David Robert Jones also known as David Bowie died yesterday in Manhattan, New York after fighting cancer for 18 months, according to a statement released on his social media accounts. On his birthday and two days before his death, Bowie released his twenty-seventh and last studio album, “Blackstar” as a kind of farewell. One of the most impactful songs on the album titled “Lazarus,” seems to be a farewell to his fans, as the opening lyric is “Look up here, I’m in heaven!” By strategically releasing this album a few days before his death, the artist was able to say goodbye to his fans on his own terms especially since most were unaware that he had been battling cancer for quite some time.
During his lengthy career that spanned over 5 decades and transcended music and style of the preexisting rock industry, Bowie remained an enigma, being a person who constantly changed his style and perplexed and surprised fans with his unique music and evolving persona. He did so by repeatedly changing his persona and writing exploratory, unique and enigmatic music that often capitalized upon being an outsider of society, a misfit, an explorer, a faraway astronaut, (as he explored with one of his alter egos named Ziggy Stardust). Additionally, Bowie seemed to be a gender bender and defied the normal societal norms by wearing makeup and flamboyant costumes while still creating raucous rock and roll. Perhaps part of the mystification that Bowie embodied was his ability to remain an enigma while simultaneously relate to his demographic enough to have countless top hits, capturing longing and everyday life in No. 1 Pop hits like “Let’s Dance.”
Due to his contributions, in 1996, he was inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. To this day, Bowie has sold 140 million records worldwide, and this number will probably increase with the release of “Blackstar,” a reflections of 18-months of suffering used to channel creativity and create a Bowie-esque farewell: surprising and unique. The link to Bowie’s “Lazarus” from the new album is down below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-JqH1M4Ya8
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