Sinead O’Connor performs on stage at Vredenburg, Utrecht, Netherlands, 16th March 1988. (Photo by … [+] Rob Verhorst/Redferns)
Redferns
The estate of late singer Sinéad O’Connor is fighting the former president of the United States–and it is not mincing its words.
Former president and current presidential candidate Donald Trump has been playing O’Connor’s “Nothing Compares 2 U” recently at campaign stops. While this may entertain those who attend these events to support the politician, the team that is managing the estate of the singer behind the cut could not be less pleased by this fact.
In a statement provided to Variety about Trump using O’Connor’s recording as he runs for the top job in the country, the estate of the singer said that learning about this usage has been met “with outrage.” “It is no exaggeration to say that Sinéad would have been disgusted, hurt and insulted to have her work misrepresented in this way by someone who she herself referred to as a ‘biblical devil,’” the statement reads.
Those working with her family then made their wishes clear. “As the guardians of her legacy, we demand that Donald Trump and his associates desist from using her music immediately.”
The estate pointed out that Trump and all he stands for are essentially the opposite of what the singer spoke out about during her career. “Throughout her life, it is well known that Sinéad O’Connor lived by a fierce moral code defined by honesty, kindness, fairness and decency towards her fellow human beings,” it reads. The implication in that comment is pretty clear: the former president is none of those things.
“Nothing Compares 2 U” stands as O’Connor’s biggest hit. The track was released in 1990 and was an immediate smash. The single shot to No. 1 on charts all around the world, and is still beloved by millions to this day. The cut was nominated for several Grammys, including Record of the Year.
O’Connor was an incredibly outspoken and often politically-minded artist. She voiced her strong opinions about a variety of topics not only through her music, but in any way she could think to do so. She famously damaged her own career while appearing on Saturday Night Live in the ‘90s when she tore up a photo of the Pope, angering millions around the world.
The singer passed away unexpectedly this past summer, in July 2023. She was just 56 when she died. Earlier this year, her death was finally ruled natural, putting to rest rumors that had been floating around on the internet since her passing.
O’Connor is far from the first musician to hear that Trump is using their work at rallies and demand he stop doing so. The same has already happened with fellow familiar names like Linkin Park, Queen, the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, and Elton John, among many, many others.
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