"Nothing Compares 2 U" by Sinéad O'Connor
This week's post is dedicated to a woman who's been in the tabloids lately for her extremely short marriage. Most people of our generation, however, don't remember why she's newsworthy in the first place. Well, here is your answer. Sinéad became famous when she kicked off the '90s with this gorgeous cover of a song that was originally written by Prince! This version encapsulates everything that '90s music was about - it's emotionally stirring and heart wrenching in a way that most people associate solely with indie music these days, yet it's soaring singalong melody is pure POP purrfection. Plus, Sinead's soft voice is the ideal accompaniment to the angelic, atmospheric production. I don't remember much from 1990 (as I was two years old, after all), but for some reason, this song seems utterly familiar.
Everytime I listen to Nothing Compares 2 U, I laugh at a particular moment, and you can probably guess which one. When Sinéad unintentionally breaks the seriousness of the song by belting, "I can eat my dinner in a fancy restaurant" with a southern twang, I crack up. I mean, she's Irish! Irish and Southern twang? Those are not two things one would ordinarily associate with one another.
Anyhow, as cuckoo as Ms. O'Connor may be (and really, aren't we all? RELATEABLE!), she's a passionate fighter when it comes to issues she believes in. A devout Catholic, she's spoken against the Church with regard to the molestation issue. She even burned the cross while performing on SNL! Girl has gravitas! Furthermore, she's bisexual, which makes me like her even more.
I won't pretend to know any of Sinéad's other music. To me, she will always be a one hit wonder, but not in a derogatory sense. I truly appreciate her outspokenness, and am glad that she had such a beautiful song to shoot her voice of morality into the limelight.
Enjoy the rest of your weekends (with some Sinéad)!
Unapologetically,
Gregory
P.S. Make sure to check out the video, below. It's absolutely iconic. Everyone from Janelle Monaé (in Cold War) to Marina and the Diamonds (in I Am Not A Robot) to Kelis (in Brave) have utilized this slick yet simple video treatment.
