★

Overview
"★" (Blackstar) is widely interpreted as David Bowie's final artistic statement, a confrontation with his own impending death from liver cancer, which was kept secret from the public until his passing two days after the album's release. It is a complex meditation on mortality, fame, legacy, and the unknown.

The Villa of Ormen
The opening imagery sets a cryptic scene. "Ormen" translates to "The Serpent" in Norwegian, potentially alluding to biblical temptation or Gnostic concepts of knowledge. However, it is also the name of a village, adding to the grounded yet surreal nature of the track. The "solitary candle" is a potent symbol of a life burning out, standing alone against the encroaching darkness.

Death and Succession
The line "Something happened on the day he died / Spirit rose a metre and stepped aside / Somebody else took his place" is a direct acknowledgement of the cycle of life and fame. Bowie seems to be observing his own death, recognizing that the world will continue and a new icon will eventually fill the void he leaves. It reflects a lack of ego in the face of the absolute.

Identity and Legacy
By listing what he is not (pop star, gangstar, film star), Bowie strips away the commercial masks he wore throughout his career. Declaring "I'm a Blackstar" serves as a final, redefining act. A black star in astrophysics is a theoretical object or a hidden mass; in occultism, it can represent the midnight sun or hidden knowledge. It suggests he is transforming into something permanent, mysterious, and beyond the reach of earthly categorization.

The narrative unfolds in a mysterious, possibly other-worldly location referred to as the Villa of Ormen. Here, a singular, solitary candle stands at the center of the scene, illuminating a solemn ritual. In this setting, an execution takes place, watched only by the eyes of the narrator. The lyrics describe a moment of profound transition where a spirit rises from a body, ascending purposefully while stepping aside for someone else to take their place, suggesting a cycle of succession or the brave acceptance of an end.

As the atmosphere shifts from ominous to something lighter and more melodic, the perspective changes to a reflection on a specific event: the day a significant figure died. This moment triggers a shift in reality, prompting others to make way. The narrator vehemently clarifies their identity through a series of negations, rejecting labels of being a pop star, a film star, a marvel star, or a gangster. Instead, they assert repeatedly and emphatically that they are a 'Blackstar,' a unique, self-defined celestial entity.

The song returns to its earlier, darker texture, reiterating the imagery of the Villa of Ormen and the solitary candle. The narrator speaks of seeing pain and struggling for breath, acknowledging the physical toll of existence. Despite this, there is a declaration of brave spirit and an intent to ascend. The repeated assertions of identity serve as a final testament, separating the artist from the commercial expectations of fame and positioning them as an enigmatic, enduring force.

Recording and Production
The song was recorded at The Magic Shop in New York City in early 2015. It was produced by Bowie and his longtime collaborator Tony Visconti. Seeking to break away from his past rock sounds, Bowie recruited a local jazz quartet led by saxophonist Donny McCaslin, along with drummer Mark Guiliana, giving the track its distinct, fluid, and experimental rhythm.

Influences and Structure
Bowie cited Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp a Butterfly, D'Angelo's Black Messiah, and the electronic group Boards of Canada as influences. He wanted to explore jazz not as a retro exercise, but as a modern, avant-garde texture. Originally, the track consisted of two separate songs. Bowie and Visconti stitched them together to create a 10-minute suite, adhering to a self-imposed rule to avoid radio edits, ensuring the piece remained a singular artistic statement.

Context of Illness
During the creation of the song and the album, Bowie was undergoing treatment for liver cancer. While the band was initially unaware of the severity of his condition, the atmosphere of the sessions was intense and focused. The lyrics were written with the knowledge of his terminal diagnosis, transforming the creative process into a final act of curation for his life's work.

The Solitary Candle
Representing the fragility of life and the individual consciousness isolated in the universe. Its placement in the "center of it all" suggests that for the dying individual, their fading light is the focal point of existence.

The Blackstar
A multi-layered metaphor. Scientifically, it implies a star that has collapsed or is invisible (a gravity star). Culturally, it may reference the song "Black Star" by Elvis Presley (whom Bowie shared a birthday with), which deals with death. Spiritually, it represents the ultimate transformation from a being of light (fame) to an enigmatic cosmic entity.

The Execution
The lyrics mention an execution with "eyes" watching. This can be interpreted as the public spectacle of celebrity life and death. The artist is "executed" by the gaze of the audience, or metaphorically, the physical body is being executed by the disease.

Rising Spirit
The phrase "Spirit rose a metre and stepped aside" is a specific metaphysical image of the soul leaving the body (astral projection) or the artist stepping out of the spotlight to let the next generation enter.

The emotional landscape of "★" is vast and unsettling. It begins with a sense of dread and foreboding, established by the dissonant synthesizers and frantic percussion. There is a feeling of an ancient, terrifying ritual taking place. However, the middle section introduces a startling shift to bittersweet acceptance and nostalgia. The melody becomes beautiful and lifting, evoking a sense of peace. The final return to the opening motif brings a mix of defiance and transcendence, leaving the listener with a lingering feeling of unresolved mystery and profound loss.

Critical Acclaim and Legacy
Upon release, "★" was met with universal critical acclaim. However, its cultural significance shifted seismically two days later when Bowie died. The song (and the album) was immediately re-contextualized as a deliberate "parting gift" to his fans. It became Bowie's first album to reach number one on the US Billboard 200.

Visual Impact
The accompanying music video, directed by Johan Renck, is iconic in its own right. Featuring imagery of a dead astronaut (referencing Major Tom), a jeweled skull, and scarecrows, it provided a visual language for Bowie's final era that has been analyzed extensively by critics and fans.

Influence on Music
The song demonstrated that a legacy rock artist could still produce cutting-edge, experimental work late in their career. It bridged the gap between rock, jazz, and electronic music, influencing artists to embrace genre-fluidity and view the album format as a cohesive artistic statement.

Rhythmic Complexity
The rhythm is driven by Mark Guiliana's drumming, which blends the frantic, stuttering beats of Drum and Bass with organic jazz fluidity. The first section feels unsettled and anxious, mirroring the uncertainty of the subject matter.

Metric Shift
The transition to the middle section marks a profound shift in tempo and feel. The frantic beat drops away, replaced by a slower, steadier 4/4 groove that feels like a moment of clarity or relief amidst the chaos. This rhythmic contrast emphasizes the lyrical shift from the abstract "Villa of Ormen" to the more narrative "Something happened on the day he died."

Rhyme Scheme
The lyrics employ a mix of free verse and simple rhyme pairs (e.g., "died/aside," "place/face"). The rhymes in the middle section are more structured and traditional, reflecting the "pop" sensibility he is deconstructing, whereas the outer sections are more rhythmic and chant-based.

Musical Structure (A-B-A Form)
The song utilizes a tripartite structure. It begins with a dark, electronic, drum-and-bass influenced section (Part A), transitions into a brighter, soulful, slower pop section (Part B), and concludes by returning to the ominous textures of the opening (Part A). This juxtaposition creates a narrative arc from dread to acceptance and back to mystery.

Vocal Delivery
Bowie utilizes distinct vocal styles. In the opening, he uses a Gregorian-chant-like, flattened delivery, often double-tracked with octaves to sound inhuman or ritualistic. In the middle section, his voice becomes the "crooner"—warm, melodic, and human—before returning to the strained, emotional cries of the finale.

Harmonic Ambiguity
The song relies heavily on modal jazz harmonies and dissonance, avoiding traditional rock chord progressions. The use of Phrygian dominant scales contributes to the Middle Eastern or "occult" atmosphere found in the first section.

What is the meaning of the Villa of Ormen?

The 'Villa of Ormen' is a cryptic location in the song's lyrics. 'Ormen' is Norwegian for 'The Serpent,' which may allude to biblical themes of knowledge or temptation. It is also the name of a village in Norway. In the context of the song, it serves as a surreal, purgatorial setting where the ritual of death and transition takes place.

Is the song Blackstar about David Bowie's death?

Yes, retrospectively, the song is widely viewed as Bowie's artistic confrontation with his own mortality. Released just two days before his death from liver cancer, the lyrics describe an execution, a spirit rising, and a successor taking one's place, all of which mirror his preparation for the end of his life and his legacy.

Who plays the saxophone on Blackstar?

The distinctive saxophone parts on '★' and the rest of the album were played by Donny McCaslin. Bowie hired the Donny McCaslin Quartet, a New York-based jazz ensemble, to serve as the backing band for the album, blending their jazz roots with Bowie's art-rock vision.

Why is the song called Blackstar?

The title 'Blackstar' (★) has multiple interpretations. It may refer to a type of cancer lesion, a 'hidden' star in astrophysics, or an occult symbol. It is also thought to reference the Elvis Presley song 'Black Star,' which is about death. Ultimately, it represents Bowie redefining himself one last time—not as a pop star, but as something darker and eternal.

What happens in the Blackstar music video?

The music video, directed by Johan Renck, features surreal imagery including a woman with a tail discovering a dead astronaut (often interpreted as Major Tom), a jeweled skull, scarecrows resembling the crucifixion, and Bowie holding a book with a black star on it. The imagery reinforces themes of death, occultism, and the cyclicity of time.