BLACKSTAR is a multidisciplinary team with diverse skillsets - with work spanning across artwork design, video editing, animation, AR filters, creative direction, photo editing, content capture and much more. Their range of services is designed to be both innovative and flexible to best suit the needs of the project.
Ultimately they pride themselves on authenticity and providing the best quality for asset creation.
Their clients include but are not limited to: Sony Music, Parlophone, Universal Music, Polydor, Island Records, AWAL, BMG, EMI, Cooking Vinyl, Virgin Records, Decca and many more!
Our recent chat with BLACKSTAR discusses their favourite campaigns and talks about the overlaps between visual creativity and music.
IM LOVING
Rosalia, each album has a very strong aesthetic and visual language that encapsulates the music of that project perfectly; we also can’t deny the impact Motomami has had since it’s release influencing the new wave of motocross fashion now being seen everywhere. As an artist, she seems to have a very strong input and direction of where she wants to go and how she wants to present herself.
FAVOURITE VIDEO
Ariana Grande - In my head
Although this is not an official music video and a digital cover for Vogue, the director of this video has worked on other MV's but this one stands out to me for it’s simplicity in terms of set and styling and relying in iconography that reminds everyone of Ariana so focusing on the boots, ponytail etc… but what is genius about this video is the editing , which in my opinion takes this video to another heigh - the editing mixed with the sond and with added sound design just make this video so good encapsulating the song while having humour.
BEST ARTWORK
FKA Twigs - LP1
FKA is an artist that is not afraid of using her imagery and distorting, she’s very much an artist through an through without the ego she allows her art to do all the speaking and the cover for LP1 is so simple yet absolutely breathtaking, the bright colours in the makeup resembling a bruise, with an image of FKA where she looks very doll like - every visual created for this project is just incredible.
RECENT CAMPAIGN
Louis Tomlinson and his album launch have been an ongoing project since the summer of last year. During this time we have created a number of assets across TikTok and Instagram for Louis Tomlinson HQ and have thoroughly enjoyed being part of the campaign and being able to deliver consistency throughout the visuals. We were delighted to also create promotional assets in the lead up to the ‘All Of The Voices’ documentary
HOTTEST RECENT VIDEO
Duda Beat - Tocar Você
The MV is just incredebly fun, referencing old horror movies the video is fast paced showcasing different settings - it’s one of those videos that each time you look at it you notice something different. It’s fun, camp, it doesen’t take itself too serious and it’s just a joy to watch - a nod to the past but with a very modern take to it.
LOGO LOVE
New Jeans - they are a recent girl group from Korea that has a really fun logo that encapsulates Gen Z really well. I think working on something so current that needs to reflect the new wave in music would be a fun challenge to be a part of.
GO FOLLOW
We love how the time has been taken to generate creativity into this page. The use of the three rows is magical with the references to film, fantasy and digital art. It makes the page more than a go to for information, it turns it into a source of inspiration.
ICONIC PHOTO
Anything from Madonna erotica album photo book - all the photos from that book are incredibly iconic but there are 2 that sad out to me, the one where she’s naked smoking a cigarette, calling for a taxi is just one of the most iconic music photographs there is, it’s such a controversial imagery but everything about it is so stunning, there’s a vulnerability and an immense power in that image - photographed by Steven Meisel.
And the second image is the one where she’s hanging naked from a rig over the ocean which has recently been referenced by Miley Cyrus for her upcoming album.
