Morrissey announces first album in more than five years called Make-Up Is A Lie

Former Smiths frontman Morrissey has announced his first studio album in more than five years named Make-Up Is A Lie.

The 66-year-old, whose full name is Steven Morrissey, released the record’s lead single of the same title on Friday, and will unveil his 14th solo album on March 6 on Sire Records.

Make-Up Is A Lie, which is produced by Joe Chiccarelli and was recorded in France, will feature a cover of Roxy Music’s Amazona, from their 1973 album Stranded, along with tracks such as Notre-Dame, You’re Right, It’s Time, and Lester Bangs, named after the late Creem and Rolling Stone music journalist.

On the new single, Morrissey sings: “Ten years passed in boredom, I made my way to Paris, to stand before her gravestone, I read the words in granite, one, two, three, four, five, make-up is a lie, all make-up, make-up is a lie.”

Morrissey is currently on a world tour and is performing in countries including the US, Germany and the UK, where he will play a headline show at The O2 in London on February 28.

The singer was forced to cancel two concerts in Connecticut and Boston, over “a credible threat” to his life, in September last year.

Morrissey rose to fame in the early 1980s as a member of influential indie band The Smiths, who went on to achieve three UK top 10 singles and two UK number one albums.

The band is known for songs such as This Charming Man, How Soon Is Now? and Panic, as well as albums such as Meat Is Murder, The Queen Is Dead and Strangeways, Here We Come.

The Smiths split up in 1987 due to tensions between Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr, and the frontman launched a solo career that saw him release his debut album Viva Hate in 1988, and go on to have 10 UK top 10 singles and three UK number one albums.

His best known solo songs include Suedehead, Everyday Is Like Sunday and We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful.