British musician David Bowie will release a new album titled "Blackstar" on his 69th birthday, and the single of the same name is due out next month, the artist said Monday.

"Blackstar" will be launched on January 8, 2016, and the single is expected on November 20, a message posted on Bowie's website said.

The new album follows 2013's "The Next Day", one of more than 20 albums Bowie has released over a career spanning more than four decades.

A pioneer of glam rock, Bowie has long pursued interests in art and theatre and, at age 68, has recently announced a series of new projects.

Last month Bowie revealed he had written a song for an upcoming French-British crime series, in the rock icon's first foray into television music in two decades.

He also penned the music for "Lazarus," a play that premieres in New York in November that is inspired by the science fiction novel "The Man Who Fell to Earth."
Source: AFP