For years, music fans had presumed that David Bowie had retired from recording and touring, but the iconic singer/songwriter continues to surprise.  With very little warning, he announced a new single and album — his first in a decade — in the wee hours of January 8 (his birthday).  

His new single, “Where Are We Now?” is now available in the iTunes store, and his next album, The Next Day, is available for pre-order. Watch the video for “Where Are We Now?” at Bowie’s website. 

The Next Day was produced by Bowie’s long-time collaborator, Tony Visconti, who has worked on a number of Bowie albums, including 1969′s Space Oddity, 1970′s The Man Who Sold The World, 1975′s Young Americans, 1977′s Low, 1977′s “Heroes,” 1979′s Lodger, 1980′s Scary Monsters, 2002′s Heathen, and Bowie’s most recent album, 2003′s Reality, as well as albums by Paul McCartney, Badfinger, T. Rex and Iggy Pop. 

Over the past decade, Bowie has been something of a recluse, which is referenced in the press release announcing the album: “In recent years radio silence has been broken only by endless speculation, rumor and wishful thinking ….a new record…who would have ever thought it, who’d have ever dreamed it! After all David is the kind of artist who writes and performs what he wants when he wants…when he has something to say as opposed to something to sell. Today he definitely has something to say.”  

– Brian Ives, Radio.com