Johnny Marr Previews New Album with ‘Ophelia’

The former Smiths guitarist draws on Shakespeare’s tragic heroine for the second single from his fifth solo record, due in October.

Johnny Marr has released ‘Ophelia’, the latest single from his upcoming fifth solo album The Age Of Everything. The track follows lead single ‘Spin’ and arrives ahead of the album’s 2 October release via BMG.

Marr takes inspiration from Shakespeare’s Hamlet for the song, but instead of fragility, he pulls at a thread of endurance. “The character of Ophelia is confounding but there’s a real nobility and strength which reminds me of someone in my life,” Marr said in a statement.

The Age Of Everything is being described as Marr’s most cathartic work yet. It follows 2022’s Fever Dreams Pts 1–4, a record that solidified his standing as a solo artist and live draw, decades after his defining run with The Smiths.

The new single sharpens the focus: guitar lines twist around a steady rhythm, carrying the kind of melodic clarity Marr has long made his signature. An official video accompanies the release.