As we arrived into 2016, the world was hit with the shocking news that pop icon and global legend David Bowie had passed away – just two days after his 69th birthday and the release of his last album Blackstar.
Bowie’s music has changed a lot since he began, and rightly so. The industry has changed, and it’s not exactly Bowie’s style to stick with one idea too long. However, Blackstar is taking a fairly radical change.
As most musicians get older and have realised numerous albums they lean towards a more mainstream sound, or a style similar to that of their hay day. However, in typical Bowie fashion he has completely ignored this and produced a sound that is quite electronic, and away from the more pop style he has adopted in the past.
This new style is in no way a bad thing. The album holds together well and the passion behind the music remains.
Joe Creaser, a lifelong Bowie fan, said: “My thoughts about it (Blackstar) have changed after his death.
“When I first listened to it I loved it, it’s a call back to Bowie’s epics like Station To Station, and definitely has a ‘Berlin Era’ vibe to it. I think it’s the best album he’s made for about 30 years.
“The title track is superb, so full of mystery – you could (and lots of people will) study it for years and still come no closer to what Bowie’s lyrics mean.”
Joe grew up surrounded by music, and always remembered listening to Bowie as a child: “I grew up with songs like Life On Mars and Starman being played a lot.
“The first time I really took notice I was around 14 I think, because that was when I listened to Space Oddity and loved it, and then just kept investigating more and more into his music.”
Just like many of his other fans Bowie was more than just a pop star to Joe, he was a way of life. Joe said: “I think it makes me feel about more comfortable with feeling and being different, and accepting myself, because you have an icon who you see has felt the same as you do now and has created beautiful work celebrating difference.”
We are still grieving the Thin White Duke; an icon who changed the lives of countless people across multiple generations.