David Bowie sets the scene with these words.
“Look up here, I’m in heaven.”
The lyrics are from the song “Lazarus,” off the album "Blackstar" which was released Friday to rave reviews, immediate fan fare and commercial success.
The album, released on his 69th birthday, just two days before his death, includes seven songs. Producer Tony Visconti described the album as Bowie's "parting gift."
>>Read more: Legendary musician David Bowie dies of cancer at 69
“His death was no different from his life -- a work of Art,” Visconti wrote. “He made ‘Blackstar’ for us, his parting gift. I knew for a year this was the way it would be. I wasn’t, however, prepared for it.”
The album is expected to hit the no. 1 spot on both the American and United Kingdom music charts, according to officialcharts.com.
Both the video for Blackstar and "Lazarus" feature macabre motifs and lyrics that, in retrospect, prolifically foreshadowed Bowie's death.
“He was an extraordinary man, full of love and life,” Visconti wrote. “He will always be with us. For now, it is appropriate to cry.”
