New Bowie song makes UK top 10

David Bowie's first new song in a decade, 'Where Are We Now?', has reached the Top 10 in this week's UK singles chart, coming in at number six.

Earlier in the week, David Bowie, on his 66th birthday, issued his first new song in ten years. The single 'Where are we now?' comes ahead of a new album planned for March 2013. The new album will be called 'The Next Day'. The new track was recorded in New York and produced by the singer's long-time collaborator Tony Visconti. Bowie and Visconti produced a critically-acclaimed trilogy of albums - 'Low', 'Heroes' and 'Lodger' - in the 1970s. The new track was put on sale in the iTunes store in 119 countries and a video preview posted on his website. The video was directed by New York artist Tony Oursler. Bowie's new song has generally received high critical acclaim. For example, The Guardian described Bowie's voice as "gorgeously fragile – not the fragility of someone nearing 70 who's lost their vocal power, but the fragility of someone who wants to communicate an aching wistfulness." Similarly, the Daily Telegraph said: "Lush, stately, beautifully strange, weaving resonant piano chords, decaying synths and echoing drums around a simple chord progression and a weary, tenderly understated, quietly defiant vocal." According to the BBC, the song has reached number six in the UK chart, selling 30,000 copies. In contrast to Bowie's measured work, 'Scream and Shout', will.i.am's collaboration with Britney Spears, is the number one track this week. The new single is Bowie's highest placed single since 'Let's Dance' in 1983 and his first single to enter the top 10 for two decades, (since 'Absolute Beginners' in 1986).