Morrissey's long threatened fourteenth solo album finally has a release date

The 12-track record reunites the former Smith with producer Joe Chiccarelli (The Strokes, The White Strips, Weezer, My Morning Jacket) and was recorded in Studio La Fabrique in the Saint-Rémy-de-Provence region of Southern France. The album's title track – co-written by keyboardist Camila Grey – is also released today.

The tracklist for Make-up is a Lie includes some song titles previously referenced by Morrissey and others never before revealed, as well as a cover of Roxy Music’s 1973 deep cut “Amazona”. There appears to be no songs from Morrissey's originally planned fourteenth album, the Andrew Watt-produced Bonfire of Teenagers, which contained collaborations with Iggy Pop, Red Hot Chili Peppers' Chad Smith and Flea, as well as ex-Chilis' guitarist Josh Klinghoffer.

Morrissey returned to his former label home of Sire/Warner Records after years in the wilderness, claiming nobody would release Bonfire of Teenagers because of free-speech being "criminalised". The album's title track is said to be about the 2017 Manchester Arena bombings, which he described as "England's 9/11".

Performing at Newark's New Jersey Performing Arts Center in November 2024, he told the crowd: "As you know, nobody will release my music anymore. As you know because I'm a chief exponent of free speech. In England at least, it's now criminalised. You cannot speak freely in England. If you don't believe me, go there. Express an opinion, you'll be sent to prison. It's very, very difficult."

Following Morrissey's initial announcement in February 2023 that Capitol would not release the album, he went on to accuse the label of promoting satanism with Sam Smith who had performed their song "Unholy" with Kim Petras at the BRIT Awards a few days earlier. Speaking with Fox in October 2023, he revealed that Capitol had made an offer to sell the album back to him, and the following April claimed he had paid them for the rights to the album but that every major label in London had passed on releasing it.

Miley Cyrus had recorded backing vocals for the song "I Am Veronica" but following his departure from Capitol Records in December 2022, Morrissey claimed she had requested to have them removed from the song: "[she] backed off for reasons unconnected to me [due to] a major clash with a key figure in 'the circle'," he said at the time.

Morrissey's next UK show will be at the O2 London Arena on 28 February. Make-up is a Lie will be released on vinyl album variants including blue vinyl and a Zoetrope picture disc, with a red vinyl pressing exclusively through all independent retail stores.

MAKE-UP IS A LIE tracklisting

1. “You’re Right, It’s Time”
2. “Make-up is a Lie”
3. “Notre-Dame”
4. “Amazona” (Roxy Music cover)
5. “Headache”
6. “Boulevard”
7. “Zoom Zoom the Little Boy”
8. “The Night Pop Dropped”
9. “Kerching Kerching”
10. “Lester Bangs”
11. “Many Icebergs Ago”
12. “The Monsters of Pig Alley”