Toy (David Bowie album)

Toy is an unreleased studio album by David Bowie, recorded in 2000 and 2001. It was intended to be released in 2001, but was ultimately shelved by Virgin Records. The album features re-recordings of lesser-known Bowie songs from the 1960s, primarily from his early Deram Records period, as well as a few new compositions.

The album's creation was spurred by Bowie's performance of "Karma Man" at a BBC Radio Theatre concert in June 2000, which led to the idea of revisiting and updating some of his older material. The sessions involved Bowie's then-current band, including guitarist Earl Slick, drummer Sterling Campbell, and bassist Gail Ann Dorsey. Production was handled by Bowie and Mark Plati.

Despite being unreleased for many years, snippets and tracks from Toy leaked online, giving fans a glimpse into the project. The album eventually received an official release in November 2021 as part of the David Bowie 5. Brilliant Adventure (1995-2001) box set, and was later released as a standalone album in January 2022. The released version is considered a document of Bowie's artistic process during that period, highlighting his desire to revisit his past and recontextualize his earlier work within a more contemporary sound.