{"id":455264,"date":"2026-03-03T12:02:11","date_gmt":"2026-03-03T12:02:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/455264\/"},"modified":"2026-03-03T12:02:11","modified_gmt":"2026-03-03T12:02:11","slug":"morrisseys-last-ditch-attempt-to-rescue-his-reputation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/455264\/","title":{"rendered":"Morrissey’s last-ditch attempt to rescue his reputation"},"content":{"rendered":"

It is a tough thing to be a Morrissey<\/a> fan these days. \u201cPeople will judge you,\u201d says George Allen, co-host of the Morrissey and Wine podcast. \u201cI remember my boss at work found out and he was like, \u2018I find it really hard to believe, because some of the things that Morrissey says, that\u2019s not you.\u2019 And of course, I don\u2019t think those things. But it does present problems in the real world.\u201d Allen says his podcast gets good listening figures. But they haven\u2019t yet managed to attract a sponsor. \u201cAnd I think that\u2019s because of the Morrissey thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Newly signed to Sire\/Warner, the former Smiths frontman is on the comeback trail with his first album in six years, Make-up is a Lie. And yet \u201cthe Morrissey thing\u201d \u2013 the former Smiths frontman\u2019s well-earned toxic reputation \u2013 persists. But to what extent?<\/p>\n

Cards on the table: I am a lapsed Moz fanatic, a veteran of 24 gigs who could recite the lyrics to the obscurest solo B-side. His music and beautiful, poetic, lyrics are part of who I am. With The Smiths in the 80s, Morrissey became the voice of outsiderdom, a lifeline for the lonely and misunderstood. He championed issues \u2013 vegetarianism<\/a>, anti-monarchism<\/a>, anti-Thatcherism<\/a> \u2013 that struck a chord; The Smiths appeared at Red Wedge in 1986, a socialist, Labour Party-supporting tour organised by Paul Weller and Billy Bragg.<\/p>\n

\"\"Morrissey is newly signed to Sire\/Warner<\/p>\n

But since the 90s, he has often been accused of flirting with far-right ideology and imagery, both in song (\u201cAsian Rut\u201d, \u201cThe National Front Disco\u201d) and on-stage, infamously by wrapping himself in the Union Jack at a Madness concert<\/a> in 1992. His comments on race and immigration in interviews were often ambiguous. Take his comment onstage at The O2 last weekend: before singing national pride anthem \u201cIrish Blood, English Heart\u201d he claimed to care about the \u201csafety of all communities. But right now I\u2019m most concerned about my own community\u201d. As an exercise in plausible deniability, it takes some beating.<\/p>\n

But his 2018 support for far-right party For Britain and expressions of sympathy for Tommy Robinson<\/a> were shocking, his disdain towards the victims of Harvey Weinstein<\/a> unfathomable. I could go on.<\/p>\n

Morrissey has always denied accusations of racism or supporting fascism. But I couldn\u2019t reconcile this with the man who wrote about life\u2019s outsiders with such pathos and humour. It felt \u2013 feels \u2013 like a heartbreaking betrayal.<\/p>\n

Many feel the same, including Johnny Marr, who has made clear his political opposition, and in 2024 rejected a $25m (\u00a318.6m) offer from AEG for The Smiths to reform (a reunion Morrissey said yes to and was seemingly desperate for) due to what he later called \u201cbad vibes\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"ROYALThe Smiths in 1985. They continue to accrue young fans, proving popular on TikTok (Photo: Ross Marino\/Getty)<\/p>\n

Many others differ, either agreeing with Morrissey, not caring, or willing to separate art from the artist. Allen \u2013 whose podcast involves informative, informal chat about all things Morrissey past and present while enjoying \u201cmedium-priced wine\u201d \u2013 admits to moments of doubt. \u201cIt\u2019s probably not very becoming,\u201d he says. \u201cI have moved away from Morrissey a couple of times throughout the last decade. Some of the things that he said required some mental gymnastics to get around. But you don\u2019t have to agree with everything he says to be a fan.\u201d<\/p>\n

To my surprise, I do find myself taking an interest in how Morrissey\u2019s comeback is faring (\u201cI know it\u2019s over, still I cling\u201d\u2026). His current position in British pop is utterly unique. Here is a man once synonymous with left-wing causes now embraced by opponents of those causes; a great wordsmith who has become more famous for the controversial things he\u2019s said than the songs he\u2019s put out; a man who with little favourable recent press and no radio play still has an ardent fan base large enough to fill London\u2019s O2 Arena, like he did last Saturday; an artist who despite everything remains of such fascination that both Manic Street Preachers and Robbie Williams <\/a>have written songs about him in the past 12 months.<\/p>\n

The Manics\u2019 \u201cDear Stephen\u201d (an alternative spelling of Morrissey\u2019s first name, Steven) is a futile plea for \u201cmy secret hidden love\u201d to reject his belief system and \u201ccome back to us\u201d; Williams\u2019 \u201cMorrissey\u201d is a homoerotic paean that ignores the past 35 years to sing about the effect Morrissey had on the young Robbie. Heard back-to-back, they basically cover the two ends of Morrissey fandom.<\/p>\n

Culturally and politically, you could argue it is a good time for Morrissey to re-enter the fray. The Smiths continue to accrue young fans, proving popular on TikTok. And some of Morrissey\u2019s past rhetoric \u2013 especially on immigration and free speech \u2013 is now very much central to mainstream political discourse. \u201cWhat I will say about Morrissey is that he is often quite far ahead of the zeitgeist, the cultural mood,\u201d Allen says. \u201cIn a lot of instances, you can look back and see things he said in interviews, but 10 or 20 years later, become common things that people think. You often find that a lot of people end up agreeing with him in the end.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"UNITEDJohnny Marr turned down a Smiths reunion (Photo: Pete Cronin\/Redferns)<\/p>\n

Inevitably, in the culture wars, Morrissey is a new-found martyr on the right of politics, seen as standing up to the woke left: unthinkable when Morrissey said in 1984 that \u201cthe sorrow of the IRA Brighton bombing is that [Margaret] Thatcher escaped unscathed\u201d. <\/p>\n

\u201cMorrissey is accruing political currency on the right wing,\u201d Allen says. In October, Fox News of all places ran an article titled \u201cMorrissey might be the last British person you will ever know\u201d. Reform UK<\/a> even invited Morrissey to its party conference last year; Morrissey declined stating he was \u201capolitical\u201d but thanked them for their interest. \u201cIt\u2019s not a good look, even just on a brand level,\u201d Allen says. \u201cBut it is a very popular political party that is representing a large chunk of the mainstream. So I suppose it shows that he has cultural value and currency.\u201d<\/p>\n

But it isn\u2019t clear that the right\u2019s embrace of Morrissey has won him many new listeners. The campaign for Make-up is a Lie has thus far had a muted response. Morrissey\u2019s last major comeback in 2004 was big news: after a gap of seven years, he released the album You Are the Quarry to critical acclaim and commercial success, buoyed by two classic Morrissey singles \u201cIrish Blood, English Heart\u201d and \u201cFirst of the Gang to Die\u201d. He was everywhere: Top of the Pops, Glastonbury<\/a>, Jools Holland, Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, Radio 2, CD:UK. Even 2017\u2019s Low in High School was launched with a live gig for 6Music.<\/p>\n

There has been nothing like the same level of profile or attention (could you imagine him on Graham Norton?) this time around. Allen says the campaign \u201cfeels a bit stunted\u201d, even with the attempts at modernity by posting on TikTok and Instagram. \u201cHe\u2019s in his influencer era,\u201d Allen says. But the album\u2019s first two singles \u201cMake-up is a Lie\u201d and \u201cNotre-Dame\u201d have received virtually no major radio play in the UK, and have not yet reached one million streams on Spotify <\/a>between them, perhaps an indicator of their lack of wider appeal. In a post on his Morrissey Central website after The O2, Morrissey bemoaned \u201cthe usual Iron Curtain blackout\u201d of his music in \u201csoviet England\u201d \u2013 victimhood turned to 11.<\/p>\n

\"BritishMorrissey performs in 2025. The campaign for his new album has thus far had a muted response (Photo: Marilla Sicilia\/Mondadori Portfolio\/Getty)<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not getting that same sense of hype this time with this album,\u201d says Allen. \u201cAnd I think it\u2019s particularly noticeable that none of my non-Morrissey friends have said to me, \u2018Oh, I\u2019ve heard that Morrissey has got a new album out.\u2019 It seems that the vast majority of the interest is from that existing fan base. I would love it to be a big comeback. I\u2019m not getting that vibe right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

But like anything else, the supposed sins of the artist can \u2013 and often are \u2013 put aside if the music is good enough. In truth, Morrissey has made it easier for people to get off the train because for years now, his output hasn\u2019t been anywhere near his exalted standards: sub-par songs increasingly filtered through a worldview many find objectionable. <\/p>\n

His track \u201cBonfire of Teenagers\u201d crassly takes aim at the public show of solidarity after the 2017 terrorist attack on Ariana Grande\u2019s concert at Manchester Arena<\/a>, which killed 22 people, coming to the bizarre conclusion people wanted to \u201cgo easy on the killer\u201d. It remains unreleased \u2013 Capital Records refused to put it out \u2013 along with the album of the same name, despite Morrissey buying back the rights to the album after leaving the label in 2022.<\/p>\n

New single \u201cNotre-Dame\u201d has a lyric putting forth the conspiracy theory that the real cause of 2019 Notre-Dame fire<\/a> \u2013 officially declared as either a cigarette or electrical circuit \u2013 has been covered up. \u201cNotre-Dame, we know who tried to kill you,\u201d he sings, stopping short of what he really wants to say (the recorded version of the track omits the direct mention of terrorism he\u2019d been singing live). As a snapshot of his mindset, it\u2019s indicative. Perhaps radio stations just don\u2019t want to play songs that promote baseless conspiracies.<\/p>\n

\"LONDON,Morrissey\u2019s recent output hasn\u2019t reached the mainstream (Photo: Jim Dyson\/Getty)<\/p>\n

Put it together with \u201cMake-up is a Lie\u201d \u2013 a so-so atmospheric track with a phoned-in chorus \u2013 and a perfunctory take on Roxy Music\u2019s \u201cAmazona\u201d, and there has been little released so far to get floating customers interested. There are actually much better songs on the album, particularly the lovely, wistful \u201cThe Monsters of Pig Alley\u201d and stand-out \u201cMany Icebergs Ago\u201d, a dark ballad that bristles with the old magic. They seem unlikely to win anyone over, but then at this stage he perhaps doesn\u2019t need to.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think what we have to say is that Morrissey would love to be accepted by the mainstream again,\u201d Allen says. \u201cThere\u2019s nothing that would give him greater joy than to have his songs widely played on the radio, going on talk shows. I think he would love that. But he doesn\u2019t need it. He talked about it on stage the other day, saying he didn\u2019t give a f**k about the radio<\/a>. And that indicates to me that Morrissey is perhaps getting comfortable on the fringe of pop.\u201d<\/p>\n

Returning to mainstream acclaim certainly seems unlikely with Make-up is a Lie, barring an unforeseen upturn. But the die-hards like Allen will keep the faith. \u201cI just want to see him part of that conversation again. Yes, he\u2019s controversial and he\u2019s difficult to love, but he is a genius. This isn\u2019t the last chance saloon for Morrissey. Maybe with the next album we\u2019ll see it happen again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018Make-up is a Lie\u2019 is out on Friday<\/p>\n

\t\tYour next read<\/p>\n


\n\t\t\t\"Article <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It is a tough thing to be a Morrissey fan these days. \u201cPeople will judge you,\u201d says George…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":455265,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[3582,6491,96,44785,120728,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-455264","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-celebrities","tag-britpop","tag-celebrities","tag-entertainment","tag-morrissey","tag-music-features","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/455264","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=455264"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/455264\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/455265"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=455264"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=455264"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=455264"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}