10 Best Rock Music Album Covers Of The 2010s
3. The Next Day - David Bowie
In 2013, musical legend and laughing gnome enthusiast David Bowie released what would be his penultimate studio album.
Three years before the singer succumbed to cancer, he put out The Next Day, his first record in a decade. In fact, Bowie had been out of the public eye altogether ever since undergoing surgery in 2004, so this was his comeback in more ways than one.
Critics absolutely loved The Next Day, saying it was some of Bowie's best work in a long time. But wait, he hadn't put anything out in ten years? Of course it was going to be his best in a long time!
Anyway, let's talk about the artwork.
Fans of Bowie's will recognise the shot of him from the cover of 1977's Heroes. Only this time, there's a big white square over his face with the name of the album written on it.
Artist Jonathan Barnbrook wanted this image to evoke Bowie's past whilst also hinting at a new era for the star, hence the album's title. He did this and then some, creating something new from something old and adding to the overall experience of the album with a single picture.