Three years ago, Morrissey and his former record label, Capitol, decided to part ways. Capitol was seemingly never going to release a finished Moz album called Bonfire of Teenagers, an album that featured Iggy Pop, as well as Red Hot Chili Peppers' Chad Smith and Flea. Perhaps Morrissey's politics got in the way.
Or maybe not. While Morrissey disputed being a Far Right supporter, and that was rumored to have caused the split with his former label, he has denied that. Anyone who has followed the singer since the 1980s knows that not everything is really as it appears. One story is contrasted with another, and it becomes a matter of who one believes.
What really matters is that Morrissey has consistently produced good music, though there have been periods of time when he has not released any. He hasn't produced a new album since 2020's I am Not a Dog on a Chain, for instance. This might be his fault, or maybe the fault of Capitol. We will find out the truth soon because Capitol is no longer involved, but apparently, Sire Records is.
Morrissey appears to have found a new home to release his music
The iconic singer had a rather cryptic post on his Instagram page recently, which showed an image of the Sire logo. No words were involved, and certainly no official announcement that he had signed with the label that has released music by Depeche Mode and Morrissey's former band, the Smiths.
Rolling Stone reported that Morrissey had signed, but even that was unclear. Did they have intel, or were they simply going by Morrissey's post?
Ultimately, this could be good news for Morrissey's devotees. Even while some of his fans might not align with his rumored political views, his lyrics have always resonated with those who feel alone and lonely. He uplifts through redemptive sadness. It is a unique talent from a unique talent.
The singer has said he has two fully finished records ready to release. One is the aforementioned one with Iggy Pop and Flea, and the other is called You're Right, It's Time. Some of these tunes have been played live, and, for the record, Morrissey remains a vibrant force in concert unless he is forced to cancel for health reasons or alleged death threats.
Of course, the dream would be that he and former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr manage to work out their differences and create new Smiths music. But the world simply isn't that lucky.