Morrissey has parted ways with another label as Miley Cyrus wants to remove her from his new album

Since May 2021, Morrissey has been planning to release a new album, Teenage firewhich is a follow-up to 2020 I am not a dog on a chain. After being offered the album to the “highest bidder”, it was announced that the album would be released in February 2023 via Capitol Records. It now appears that Capitol has parted ways with Morrissey, which the beleaguered artist shared in a news post on their website yesterday: “Morrissey has voluntarily parted ways with Maverick/Quest Management. Morrissey has also voluntarily withdrawn from any affiliation with Capitol Records (Los Angeles).”

Today (December 24), Morrissey announced something else: Miley Cyrus, who was a planned guest star on the album, is removing herself from the project, too. “Miley Cyrus now wants to remove the song ‘I’m Veronica’ for which she volunteered as backing vocals nearly two years ago,” the post read. This comes at a time when Morrissey has distanced himself from Capitol Records (Los Angeles), which controls the hidden album Bonfire of Teenagers.

Morrissey’s last album I am not a dog on a chain came out on BMG. They dropped it later that year, a move Morrissey blamed on the brand’s “new plans for ‘diversity’.”

In May 2021, Morrissey announced the aforementioned new album Teenage fire With the caveat that it does not have a label to release it. Here is the text from that post:

Morrissey’s new album, blessing of teenagerswas completed in
Angels.

The worst year of my life ends with my best album
life.” – Morrissey.

The eleven tracks are:

1 I’m Veronica
2 rebels without applause
3 Kerack Fault
4 Ha Ha Harlem
5 I live in confinement
6 blessing of teenagers
7 my funeral
8 Diana Dors
9 I love you ex
10 sure, phone rings
11 Saint in a stained-glass window

Morrissey is not signed. album available higher (or lower)
renderer.

About that time a writer’s telegraph He claimed, “No record company is going to touch Morrissey—and that’s the music industry’s loss.”

Then, in February of this year, Morrissey posted a photo of himself with Miley “laid back” in what looked like a recording studio.

Cut to May when Morrissey debuted the song “I’m Veronica” in Phoenix. Some fans have said they’ve heard Miley Cyrus’ background vocals, though it’s hard to tell.

At a July performance in Las Vegas, you can better hear the backing vocals:

That takes us to October 29, 2022, when Morrissey said, in a since-deleted post, that he signed with Capitol for a release. Mashalis now set for February 2023. He also said the record will feature Miley Cyrus, Iggy Pop, Jesse Tobias, Andrew Watt, Josh Klinghoffer, Chad Smith, and Flea.

Morrissey’s “Bonfire of Teenagers” will be released by Capitol Records (Los Angeles) in February 2023. The album will be released worldwide except in the UK, where there is no label deal. Bonfire of Teenagers was produced by Grammy producer Andrew Watt, and recorded in Los Angeles. The musicians on the album are Jesse Tobias, Andrew Watt, Josh Klinghoffer (ex-Chili Peppers), Chad Smith and Fla (both of the Chili Peppers). The album features Miley Cyrus and Iggy Pop on additional vocals. The eleven tracks are: I’m Veronica, Rebels Without Applause, Crack Kerouac, Ha Ha Harlem, I Live in Oblivion, Teenage Fire, My Funeral, Diana Dors, I Love You Ex, Sure Enough Phone Rings, The Saint in the Stained Glass Window. Album art designed by Liam Lynch. Capitol Records (Los Angeles) has also licensed the rights to reissues of Morrissey’s albums ‘Southpaw Grammar’, ‘You Are The Quarry’, ‘Ringleader of the Tormentors’, ‘Years of Refusal’ and ‘World Peace is None Your Deeds’ and these will be available in deluxe vinyl/LP formats. As with “Bonfire of Teenagers”, the albums will be released worldwide except the UK until they enter the UK label. Morrissey runs Maverick/Quest in Los Angeles.

On October 30, a promotional clip for “Veronica” appeared online, and it appeared to feature Cyrus.

A few weeks later, Morrissey ended his Los Angeles show after a half-hour without explanation, although some attendees reported that the singer was complaining about the cold weather. Two days later, Morrissey announced that his album would not be released in February, writing on his website: “Its fate is exclusively in the hands of Capitol Records.”

“Bonfire of Teenagers” is no longer scheduled for release in February, as reported by this site. Her fate is exclusively in the hands of Capitol Records (Los Angeles.)

The next few weeks featured a series of updates. On November 25, the album’s first single, “Rebels Without Applause”, was released. But a few days earlier, Morrissey had canceled five shows, citing “band sickness”.

Most recently, on December 22, Morrissey posted a quote of himself bemoaning the “absence of any promotion” for the album.

“It was just so sad. No notable promotion. It’s devastating how no one can get this right. But they can’t, or they don’t. Radio stations, as far as I know, will play anything they’re asked to.” But as I always said, true artists should always look after themselves while non-artists are encouraged and progress beyond reason. When you’re walking in a storm, hold your head up high…as the song goes!”

Which brings us to yesterday, where Morrissey announced that he had “voluntarily parted ways with the company” along with his management (Quest/Maverick) and his label (Capitol):

Morrissey voluntarily parted company with Maverick/Quest Management. Morrissey has also voluntarily withdrawn from any association with Capitol Records (Los Angeles).

In response to a Morrissey fan on Twitter who asked, “If Capitol Records fail to promote Morrissey’s album because they believe all the lies written about it, why did they license [sic] In the First Place?, Scott Rodger of Maverick/Quest replies: “Morrissey’s album was set to be released on February 23rd. It would be released but Morrissey himself announced on his blog that the album ‘featured’ another artist who did not want to be credited, and thus blocked the artist’s label. Ver. Has nothing to do with Capitol.”

“Scott, that doesn’t feel right,” the fan replied. “How can an album be ‘banned’ while still being released – what is it? And why didn’t Capitol (and Maverick) negotiate and fight your client’s angle against this other label? Why can’t this one track be left off? Things just don’t add up.”

Rodger responded, “The artist who provided backing vocals is going to be taken off and replaced. That takes some time especially when you get to Christmas. When you say fight, unfortunately it doesn’t work that way. The other label, Columbia, legally banned it. It’s within their rights to do that.”

This month, Cyrus has been teasing her new age in billboards that have been spotted all over the world.

At this point, it’s probably safe to say Morrissey won’t be joining it Miley’s New Year’s Eve party on NBC next weekend.

Stereogum has reached out to Columbia for comment.