Today, January 8, 2016, would have been David Bowie‘s 70th birthday. To honor the legacy of the iconic artist, Columbia Records has released No Plan, a four-track EP and accompanying video featuring David Bowie’s final works. Three of the collection’s tracks were previously unreleased tracks, which are emblematic of the Starman’s five-decade long musical career. The fourth track, “Lazarus,” is taken from the Broadway musical Lazarus, produced by Bowie and Edna Walsh. “Lazarus” notably appeared on Bowie’s final album, Blackstar, released shortly before his death in January 2016. In No Plan, existential lyrics from Bowie’s final works are expressive of a man confronted with his own mortality, and as the BBC reports, he was aware of his impending death for over a year before it happened.
Opening the EP, “Lazarus” begins with the uncannily prescient lyrics, “Look up here, I’m in heaven,” which, in this context, seem to be an eerie call from beyond the grave. The EP’s second track, the titular “No Plan,” reminds listeners of Bowie’s capricious character, yet maintains a cosmic melancholy reminiscent of “Space Oddity.” The penultimate track, “Killing a Little Time” tells of Bowie’s complicated vindictive nature – evoking similar sentiments to his 1974 hit, “Rebel Rebel”. The EP closes with “When I Met You,” which captures the dichotomy of love and loss, and is redolent of Bowie’s Brian Eno-produced ballad, “Heroes.” The emotional and stylistic rollercoaster of No Plan reminds fans of the prolific and undeniably pervasive impact that David Bowie had on the formation of dance music culture.
Stream the EP and watch the music video for “No Plan” below: