Morrissey signs with Sire Records: the lost album “Bonfire Of Teenagers” can now be released

After years of announcements, denials and clashes with labels, Morrissey may finally be close to untangling one of the most convoluted record-label sagas of his recent career. An update posted today, Friday 19 December, on the English artist's official website reports that he has signed a new deal with Sire Records. The post itself is bare bones: just the label's logo, with no statement or explanation attached. A minimal detail, but enough to reignite fans' hopes, as they've long been waiting for the release of "Bonfire Of Teenagers", the album that was finished but never put out.

The saga has dragged on since December 2022, when Morrissey announced he had "voluntarily" severed all ties with Capitol Records. The decision came as a surprise, given that just two months earlier the same artist had named that very label as the record's official home. Around the same time, Morrissey also revealed that Miley Cyrus had asked for her vocal parts to be removed from the track "I Am Veronica", recorded back in 2020.

The splits with Capitol and with Cyrus played out against a backdrop already heavily tainted by controversy over the singer's political stances, in particular his support for the British far-right party For Britain, whose badge he wore during a television appearance in 2019. The episode fuelled heated debate and even led Johnny Marr to state that such positions "have cast a shadow over the Smiths".

Morrissey has always rejected the label of far-right artist. Last summer he returned to the "Bonfire Of Teenagers" saga with a lengthy statement posted on his website, accusing Capitol Records of "fascism" and of fostering an increasingly widespread "culture of censorship". On that occasion he claimed he had come to believe the label wanted to release the album "with the sole intent of sabotaging it". At present there is no official confirmation of the terms of any deal with Sire Records, nor of a release date for the album. Still, after years of deadlock, the mere appearance of a logo is a concrete signal. If nothing else, it suggests the "Bonfire Of Teenagers" chapter may not be definitively closed.

“Bonfire Of Teenagers” is also expected to feature guests such as Chad Smith and Flea of Red Hot Chili Peppers, as well as Iggy Pop. Speaking last year about the album's troubled gestation, Morrissey said: “It's been quite traumatic and sad, because when you record something you want it to be available right away, and this felt very timely. To me it was something very personal, and the fact that it hasn't been released has been torture.”

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