David Bowie died on Jan. 10 in New York City after secretly living 18 months with liver cancer. As a farewell gift to his fans, the musician released a new album called “Blackstar” on his birthday, just two days before his death.
Music videos for the songs “Blackstar” and “Lazarus” found on the album were also released, and revolved around the inevitable end that he knew was soon to come. They were his final creations, and they were as eccentric and as beautiful as ever before.
Bowie once described himself as being a selfish artist and performer. He only liked to write for himself, and did almost everything else for himself too, which is perhaps why he is one of the most influential musicians in history.
Being selfish about how he wanted to make his art and how he wanted to live his life is what kept Bowie so true to himself. He pushed the envelope with style and fashion, and created music so unmatched and so innovative that it has touched and inspired almost every artist since.
Early on, as one of the first big androgynous artists to emerge in the 1970s with his persona “Ziggy Stardust,” Bowie pushed boundaries and continued to carry transformation and innovation with him throughout the years. From his first hit “Space Oddity,” to collaborating with Queen and Lou Reed, to starring in the cult classic “Labyrinth,” this man never stopped creating, changing, and trying new things.
Although the beloved artist has passed, his music will forever live on and continue to touch lives and inspire new ways of living them. There’s never been anyone like David Bowie, and there never will be.