David Bowie will release his 25th album, ★ (which is pronounced Blackstar), on Jan. 8, the day he turns 69. But he's just released the first single from the album, which is also called "★." In addition to the song, Bowie unveiled a 10-minute short film directed by Johan Reneck.

You can watch the video, and get your first listen to the new LP, above.

From the sound of things, Bowie is in experimental mode again. When word leaked a while back that the album would be a wild listen, some fans were worried just how out there he would go with the new music. Longtime producer Tony Visconti assured folks that Bowie's last album, 2013's “The Next Day started out trying to do something new, but something old kept creeping in. Not this album.”

"★" sorta picks up where last year's single "Sue (Or in a Season of Crime)" left off, at least musically, with tricky (and kinda jazz) drum patterns mingling with some squawking saxophones and, in the song's second half, underground pop sounds. It's a bit jarring, but not nearly as much as the video, which features a blindfolded Bowie shimmying among a very haunting landscape that's being surveyed by a long-tailed woman carrying a jewel-encrusted skull. (He eventually ends up in an attic, but we don't want to spoil anything.)

We're not sure how this all figures into ★ the album, but he's certainly got our attention with this epic new song.

The album is available for pre-order now in CD, digital audio and vinyl forms. A limited-edition clear vinyl version is also available, as well as a deluxe edition featuring exclusive lithograph artwork. You can watch a video about the vinyl below.

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