I've avoided listening to Blackstar for a while after Bowie's death. I don't know, it felt too real?
I was 20 years old when he passed, and I was leaving for Ireland 3 days later. I remember taking out my two David Bowie t-shirts from my suitcase and leaving them at my parent's house, because I didn't want to be reminded of his death.
Grief is weird, especially when it's about an artist you admire, especially when it's someone who has poured his creativity, art and soul into all his project for so many years.
I'm happily wearing my t-shirts again now, but man that was a weird and confusing time. It also didn't help that we lost Prince a few months later.
Although I wasn't too old at the time, I remember exactly where I was when Bowie died, and I knew it was something significant even though I had never really listened to him.
Fast forward to last year and on a whim, I decided to listen to his whole back catalogue, and WOW.
Not just a musician, but an ARTIST.
Blackstar itself is my second favourite album after Young Americans, and I just love how sonically rich and unique sounding it is, whilst maintaining a cohesive vision, something I think only Bowie could've done.
The dark cabaret sound he has shown is pretty important; it represents curiosity in the music world, the stages of grief, and a homage to urban New York, that shaped him. He said that he listened to trending artists of the time- Death Grips and Kendrick Lamar, to influence his heavy sound. It's like he's saying that his production would forever live on in songs of his influenced artists, when he is gone.
I've avoided listening to Blackstar for a while after Bowie's death. I don't know, it felt too real?
I was 20 years old when he passed, and I was leaving for Ireland 3 days later. I remember taking out my two David Bowie t-shirts from my suitcase and leaving them at my parent's house, because I didn't want to be reminded of his death.
Grief is weird, especially when it's about an artist you admire, especially when it's someone who has poured his creativity, art and soul into all his project for so many years.
I'm happily wearing my t-shirts again now, but man that was a weird and confusing time. It also didn't help that we lost Prince a few months later.
(oh, and thank you for this beautiful essay!)
Great read, man.
Although I wasn't too old at the time, I remember exactly where I was when Bowie died, and I knew it was something significant even though I had never really listened to him.
Fast forward to last year and on a whim, I decided to listen to his whole back catalogue, and WOW.
Not just a musician, but an ARTIST.
Blackstar itself is my second favourite album after Young Americans, and I just love how sonically rich and unique sounding it is, whilst maintaining a cohesive vision, something I think only Bowie could've done.
Take care,
Mo
The dark cabaret sound he has shown is pretty important; it represents curiosity in the music world, the stages of grief, and a homage to urban New York, that shaped him. He said that he listened to trending artists of the time- Death Grips and Kendrick Lamar, to influence his heavy sound. It's like he's saying that his production would forever live on in songs of his influenced artists, when he is gone.
Wasn't aware of the Death Grips influence—thanks!