Blackstar (album)
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Cover for CD and digital editions
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| Studio album by David Bowie | ||||
| Released | 8 January 2016 | |||
| Recorded | January–May 2015 | |||
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| Genre | ||||
| Length | 41:17 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer |
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| David Bowie chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Blackstar | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Aggregate scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 8.4/10 |
| Metacritic | 87/100 |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   |
| The A.V. Club | A− |
| The Daily Telegraph | |
| Entertainment Weekly | A− |
| The Guardian | |
| The Independent | |
| NME | 4/5 |
| Pitchfork | 8.5/10 |
| Rolling Stone | |
| Spin | 7/10 |
★ (pronounced and stylised as Blackstar) is the twenty-fifth and final studio album by English musician David Bowie. It was released worldwide through ISO, RCA, Columbia, and Sony on 8 January 2016, coinciding with Bowie's 69th birthday.
The album was largely recorded in secret between The Magic Shop and Human Worldwide Studios in New York City with Bowie's longtime co-producer Tony Visconti and a group of local jazz musicians. The album contains many styles of music throughout, including jazz and experimental rock among others. Two days after its release, Bowie died of liver cancer; his illness had not been revealed to the public until then. Co-producer Visconti described the album as Bowie's intended swan song and a "parting gift" for his fans before his death. Several lyrics throughout the album reveal this theme.
Upon release, the album was met with critical acclaim and commercial success, topping charts in a number of countries in the wake of Bowie's death, and becoming Bowie's only album to top the Billboard 200 in the United States. The album remained at the number one position in the UK charts for three weeks. The album received three nominations at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards, including Best Alternative Music Album and Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical.
Bowie recorded ★ while suffering from liver cancer; his illness was not made public until he died, two days after the album's release. Like Bowie's previous album The Next Day, recording took place in secret at the Magic Shop and Human Worldwide Studios in New York City. Bowie began writing and making demos for songs that appear on Blackstar as soon as sessions for The Next Day concluded. He recruited a local New York jazz combo led by Donny McCaslin as the backing band for the sessions.
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Wikipedia