Make-Up Is a Lie

Make-Up Is a Lie
Studio album by
Morrissey
Released6 March 2026 (2026-03-06)
RecordedJanuary to late 2023
StudioLa Fabrique Studios in St-Remy, France
Length49:48
LabelSire
ProducerJoe Chiccarelli
Morrissey chronology
I Am Not a Dog on a Chain
(2020) 		Make-Up Is a Lie
(2026)
Singles from Make-Up Is a Lie
  1. "Make-Up Is a Lie"
    Released: 9 January 2026
  2. "Notre-Dame"
    Released: 6 February 2026
  3. "Amazona"
    Released: 27 February 2026
  4. "The Monsters of Pig Alley"
    Released: 6 March 2026

Make-Up Is a Lie is the fourteenth solo album by the English singer Morrissey. The album was released on 6 March 2026.[1][2]

Content

Morrissey announced the tentative production and release of a new album titled Without Music the World Dies on 8 December 2022.[3][4] The album was recorded in January and February 2023 at La Fabrique Studios in St-Remy, France, and was produced by Joe Chiccarelli, making it his fifth collaboration with the singer.[5] It was produced outside the bounds of a record contract, as Morrissey had parted ways with his former label Capitol Records in December 2022.[3] The album was initially scheduled to consist of twelve songs, collectively written by Morrissey and members of his band, but this was later reduced to ten songs.

On 20 February 2023, Morrissey announced Without Music the World Dies had been completed. He then offered the album up to any record labels or private investors willing to distribute the finished album.[5][6]

In December 2024, Morrissey declared: "There are two albums ... The second one was re-recorded in France in late 2023, and given a new title. We scrapped half of the tracks and we recorded six new ones, and so it is not the album from the beginning of 2023".[7] In June 2025, he announced that the album has been renamed to You're Right, It's Time saying "The second album will be released first". He also recorded a cover of Roxy Music's "Amazona".[8] In the same interview, You're Right, It's Time was said to be scheduled for release in September 2025.

On 9 January 2026, it was announced Morrissey had returned to Sire Records to release the album, now entitled Make-Up Is a Lie, preceded by a single of the same name.[9][10]

When first played live, the song "Notre-Dame" was sung with the words: "Before investigations, they said: 'This is not terrorism!'."[11] The Independent wrote that it echoed a "right-wing conspiracy theory", claiming that the 2019 fire at Notre-Dame de Paris was "deliberate" and part of "anti-Christian attacks".[12]

On March 6, the album's release day, Morrissey released a music video for "The Monsters of Pig Alley"..

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic57/100[13]
Review scores
SourceRating
The Guardian[14]
The Independent [15]
Mojo[16]
PasteD-[17]
Pitchfork6.1/10[18]
Record Collector[19]
Rolling Stone[20]
The Daily Telegraph[21]
The Times[22]
Uncut[23]

Make-Up Is a Lie received mixed reviews upon release. On Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, Make-up Is a Lie received an average score of 57 based on 13 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[13]

Track listing

Make-Up Is a Lie track listing[24]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."You're Right, It's Time"
3:48
2."Make-Up Is a Lie"
  • Morrissey
  • Grey
3:09
3."Notre-Dame"
4:08
4."Amazona"
4:11
5."Headache"
  • Morrissey
  • Gustavo Manzur
4:20
6."Boulevard"
  • Morrissey
  • Whyte
5:40
7."Zoom Zoom the Little Boy"
3:12
8."The Night Pop Dropped"
  • Morrissey
  • Tobias
4:24
9."Kerching Kerching"
  • Morrissey
  • Grey
2:53
10."Lester Bangs"
  • Morrissey
  • Grey
3:42
11."Many Icebergs Ago"
  • Morrissey
  • Manzur
5:24
12."The Monsters of Pig Alley"
  • Morrissey
  • Whyte
4:57
Total length:49:48
Deluxe edition bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
13."Hello Hell"
  • Morrissey
  • Whyte
3:56
14."Happy New Tears"
  • Morrissey
  • Whyte
3:34

Personnel

Personnel as given listed inside the record.

Additional personnel

  • Camila Grey – keyboards, programming, backing vocal on "Kerching Kerching"
  • Carmen Vandenberg – electric guitar, acoustic guitar on "Boulevard", "Lester Bangs", and "The Monsters of Pig Alley"
  • Juan Galeano – bass; prophet synth, programming, and keyboards on "Notre Dame", upright bass on "Headache", "Boulevard", and "Many Icebergs Ago", bowed bass on "Boulevard", backing vocal on "Lester Bangs"
  • Brendan Buckley – drums
  • Jesse Tobias – electric guitar, acoustic guitar, bass on "Headache", electric sitar on "Zoom Zoom the Little Boy", bass 6 on "Kerching Kerching", mandolin on "Many Icebergs Ago"
  • Alain Whyte – backing vocal on "Notre Dame", guitars on "Headache", electric guitar on "Zoom Zoom the Little Boy"
  • Gustavo Manzur – keyboards on "Headache" and "The Night Pop Dropped"
  • Ambroise Sage – string arrangement on "Notre Dame"
  • Keren Ann - backing vocal on "Zoom Zoom the Little Boy" and "The Monsters of Pig Alley"

Production

Charts

Chart performance for Make-Up Is a Lie
Chart (2026) Peak
position
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[25] 20
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[26] 12
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[27] 8
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[28] 48
French Albums (SNEP)[29] 42
French Rock & Metal Albums (SNEP)[30] 2
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[31] 9
German Rock & Metal Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[32] 3
Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ)[33] 24
Irish Albums (OCC)[34] 27
Norwegian Physical Albums (IFPI Norge)[35] 4
Portuguese Albums (AFP)[36] 163
Scottish Albums (OCC)[37] 2
Swedish Physical Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[38] 4
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[39] 15
UK Albums (OCC)[40] 3
US Top Album Sales (Billboard)[41] 14

References

  1. ^ Dunworth, Liberty (9 January 2026). "Morrissey shares title track and announces first album in six years Make-Up Is a Lie". NME. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
  2. ^ Monroe, Jazz (9 January 2026). "Morrissey Announces Make-Up Is a Lie, Shares New Song". Pitchfork. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
  3. ^ a b Krol, Charlotte (12 December 2022). "Morrissey announces recording of new album Without Music The World Dies". NME. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  4. ^ "Morrissey 2023 - Messages from Morrissey". morrisseycentral.com. 8 December 2022. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  5. ^ a b Richards, Will (21 February 2023). "Morrissey has recorded a new album called Without Music The World Dies". NME. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  6. ^ "New Recording". Morrissey Central. 20 February 2023. Archived from the original on 21 February 2023. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  7. ^ Dodwell, Fiona (11 December 2024). "Morrissey Speaks". Morrissey-Solo.com. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
  8. ^ "Morrissey interview / cover Teraz Rock (June 2025, Polish); excerpts". Morrissey-solo. 30 May 2025. Retrieved 8 June 2025.
  9. ^ Monroe, Jazz (9 January 2026). "Morrissey Announces Make-Up Is a Lie, Shares New Song". Pitchfork. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
  10. ^ "Make-Up Is A Lie (Single)". open.spotify.com. Retrieved 8 January 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  11. ^ Wilkes, Emma (6 February 2026). "Morrissey shares new single 'Notre-Dame' after removing controversial terrorism lyric". NME. Retrieved 6 February 2026.
  12. ^ O'Connor, Roisin (9 January 2026). "Morrissey Returns". The Independent. Retrieved 6 February 2026.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  13. ^ a b "Critic Reviews for Make-up Is a Lie". Metacritic. Retrieved 10 March 2026.
  14. ^ Aroesti, Rachel (6 March 2026). "Morrissey: Make-Up Is a Lie review – nostalgic, sentimental and dull, he is a shadow of what he once was". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
  15. ^ "Morrissey review, Make-Up is a Lie: Best approached as a minefield". the-independant.com. 6 March 2026. Retrieved 10 March 2026.
  16. ^ "Morrissey – Make-up Is a Lie". mojo4music.com. 2 March 2026. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
  17. ^ Sharples, Grant (3 March 2026). "Morrissey's Make-Up is a Lie is Worse than Expected". Paste). Retrieved 5 March 2026.
  18. ^ Cardew, Ben. "Morrissey: "Make-Up Is a Lie"". Pitchfork. Retrieved 10 March 2026.
  19. ^ Harley, Kevin. "Unchained Melodies Morrissey Make-up Is a Lie". Record Collector. March 2026.
  20. ^ Dolan, Jon. "Heaven Knows He's Still Miserable Now – Morrissey Make-Up is a Lie [album review]". Rolling Stone. March 2026
  21. ^ Ruskell, Nick (6 March 2026). "Make-up is a Lie Even Morrissey devotees will struggle to get on board with this moaning session". The Telegraph. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
  22. ^ Hodgkinson, Will (4 March 2026). "Morrissey: Make-Up Is a Lie review — more self-pitying than ever". The Times. Retrieved 4 March 2026.
  23. ^ "Morrissey's Make-Up is a Lie reviewed: entertainingly all over the shop". uncut.co.uk. 6 March 2026. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
  24. ^ "Make-up is a Lie - Standard CD". Morrissey Official Store. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
  25. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Morrissey – Make-Up Is a Lie" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 March 2026.
  26. ^ "Ultratop.be – Morrissey – Make-Up Is a Lie" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 March 2026.
  27. ^ "Ultratop.be – Morrissey – Make-Up Is a Lie" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 March 2026.
  28. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Morrissey – Make-Up Is a Lie" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 14 March 2026.
  29. ^ "Top Albums (Semaine du 13 mars 2026)". Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
  30. ^ "Top Rock & Metal Albums (Semaine du 13 mars 2026)" (in French). Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
  31. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Morrissey – Make-Up Is a Lie" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 14 March 2026.
  32. ^ "Offizielle Deutsche Charts Top 20 Rock/Metal-Charts – 13 Marz 2026" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
  33. ^ "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 2026. 11. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved 18 March 2026.
  34. ^ "Official Irish Albums Chart on 13/3/2026 – Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 March 2026.
  35. ^ "Fysisk Albums 2026 uke 11" (in Norwegian Bokmål). IFPI Norge. Retrieved 14 March 2026.
  36. ^ "Top 200 Álbuns Semana 11 de 2026" (PDF) (in European Portuguese). Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa. p. 3. Retrieved 23 March 2026.
  37. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart on 13/3/2026 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 March 2026.
  38. ^ "Veckolista Album Fysiskt, vecka 11" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  39. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Morrissey – Make-Up Is a Lie". Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
  40. ^ "Official Albums Chart on 13/3/2026 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 March 2026.
  41. ^ "Morrissey Chart History (Top Album Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 18 March 2026.
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