Sinéad O'Connor: a troubled soul with immense talent and unbowed spirit
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Thursday, July 27, 2023
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But she was never in any danger of being relegated to being a one-hit wonder.
Key Points:
- But she was never in any danger of being relegated to being a one-hit wonder.
- O’Connor’s life and career were characterised by irregularity and a sense of being at odds with her surroundings.
- Adversity infused her music with a punk spirit, an oppositional attitude that was writ large throughout the rest of her career.
A distinctive template as a singer-songwriter
- A gold record in the UK, US, Canada and the Netherlands – featuring the Top 40 single Mandinka – it marked out her image and distinctive voice, clear and pure, but never demure.
- Her trademark cropped hair and forthright bearing set her apart from prevailing female singer-songwriters.
- Shunning both overtly sexualised imagery and quirky hippie-chick vibes, O’Connor’s aesthetic was blunt and raw, although the clarity of her voice gave it commercial traction.
- Propelled by a stark video in unflinching close-up, tears running down her face, it made her an international star.
Unbowed and iconic
- Even if her career never quite acquired equilibrium, O’Connor the artist remained unbowed and exploratory.
- Her later releases were stronger on critical acclaim than commercial clout, and her well-publicised mental health difficulties led to hiatuses in her music.
- Ultimately despite her difficulties, or even because of them, she exemplified what it was to be an icon.