Morrissey posts clip of kids mocking music critics for new album

"I don't need to listen to the album; the review is already written"

Morrissey has shared a video of children mocking music critics, in promotion of his forthcoming album ‘Bonfire Of Teenagers’.

The soloist and former The Smiths singer posted a clip of a kid approaching another kid who’s posing as a music journalist.

The scene shows the critic telling the Morrissey fan, “I don’t need to listen to the album; the review is already written,” after the fan encourages him to give it a good evaluation.

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Live footage of Morrissey performing ‘I Am Veronica‘, which is the opening song on his forthcoming album, follows. We see the critic fall under something of a spell, becoming a firm Morrissey fan.

Morrissey’s promotional clip is a nod to his troubled relationship with the press. Three years ago he called out The Guardian for what he claimed was a “hate campaign” against him.

He attracted controversy in 2019, including coming under fire for sporting a For Britain badge during a number of live engagements in the US, most notably during a performance on the chat show The Tonight Starring Jimmy Fallon.

The singer was also condemned by Billy Bragg for his public support of the far-right party, with Bragg branding Morrissey “the Oswald Mosley of pop”.

Morrissey later responded to his “vengeful and paranoid” critics in an online post, writing: “Inventing Britain’s doomsday is the preoccupation of the tabloids, and they can hate you for having lived.”

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Morrissey performing in 2020
Morrissey performing in 2020. Credit: Jo Hale/Redferns

Meanwhile, in 2015 he took aim at critics in another arts discipline: books. The author responded to criticism of his debut novel, describing reviews of List Of The Lost as “an attack against me as a human being”.

NME also made reference to his past controversial behaviour and statements while reviewing his 2019 covers album ‘California Sun’.

“[Morrissey’s] embarked on a mission to alienate the audience that adored him. In 2010, in the context of an attack on China’s animal welfare record, he called Chinese people a ‘sub-species’. His unpalatable announcements began long before this, but they were sporadic and, predating social media, easier to miss (or even quietly ignore).

“In recent years, though, Morrissey has given a series of inflammatory interviews (one published on his own website) and expressed support of For Britain, a political party led by former Ukip candidate Anne-Marie Waters, a politician who is unequivocally anti-Islamic.”

Earlier this week the singer cancelled two imminent dates on his current North American tour – last night’s (November 22) planned show in Salt Lake City and tonight’s (November 23) gig in Denver – citing “band illness”.

“Thank you to the fans for the ongoing love and support while we take a moment to restore and recover,” reads a statement shared online. Ticketholders will be able to receive refunds via their original point of purchase.

He also confirmed this month that his 14th solo album ‘Bonfire of Teenagers’ will no longer released in February 2023.

Morrissey
Morrissey performs at The SSE Arena, Wembley on March 14, 2020 in London, England. (Picture: Jo Hale/Redferns)

The singer shared a message to his official website Morrissey Central on November 14, with the header ‘BONFIRE UNLIT’. The two-sentence statement reads as follows, in its entirety: “‘Bonfire of Teenagers’ is no longer scheduled for a February release, as stated by this site. Its fate is exclusively in the hands of Capitol Records (Los Angeles).”

The album, the follow-up to 2020’s ‘I am Not a Dog on a Chain’, was announced in May 2021, with the singer dubbing it “the best album of [his] life”.

“Morrissey is unsigned,” the singer stated at the time. “The album is available to the highest (or lowest) bidder.”

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