The estate of Sinead O’Connor rejected Donald Trump’s use of “Nothing Compares 2 U,” saying the late Irish artist would have been appalled that the Republican presidential candidate played the music for his campaign in the first place.
Trump used O’Connor’s best-known song at a recent Maryland event. The estate said that it was “no exaggeration to say that Sinéad would have been disgusted, hurt, and insulted” by Trump’s use of O’Connor’s music, noting that she once referred to the American politician as a “biblical devil.”
“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,” a joint statement from O’Connor’s estate and her longtime label Chrysalis Records, which was obtained by the BBC, reads. “As the guardians of her legacy, we demand that Donald Trump, and his associates desist from using her music immediately.”
In addition to “Nothing Compares 2 U,” Trump used Abba’s “Dancing Queen,” Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire” and Elvis Presley’s “Suspicious Minds” during the February 24 rally in question.
During her life, O’Connor was as known for her political work and activism as she was for her musical career. Famously, the artist used her time on “Saturday Night Live” to rip up a picture of Pope John Paul II in order to protest the abuse in the Catholic church. She was also known for drawing attention to issues surrounding child abuse, human rights, racism and women’s rights and was outspoken about her own struggles with mental health.
In July of 2023, O’Connor was found unresponsive in her South London flat and was confirmed dead at the age of 56. Later in January an autopsy report confirmed that the musician died of natural causes. Her death was widely discussed on social media with celebrities such as Janelle Monáe, Patton Oswalt, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tori Amos, Public Enemy and Toni Collette posting tributes to the late artist.
