Morrissey is on the look-out for a new label. Again. That's according to Morrissey, who announced yesterday that he's been dropped by most recent label partner BMG. Or, at least, the company is not looking to renew its deal with the musician.
A post on morrisseycentral.com claims that a "new executive" at BMG has decided that the company doesn't want to be involved in another Morrissey record, it having worked on three of his albums since 2017.
Working with Morrissey in any capacity, of course, always comes with the added "what the fuck is he going to say next?" challenge. Which is a double level challenge. There's the "do we have to respond to that?" element of the challenge. And the "will anyone play his records now he's said that?" element of the challenge. Fun times. So, big question: who's up for it now?
Because, as the post on morrisseycentral.com states: "Morrissey is once again in search of a new label willing to release his music".
"My three albums with BMG have been the best of my career and I stand by them till death", Morrissey himself adds. "Recording them has been a pivotal period in my life, and I thank the previous BMG team and everyone involved for that. It's still important to me to do music my own way, and I wouldn't want to be on a label that dictates so specifically how their artists should behave - especially when the word 'talent' is notably never mentioned".
As for having to look for a new label partner, he goes on: "This news is perfectly in keeping with the relentless galvanic horror of 2020. We would be critically insane to expect anything positive".
BMG itself has also confirmed the news. It said in a statement: "BMG has released three exceptional top ten albums from Morrissey over the past three years, including some of the best work of his career. That three album deal has now come to an end. We wish him well in the next chapter of his career. BMG continues to represent much of Morrissey's catalogue and are working with his team to ensure it gets the attention it deserves".