BLACKSTAR

I very rarely think an album is worth 5 stars, so bear with me here. I bought this CD the morning of its release. I was excited to listen to it as I liked the title track which came out in November. I quite disliked The Next Day (I thought it was very forgettable), so I was really hoping for something better than that. And boy was it ever better. I don't intend to make this review long, and I won't be talking about every song, but this is without a doubt Bowie's best album since Scary Monsters. It might even be one of his best. Hell, I know this is going to be an incredibly unpopular opinion, but it might even be his best. Hear me out. Before Bowie's death, I still wanted to give this 5 stars. This morning, after I finished crying, I listened to the album again. After that I watched the music video for Lazarus a few times. Even when that video came out, I thought he was looking a little rough, but I never could have believed he was dying. This was already a hard-hitting album. But after Bowie's death it's even more soul-crushing. At times he is quite literally singing about his own death. It leaves the listener feeling empty, and it's been a long time since I listened to an album that had this much of an effect on me. This is the best "farewell" album I have ever heard. Most final albums are not made specifically made to be a finale, but that's what makes Blackstar even more phenomenal. This was probably already a 5-star album before we understood what was happening, and it's even more effective now that we actually know what the hell he's singing about. Rest in peace David, the world was made so much better with you in it.