upon its release, the album became even more rapturously received after the singer's death, which made evident additional layers of meaning as people became increasingly aware of the context behind the album's creation. The record was also a significant commercial success, selling hundreds of thousands of copies in its first week of release and making Bowie the highest-selling vinyl artist of the year. Debuting at No. 1 in both the US and UK and topping the charts in 22 other countries (plus Scotland), it marked Bowie's first album to top the Billboard 200, additionally topping Billboard's Top Alternative Albums, Top Rock Albums, and Top Tastemaker Albums charts[[note]]for those curious about the exact list of countries where it topped the charts, in addition to the US, UK, and Scotland, it also was a chart-topper in Australia, Austria, Belgium (on both the Ultratop Flanders and Ultratop Wallonia charts), Canada, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, the Netherlands, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Portugal, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland[[/note]]. ''★'' would go on to become the 5th best-selling album of 2016 in the world, later being certified double-platinum in the Netherlands, platinum in the UK, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Italy, Poland, and Switzerland, and gold in the US, Germany, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden.

[[caption-width-right:350:''"[[SwanSong Look up here, I'm in heaven]]"'']]

** The album's artwork for the CD version features a black star on a white background, and below it there are parts of a star meant to spell out "B O W I E".
** The vinyl cover, in light grey, features the star as a cutout, revealing the record (with an all-black picture label) beneath. With the record removed, the black paper behind the cutout reveals a hidden picture of a starfield when the foldout sleeve is held up to a light source.

Indeed, Bowie's fears would turn out correct; while shooting the music video for "Lazarus", Bowie was informed that his cancer had become terminal. He would die on January 10, 2016, just two days after the album's release, putting an end to one of the longest and most important careers of any solo artist in the western music canon.

Since its release, ''★''[='s=] acclaim has only continued to grow and galvanize: ''The A.V. Club'', ''Mojo'', ''Newsweek'', ''Paste'', ''Q'', ''Uncut'', ''The Village Voice'', ''The Wire'', and ''Magazine/RollingStone''[='s=] readers' poll would all rank it as the best album of 2016. Bowie would be posthumously awarded the 2017 Grammy Awards for "Best Alternative Music Album" and "Best Recording Package", his first competitive Grammies since [[Music/{{Tonight}} 1985]] and his first Grammies overall since winning the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006. On review aggregator site ''Rate Your Music'', ''★'' is ranked as the second-highest-rated album of 2016 and the 88th highest-rated album of all time. As of 2020, it sits at No. 72 on ''WebSite/AcclaimedMusic''[='s=] [[UsefulNotes/AcclaimedMusicAllTimeTopAlbums dynamic list]] of the 3000 most critically lauded albums of all time (as well as the 4th most acclaimed album of the entire 2010's). Lastly, among Bowie fans, it's widely considered both one of the artist's best albums and the perfect GrandFinale for his life and career.

''★'' was supported by three singles: the TitleTrack, "Lazarus", and "I Can't Give Everything Away". "Lazarus" was the last single to be released during Bowie's lifetime. On a somewhat more trivial note, "★" was, at the time of its release, the longest song to ever chart on the Billboard 100 (peaking at No. 78) until Music/{{Tool}} broke the record with "Fear Inoculum" in 2019.

* BittersweetEnding: "I Can't Give Everything Away" is this to the album as well as David Bowie's career as a whole. He was eaten away by liver cancer, not knowing what his fate would be while recording ''★'', and died of the disease shortly after the album's release, but was still able to end things off with one hell of a bang.

-->"Look up here, I’m in heaven\\
I’ve got scars that can’t be seen\\
I’ve got drama, can’t be stolen\\

Since its release, ''★''[='s=] acclaim has only continued to grow and galvanize: ''The A.V. Club'', ''Mojo'', ''Newsweek'', ''Paste'', ''Q'', ''Uncut'', ''The Village Voice'', ''The Wire'', and ''Magazine/RollingStone''[='s=] readers' poll would all rank it as the best album of 2016. Bowie would be posthumously awarded the 2017 Grammy Awards for "Best Alternative Music Album" and "Best Recording Package", his first competitive Grammies since [[Music/{{Tonight}} 1985]] and his first Grammies overall since winning the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006. On review aggregator site ''Rate Your Music'', ''★'' is ranked as the second-highest-rated album of 2016 and the 67th highest-rated album of all time. As of 2020, it sits at No. 72 on ''WebSite/AcclaimedMusic''[='s=] [[UsefulNotes/AcclaimedMusicAllTimeTopAlbums dynamic list]] of the 3000 most critically lauded albums of all time (as well as the 4th most acclaimed album of the entire 2010's). Lastly, among Bowie fans, it's widely considered both one of the artist's best albums and the perfect GrandFinale for his life and career.

Since its release, ''★''[='s=] acclaim has only continued to grow and galvanize: ''The A.V. Club'', ''Mojo'', ''Newsweek'', ''Paste'', ''Q'', ''Uncut'', ''The Village Voice'', ''The Wire'', and ''Magazine/RollingStone''[='s=] readers' poll would all rank it as the best album of 2016. Bowie would be posthumously awarded the 2017 Grammy Awards for "Best Alternative Music Album" and "Best Recording Package", his first competitive Grammies since [[Music/{{Tonight}} 1985]] and his first Grammies overall since winning the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006. On review aggregator site ''Rate Your Music'', ''★'' is ranked as the second-highest-rated album of 2016 and the 67th highest-rated album of all time. As of 2020, it sits at No. 72 on ''WebSite/AcclaimedMusic''[='s=] [[UsefulNotes/AcclaimedMusicAllTimeTopAlbums dynamic list]] of the 3000 most critically lauded albums of all time (as well as the 7th most acclaimed album of the entire 2010's). Lastly, among Bowie fans, it's widely considered both one of the artist's best albums and the perfect GrandFinale for his life and career.

Since its release, ''★''[='s=] acclaim has only continued to grow and galvanize: ''The A.V. Club'', ''Mojo'', ''Newsweek'', ''Paste'', ''Q'', ''Uncut'', ''The Village Voice'', ''The Wire'', and ''Magazine/RollingStone''[='s=] readers' poll would all rank it as the best album of 2016. Bowie would be posthumously awarded the 2017 Grammy Awards for "Best Alternative Music Album" and "Best Recording Package", his first competitive Grammies since [[Music/{{Tonight}} 1985]] and his first Grammies overall since winning the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006. On review aggregator site ''Rate Your Music'', ''★'' is ranked as the second-highest-rated album of 2016 and the 67th highest-rated album of all time. As of 2018, it sits at No. 179 on ''WebSite/AcclaimedMusic''[='s=] [[UsefulNotes/AcclaimedMusicAllTimeTopAlbums dynamic list]] of the 3000 most critically lauded albums of all time (as well as the 7th most acclaimed album of the entire 2010's). Lastly, among Bowie fans, it's widely considered both one of the artist's best albums and the perfect GrandFinale for his life and career.

Already strongly received upon its release, the album became even more rapturously received after the singer's death, which made evident additional layers of meaning as people became increasingly aware of the context behind the album's creation. The record was also a significant commercial success, selling hundreds of thousands of copies in its first week of release and making Bowie the highest-selling vinyl artist of the year. Debuting at No. 1 in both the US and UK and topping the charts in 22 other countries (plus Scotland), it marked Bowie's first album to top the Billboard 200, additionally topping Billboard's Top Alternative Albums, Top Rock Albums, and Top Tastemaker Albums charts[[note]]for those curious about the exact list of countries where it topped the charts, in addition to the US, UK, and Scotland, it also was a chart-topper in Australia, Austria, Belgium (on both the Ultratop Flanders and Ultratop Wallonia charts), Canada, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, the Netherlands, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Portugal, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland[[/note]]. ''★'' would go on to become the 5th best-selling album of 2016 in the world, later being certified double-platinum in the Netherlands, platinum in the UK, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Italy, Poland, and Switzerland, and gold in the US, Germany, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden.

Since its release, ''★''[='s=] acclaim has only continued to grow and galvanize: ''The A.V. Club'', ''Mojo'', ''Newsweek'', ''Paste'', ''Q'', ''Uncut'', ''The Village Voice'', ''The Wire'', and ''Magazine/RollingStone''[='s=] readers' poll would all rank it as the best album of 2016. Bowie would be posthumously awarded the 2017 Grammy Awards for "Best Alternative Music Album" and "Best Recording Package", his first competitive Grammies since [[Music/{{Tonight}} 1985]] and his first Grammies overall since winning the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006. On review aggregator site ''Rate Your Music'', ''★'' is ranked as the second-highest-rated album of 2016 and the 67th highest-rated album of all time. As of 2018, it sits at No. 179 on ''WebSite/AcclaimedMusic''[='s=] [[UsefulNotes/AcclaimedMusicAllTimeTopAlbums dynamic list]] of the 3000 most critically lauded albums of all time (as well as the 7th most acclaimed album of the entire 2010's). Lastly, among Bowie fans, it's widely considered both one of the artist's best albums and the perfect GrandFinale for his life and career.

Not to be confused with the hip-hop duo consisting of Mos Def and Talib Kweli (the album's title is one word; the hip-hop duo's is two) or the fictional character [[Manga/SoulEater Black★Star]].

[[caption-width-right:350:''"[[HarsherInHindsight Look up here, I'm in heaven]]"'']]

* CallBack: The harmonica on the closing track "I Can't Give Everything Away" plays the same tune as the harmonica on "A New Career in a New Town" from Bowie's 1977 album ''Music/LowDavidBowieAlbum''; fans have also cited similarities to "Never Let Me Down", "Soul Love", and "Thursday's Child". The music also becomes more reminiscent of Bowie's old styles towards the end of the album.

** The album's artwork for the CD version features a black star on a white background, and below it there are parts of a star meant to spell out "b o w i e".

* ShoutOut: "Girl Loves Me" features lines sung in "Nadsat", the language from ''Literature/AClockWorkOrange'', one of Bowie's favorite novels. Some of the slang words used in the track are also adopted from TheSeventies gay subculture, while others are [[PerfectlyCromulentWord of Bowie's own invention]].

* TextlessAlbumCover: It features only the titular black star as well as star symbols that can be interpreted to spell out "Bowie", making this an odd ZigZaggedTrope. It's also one of few Bowie sleeves that doesn't have his FaceOnTheCover, and '''the''' only one to lack his likeness whatsoever (discounting the [[https://img.discogs.com/GlrBkuxbP9lE0AUrGLQ29eyzEwY=/fit-in/600x599/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-710468-1475029886-8513.jpeg.jpg cover art]] for the original 1970 US release of ''Music/TheManWhoSoldTheWorld'', though the [[https://lastfm-img2.akamaized.net/i/u/770x0/d7cc13a5bafa4fd496e30b0d037dfcac.jpg art]] for the 1971 UK release is considered the canonical one anyways).

''★'' was supported by three singles: the TitleTrack, "Lazarus", and "I Can't Give Everything Away". "Lazarus" was the last single to be released during Bowie's lifetime; he learned that his cancer was terminal while shooting the song's music video. On a somewhat more trivial note, "★" was, at the time of its release, the longest song to ever chart on the Billboard 100 (peaking at No. 78) until Music/{{Tool}} broke the record with "Fear Inoculum" in 2019.

Since its release, ''★''[='s=] acclaim has only continued to grow and galvanize. Bowie would be posthumously awarded the 2017 Grammy Awards for "Best Alternative Music Album" and "Best Recording Package", his first competitive Grammies since [[Music/{{Tonight}} 1985]] and his first Grammies overall since winning the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006. As of 2018, it sits at No. 179 on ''WebSite/AcclaimedMusic''[='s=] [[UsefulNotes/AcclaimedMusicAllTimeTopAlbums dynamic list]] of the 3000 most critically lauded albums of all time.

''★'' (pronounced ''Blackstar'') is the twenty-sixth and final studio album by Music/DavidBowie. It was released January 8th, 2016 (Bowie's 69th birthday), two days before his passing. The album reflects a somewhat new sound for Bowie, being influenced by [[AvantGardeMusic avant-garde]] {{jazz}}, ProgressiveRock, experimental hip-hop acts such as Music/DeathGrips and Music/KendrickLamar, and electronic acts such as Music/BoardsOfCanada. Having been diagnosed with liver cancer in 2014, Bowie dedicated the album to exploring his [[ApocalypticLog newfound awareness of his mortality, not knowing whether or not he'd survive his battle and preparing for the possibility of him having to leave this mortal coil]].

Already strongly received upon its release, the album became even more rapturously received after the singer's death, which made evident additional layers of meaning as people became increasingly aware of the context behind the album's creation. The record was also a significant commercial success, selling hundreds of thousands of copies in its first week of release and making Bowie the highest-selling vinyl artist of the year. It débuted at #1 in a large number of countries throughout the world, becoming Bowie's first ever #1 album in the United States, and posthumously scored him the 2017 Grammy Awards for "Best Alternative Music Album" and "Best Recording Package", his first competitive Grammies since [[Music/{{Tonight}} 1985]] and his first Grammies overall since winning the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006.

* ClusterFBomb: "Girl Loves Me".

* EldritchAbomination: That... THING at the end of the "★" music video.

* MinimalisticCoverArt: The album's artwork for the CD version features a black star on a white background, and below it there are parts of a star meant to spell out "b o w i e".

''★'' was supported by three singles: the TitleTrack, "Lazarus", and "I Can't Give Everything Away". "Lazarus" was the last single to be released during Bowie's lifetime; he learned that his cancer was terminal while shooting the song's music video.

* LuckyCharmsTitle: The official title of the album is the black star symbol itself.

''★'' (pronounced ''Blackstar'') is the twenty-sixth and final studio album by Music/DavidBowie. It was released January 8th, 2016 (Bowie's 69th birthday), two days before his passing. The album reflects a somewhat new sound for Bowie, being influenced by [[AvantGardeMusic avant-garde]] {{jazz}}, ProgressiveRock, experimental hip-hop acts such as Music/DeathGrips and Music/KendrickLamar, and electronic acts such as Music/BoardsOfCanada. Having been diagnosed with liver cancer in 2014, Bowie dedicated the album to exploring his newfound awareness of his mortality, not knowing whether or not he'd survive his battle and preparing for the possibility of him having to leave this mortal coil.

* BittersweetEnding: "I Can't Give Everything Away" is this to the album as well as David Bowie's career as a whole.

Already strongly received upon its release, the album became even more rapturously received after the singer's death, which made evident additional layers of meaning. The record has also been quite commercially successful, selling hundreds of thousands of copies in its first week of release and making Bowie the highest-selling vinyl artist of the year. It débuted at #1 in a large number of countries throughout the world, becoming Bowie's first ever #1 album in the United States, and scored him the 2017 Grammy Awards for "Best Alternative Music Album" and "Best Recording Package", his first competitive Grammies since 1985 and his first Grammies overall since winning the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006.

* DeadArtistsAreBetter: [[invoked]] It's possible to interpret "Lazarus" as Bowie being self-conscious about how audiences will look at his work differently after he's gone, with all the private torment and anguish that belonged to the artist and his work, becoming common property:

* LiteraryAllusionTitle: The title "'Tis a Pity She Was a Whore" is a reference to a 17th century drama by John Ford ([[NamesTheSame not]] [[Creator/JohnFord that one]]) entitled ''Theatre/TisPityShesAWhore'', which is infamous for its transgressive themes, including BrotherSisterIncest.

''★'' (pronounced ''Blackstar'') is the twenty-sixth and final studio album by Music/DavidBowie. It was released January 8th, 2016 (Bowie's 69th birthday), two days before his passing. The album reflects a somewhat new sound for Bowie, being influenced by [[AvantGardeMusic avant-garde]] {{jazz}}, ProgressiveRock, experimental hip-hop acts such as Music/DeathGrips and Music/KendrickLamar, and electronic acts such as Music/BoardsOfCanada. Already strongly received upon its release, the album became even more rapturously received after the singer's death, which made evident additional layers of meaning. The record has also been quite commercially successful, selling hundreds of thousands of copies in its first week of release. It débuted at #1 in a large number of countries throughout the world, becoming Bowie's first ever #1 album in the United States.

# "Blackstar" (9:57)

* AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence: What the subject of "Blackstar" goes through after his demise.
* AGodAmI: The singer of ''Blackstar'':

* BlindSeer: Invoked by the button-eyed figure Bowie plays in the "Blackstar" and "Lazarus" videos.

* DeathSong: Both "Blackstar" and "Lazarus" are speculated by many to be Bowie writing his own dirge. It was confirmed the album was a GrandFinale for Bowie and a parting gift to the world. "Dollar Days" and "I Can't Give Everything Away" also address the singer's impending death.
* DyingMomentOfAwesome: Bowie recorded ''Blackstar'' while battling a terminal case of cancer, which took his life two days after this album's official release.
* EldritchAbomination: That... THING at the end of the Blackstar music video.

* GrandFinale: For Bowie's life, as confirmed by the album's [[RecordProducer producer]] Tony Visconti. However, it was also revealed that after recording ''Blackstar'', Bowie planned to make one more album, and demoed five tracks for it before his death. Bowie called Visconti a week before his death saying he wanted to make another album, which somehow makes the album's subject ''even harsher'' since it makes it plain that, despite ''Blackstar''[='=]s peaceful ending, Bowie still wasn't ready to go.

* MindScrew: The song ''Blackstar'' which doesn't so much sound like the singer's having a mental breakdown as that he's already insane to begin with. Not to mention many of the lines in the song is full of bizarre symbolism.