Blackstar - In Memory of David Bowie

Any attempt to critique “Blackstar” seems futile at this point.  Even if it were flawed in any way, the scope of the metaphorical and symbolic message renders all other points moot.  “Blackstar” is the 26^th and final album by arguably the most influential artist the world has ever seen, David Bowie. 

Transcending genre, gender and often even physical form, Bowie was a chameleon in every sense of the word, with every new skin being as enigmatic as the last.  His final form on “Blackstar”, that of a tortured artist facing the end is the heart wrenching and harrowing yet.  Every track is laden with intricate indications and signs, so much so that listeners will be deciphering its hidden messages for years to come.  The esoteric instrumental outro of the title track to the broken finality of “I Can’t Give Everything Away”, Bowie shows he clearly believed he had something to prove.  Unwilling to rest on 25 utterly game changing stellar albums, he provided a masterpiece from his deathbed.

There aren’t many relevant descriptions I can make of “Blackstar” and merely thanking David Bowie for everything he has done for humanity seems insufficient.  While the world will be a bleaker place without him, I wish him all the best on whichever plain of existence he has chosen to inhabit from now on.

Charlie McCartney