When we lost David Bowie earlier this year, we lost one of the most mysterious and enigmatic entertainers of the 20th and 21st centuries. When he released his final album Blackstar just days before his death, there was no way to know at the time that it would double as the artist’s intended final statement. But that’s just how Ziggy rolled. It was only after he passed that we learned that songs on the album were all about Bowie working through the acceptance of his own mortality.
But it wasn’t just the songs on Blackstar that held hidden meanings, it turns out the album’s art did too. According to the folks at Spin magazine, it was discovered by fans back in May that the album’s art held a bit of a surprise: If one exposed the record’s gatefold sleeve to the light, it showed you an image of a galaxy. But is that the only surprise left for fans to discover on Blackstar? As the record’s graphic designer Jonathan Barnbrook admitted during an interview with BBC Radio 6, there are more secrets yet to be revealed.“There’s actually a few other things as well,” Barnbrook said. “Actually, there’s one big thing which people haven’t discovered yet on the album. Let’s just say, if people find it, they find it, and if they don’t, they don’t. And remember what Bowie said about not explaining everything.”
Some fans already think they’ve discovered the secrets of Blackstar. One fan has figured out that when light is reflected off the side of the vinyl at certain angles, it casts the image of a star against the wall. Another fan says that the vinyl’s slipcase makes use of a font called Terminal, maybe a reference to Bowie’s cancer diagnosis. That one sounds a bit farfetched to me, and just a tad too negative for Bowie, but anything is possible. But maybe Blackstar is holding secrets that won’t be discovered yet for years.
Any Bowie fans out there that think they’ve discovered any secrets in the art from Blackstar? If so, let us know down below in the comments.
Image: RCA Records
