At this point, someone should take Bonfire of Teenagers out of limbo just so we can stop hearing Morrissey complain about it. In a recent tirade about the record, he subjected the crowd of his New Jersey show to a rant about how it's "too controversial" to see the light of day.
The disgraced Smiths frontman somehow found the nerve to talk about his jailed album somewhere other than his diary website, spreading fake news in person instead of behind a keyboard last week. His latest excuse as to why no one wants to release Bonfire of Teenagers is because he falsely believes free speech has been "criminalized" in the UK.
"As you know, nobody will release my music anymore," he said [via the Asbury Park Press]. "As you know because I'm a chief exponent of free speech. In England, at least, it's now criminalized. You cannot speak freely in England. If you don't believe me, go there. Express an opinion, you'll be sent to prison. It's very, very difficult."
A quick Google search of free speech laws in the UK reveals that freedom of expression has been guaranteed since 1998, even if there is no general right to free speech. Though we understand Morrissey's fears; he's too sensitive to last a day in woke prison.
Bonfire of Teenagers has not been released since its announcement in 2021. Since then, Moz has parted ways with Capitol Records (and accused the label of sabotaging his career) and implied that the title — which references the 2017 Manchester terrorist attack at an Ariana Grande concert — is too touchy a subject for most.
In the three years the record has sat in purgatory, Morrissey has unleashed his wrath on Miley Cyrus for asking to be removed from the project, and Sam Smith, as Capitol seems to be favouring their "satanism" over him.