David Bowie’s final studio album released before his death was Blackstar.
Stylised as ★, Blackstar was released on 8 January 2016, Bowie’s 69th birthday. He died two days later, on 10 January, after an 18-month private battle with liver cancer. Because the illness had not been publicly disclosed, the album’s themes and imagery were widely reinterpreted after his death as an artistic farewell.
Bowie recorded the album in New York with producer Tony Visconti and a group of jazz musicians led by saxophonist Donny McCaslin. The music moved beyond conventional rock, combining experimental jazz, electronic textures and art rock. Its two major singles were “Blackstar” and “Lazarus.”
Blackstar topped charts in numerous countries and became Bowie’s first number-one album on the US Billboard 200. It won five Grammy Awards in 2017, including Best Alternative Music Album and Best Rock Performance. Although it became his final released studio album, Bowie had begun considering another project before his death.