Hear David Bowie’s Cathartic New Song ‘When I Met You’

One of David Bowie’s final studio recordings, the cathartic “When I Met You,” premiered on the BBC Tuesday.

One of David Bowie‘s last recorded songs, the dusty stomper “When I Met You,” premiered on BBC 6 Music Tuesday. The song is available to stream on the BBC website and can be heard at the 51-minute mark.

“When I Met You” opens with a classically spaced-out swirl of synths and drum patter before slowly transforming into a deceptively sunny pop tune propelled by the interplay of simple acoustic strumming and shimmering electric guitar lines.

Bowie primarily sings in a straightforward baritone croon throughout the song. But during the chorus, he mixes his lead vocals with pleading background chants, which tighten amidst cymbal crashes and sweeping strings and eventually unravel into the singular refrain, “Now It’s all the same, it’s all the same/ The sun is gone, it’s all the same.”

“When I Met You” is one of three songs ”” along with “No Plan” and “Killing a Little Time” ”” that Bowie wrote for his musical Lazarus, but also recorded with longtime producer Tony Visconti and the same band that worked on his final album, Blackstar. Those tracks tracks, plus Blackstar cut“Lazarus,” will appear on disc two of the upcoming Lazarus Cast Album. According to Pitchfork, “No Plan” is also set to appear online today, October 18th.

Bowie released Blackstar in January, just days before his death. The Lazarus Cast Album will be released as a 2-CD or 3-LP set on October 21st.

David Bowie’s final studio recordings will feature on the ‘Lazarus Cast Album.’