Morrissey has suggested the BBC is blacklisting his single, “Notre-Dame,” which he says has received “no airplay” despite currently sitting at No. 6 on the UK Official Singles Sales Chart.
“The public wants to hear the song, but the BBC will not play it even though their stations are a public service duty-bound to reflect public taste,” the singer wrote in a post titled “Diversity Is a Lie” on Morrissey Central. “Obviously not! If the song is suspected of independent thought – God forbid!, it is not played, therefore, under these circumstances, any station that pledges allegiance to diversity is lying.”
He continued, “When people say ‘Diversity is our strength’ they fail to mention how their notion of ‘diversity’ entails very strict Third Reich regulations and punishments. I wonder why people can’t simply be honest about these things?”
“Notre-Dame” originally appeared on the March release of Morrissey’s latest album, Make-up Is a Lie. In late June, he released a deluxe vinyl of the track, propelling it to a new peak on the Singles Sales Chart, which is based on purchases of vinyl, CDs, and digital downloads. Phoebe Bridgers’ new single, “Lost Boys,” currently sits at No. 1.
However, on the Official Singles Chart — which also factors in audio and video streams — “Notre-Dame” is nowhere to be found. Currently, Sam Fender and Olivia Dean’s long-running hit, “Rein Me In,” is in its 15th week at No. 1.
This latest grievance comes after Morrissey published a since-deleted letter on his official website, accusing his former bandmate Johnny Marr of trying to “destroy the legacy” of The Smiths. He also recently began selling official t-shirts that replace “The Smiths” with “Morrissey” on artwork inspired by two classic Smiths albums.
