Latest news with #SinéadO'Connor
Irish Times
28-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
Dua Lipa at the Aviva review: Confident and often sublime evening of pulsing stomp-pop
Dua Lipa Aviva Stadium, Dublin ★★★★☆ Dua Lipa is seamlessly executing the night's shimmering dance workout when the crowd at the Aviva miss an opportunity. The singer's pandemic hit Levitating belongs to that select group of disco-pop songs blessed with double handclaps, the finest adornment in all of music, and an optimist might have hoped for the magic of an entire stadium clapping in sync. A realist would have known that fans' hands would be occupied, but that their phones would create their own special effect during the occasional moments in the English-Albanian star's set when she slows down. During the portion of the show reserved for a tribute to a local artist, torches are switched on as a reward for her smart choice of Sinéad O'Connor 's Nothing Compares 2 U. The song becomes more of a stage-school product in this context, but she doesn't totally overcook it, and when she blows a kiss to the crowd at the end, satisfied, you think, 'Yes, that worked.' Tonight, the last date in the European leg of her Radical Optimism tour, we've got steam jets, jewelled collars and joy. She kicks off the celebration with Training Season, a typically relentless Lipa song beloved of sadistic exercise-class instructors, and she's soon running on the spot and shoulder-rolling in silver corsetry. READ MORE Later, Physical, off superior second album Future Nostalgia , is preceded by a mock aerobics video, and that's the sort of regimented, disciplined shape of things with Lipa. She excels as a purveyor of super-honed bops that, at their best, lean into robotic elements, huskily voiced confidence and Eighties-infused brashness, while exuding their own likable, propulsive groove. After third song Break My Heart, in which she contemplates the dire consequences of falling in love after a single 'hello', she laps up the Aviva's adoration, then we're straight on to the similarly themed One Kiss, her tropical-house smash with Calvin Harris and the first real banger of the set. Among the evening's standouts is Love Again, another slice of Future Nostalgia, in which Lipa, resigned to the whole love thing by now, exclaims 'goddamn' at the inevitability of it all beneath giant rings of fire while somehow acquiring a faux-fur coat to match her cobalt blue lace dress and stockings. But the best thing about Love Again is the vintage sample that propels it – a muted trumpet line originally recorded in 1932 for the composition My Woman, with a 'vocal refrain' by Al Bowlly, has wended its way through musical history to reach the Aviva in the year 2025. That's objectively delightful, and a reminder of how rich the textures of pop music can be. [ The 10 best Irish albums of 2025 so far Opens in new window ] When Lipa indulges in overt crowd orchestration, she pulls that off, too, and nowhere is this more effective than on Be the One, from her debut – it's like a manual for euphoria. Not everything attains such heady heights and there's a patience-testing segment where she interacts with an emotional front row, but she still does more than enough tonight to make us know we're never more than seconds away from something fun, something cool. She's got this. London-born Lipa's next listed concert is a performance at a festival that she and her family organise in Pristina, Kosovo – from where her Kosovo Albanian parents emigrated to the UK – and then there's the small matter of turning 30 to do before she embarks on her North American tour. [ The Music Quiz: Rufus Wainwright once played himself an episode of which classic TV comedy? Opens in new window ] But, for now, on this sultry night in Dublin, she just has her kaleidoscopic final stretch to complete. It starts with infectious early breakthrough New Rules, in which she reminds herself and us how to swerve a man who doesn't love her back. (In real life, she recently announced her engagement to British actor Callum Turner.) The artist also known as Mermaid Barbie then slips into an all-too-short snippet of Dance the Night from the soundtrack to Greta Gerwig's Barbie film before injecting what's left of her professional energy into 2019 mega-hit Don't Start Now and rumbling Radical Optimism track Houdini. With the confetti cannons working overtime, she extricates herself from the stage, wrapping up what has been an efficient and often sublime two hours of pulsing stomp-pop, and her replenished fans leave so high they might as well be levitating.
Irish Examiner
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Richard Hogan: Kneecap spoke poorly-chosen words but Netanyahu has killed 50,000 Palestinians
I was 16 when I watched Sinéad O'Connor slowly tear up a photo of the pope live on US television. I remember thinking, 'Why does she hate the pope so much?' Of course, I understand now what she was protesting against. It was an incredibly dramatic and performative moment from which her career never fully recovered. When we think about the remarkable talent that was Sinéad, we think of that moment and her strength in speaking for those who had no voice in our society. She was a singular singer, and a loss sorely felt in today's world of manufactured music. But real music has always had the ability to speak truth to power in a way other art forms often cannot. Frankie telling us all to 'Relax' in 1984, in response to the AIDS epidemic, was banned from the airwaves. The Sex Pistols opened with the line, 'God save the Queen, the fascist regime… she ain't no human being'— a blast of recalcitrant energy, full of rage against a system that tried to silence them. Paul McCartney sang Give Ireland Back to the Irish. His Beatles bandmate John Lennon sent his OBE back to the queen in protest against the Vietnam war. NWA's F**k the Police caused outrage in the US on its release. It dared to speak out about police brutality against the black community. A few years later, the world saw what they had been rapping about when Rodney King was beaten mercilessly by the LA police. There was video evidence, and yet the police officers were found not guilty. The ruling sparked the LA riots. But Eazy-E and Ice Cube had already warned us. Artists have a long history of challenging power and oppression. That's why totalitarian regimes work so hard to silence authors and artists: Because free thinking is a threat to control. Members of Kneecap, Mo Chara, JJ O'Dochartaigh and Moglai Bap attending the Irish Film and Television Academy (IFTA) Awards Ceremony at the Dublin Royal Convention Centre. The recent controversy over the Irish rap group Kneecap has sparked international debate. A number of their concerts have been cancelled, and the pressure on Glastonbury's organisers to drop them must be immense. So, Kneecap are being cancelled. The rabid dog of cancel culture has them in its teeth. It must be a confusing time for the band. After achieving phenomenal success last year, they now face the full force of the outrage machine. The future of the band hangs in the balance. But what exactly have they done to provoke Sharon Osbourne and others who seek to deplatform them? Two unwise remarks were made in the heat of performance. Remarks for which they've apologised and which they acknowledged were wrong. One was a reference to the infamous line attributed to General Sheridan in 1869, when comanche chief Tosahwi reportedly said, 'Tosawi, good Indian,' to which Sheridan allegedly replied, 'The only good Indian I ever saw was dead.' Sheridan, interestingly, had Irish ancestry. Kneecap echoed that sentiment with the line, 'The only good Tory is a dead Tory.' Were they really encouraging literal violence? Did Jeremy Clarkson literally want his comments about Meghan Markle to come true, dreaming, as he wrote in The Sun, of the day she's made to parade naked through the streets while crowds chant 'Shame'? Palestinians struggle to get donated food at a community kitchen in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, on Monday, May 5, 2025. Picture: AP/Abdel Kareem Hana. Was the comment distasteful? Yes. He nearly lost his job over it. He apologised and acknowledged that free expression carries responsibility. Kneecap's chant, 'Up Hamas, up Hezbollah' has drawn the most criticism. Distasteful? Absolutely. The atrocities committed on October 7, and the torture and murder of Israelis by members of Hamas, show the lack of nuance in a chant like that. But were Kneecap endorsing a terror organisation or were they provocatively highlighting the genocide now unfolding before our eyes? Drone footage of Gaza reveals the devastation. It looks like Hiroshima. Since the collapse of the ceasefire last month, at least 322 children have been killed by intense bombardment. Footage of a medical team being killed and buried by the IDF revealed the depth of the horror. And yet, the world is more outraged by a few words from an Irish rap group. When I studied history and saw images of concentration camps, I wondered: How did the world let this happen? How? We know now. People turned away. A recent UN study, using data verified from three independent sources, found that 70% of Palestinians killed in residential buildings were women and children. Shouldn't this be the real source of outrage? To criticise what Israel is doing to the Palestinian people does not make you antisemitic. That accusation is a tactic to silence dissent. Many Jewish people in Israel and around the world stand against Netanyahu and what he is doing in Gaza. Yet, the American president recently stood in the White House and said, 'It's an honour to have Prime Minister Netanyahu with us… we have the best relationship we've ever had.' Grotesque words, considering Gaza is now a graveyard and famine rages. Kneecap spoke poorly-chosen words at a concert. But Netanyahu has killed 50,000 Palestinians. Perspective is needed.
BreakingNews.ie
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- BreakingNews.ie
Irish musicians quiz: Can you finish the lyric?
Ireland has long punched above its weight on the global music stage, producing iconic voices that have shaped everything from rock and pop to folk and traditional sounds. From the unmistakable anthems of U2 and the haunting ballads of Sinéad O'Connor, to the boyband legacy and pop vocals of Niall Horan, Irish musicians have left a mark on generations of music lovers worldwide. Advertisement But how much Irish music do you know? Are you any good with lyrics? Take our quiz and find out!
Forbes
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Sinéad O'Connor Posthumously Charts A New Top 40 Collaboration
Sinéad O'Connor and Shane MacGowan's 'Haunted' reaches three U.K. charts 30 years after its debut, ... More thanks to a Record Store Day reissue. IRELAND - 3rd FEBRUARY: Irish singer and songwriter Sinead O'Connor posed at her home in County Wicklow, Republic Of Ireland on 3rd February 2012. (Photo by David Corio/Redferns) Years after their deaths, Sinéad O'Connor and Shane MacGowan are back on the charts in the United Kingdom with a song that first arrived three decades ago. Their duet 'Haunted' makes a very special return, appearing on multiple tallies as it both debuts and returns, depending on the list. The two late superstars still claim large fan bases in the country, where they found great fame during their heydays, and it's these listeners who headed out to brick and mortar record stores to pick up the special edition of their joint tune. 'Haunted' makes a home on three different U.K. rankings. The song, a collaboration between The Pogues frontman MacGowan and the unmistakable O'Connor, reenters the Official Physical Singles chart at No. 18. That's a new high for the track on that particular list, which tracks purchases on formats like CDs, cassettes, and vinyl. Back in April 1995, 'Haunted' debuted on the same tally at No. 30. It fell to No. 55 the following week before dropping off entirely. Now, 30 years later – almost exactly – the cut doesn't just reappear, it surges to a new all-time best placement, entering the top 20 for the first time. Alongside its success on the physical sales list, 'Haunted' also debuts on two other rankings in the U.K. The reissued cut launches at No. 17 on the Official Vinyl Singles chart, its best position among the three tallies where it can be found. It also narrowly lands inside the top 40 on the Official Singles Sales roster, which counts all purchases across every physical and digital format. On that list, it starts at No. 39. Originally released in 1995, 'Haunted' wasn't a brand new song even then. MacGowan first recorded the track with his band The Pogues years earlier, but it was reimagined as a duet when he brought O'Connor in to create a new version. That take proved to be a hit, reaching No. 30 on the Official Singles chart. When 'Haunted' was new, it was issued as a four-track collection on CD and cassette. The product featured several covers and B-sides from MacGowan, and the four cuts made it more enticing to buyers back in the '90s. That original tracklist was pressed on vinyl for the first time on a 12-inch wax record. The Record Store Day exclusive was obviously something that fans of both late musicians were interested in, as the decades-old cut is a quick bestseller.
Extra.ie
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Extra.ie
35 years ago: Sinéad O'Connor hit No.1 in the US with Nothing Compares 2 U
This week 35 years ago, Sinéad O'Connor kicked off a four-week run at No.1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 Chart with her iconic rendition of the Prince-penned track 'Nothing Compares 2 U'. The single, which featured on Sinéad's second album, I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got, topped charts around the world and has since been listed among the greatest songs of all time. To mark its anniversary, we're looking back at some special Hot Press reflections on 'Nothing Compares 2 U'. Over the years, Prince provided several memorable hits for other artists, including Manic Monday for The Bangles and Nasty Girl for Vanity 6. Perhaps the most iconic of all, however, was Nothing Compares 2 U, which became a career-defining smash for the extraordinary Sinéad O'Connor. Originally an obscure soul ballad tucked away on an album by funk group The Family, O'Connor and Bristolian trip-hop pioneer Nellee Hooper gave the track a dramatic new arrangement, topped off by O'Connor's epic, heart-wrenching vocals. Niall Stokes on 'Nothing Compares 2 U' published in Hot Press in July 2023, as part of a tribute to Sinad O'Connor: 1990. A week into the new year, Chrysalis released the headline single from Sinéad's second album, I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got, her version of Prince's song, 'Nothing Compares 2 U.' The accompanying video was a masterstroke. Shot by John Maybury, it consists almost entirely of a close-up ofSinéad'ss face. As she navigates the song and delivers the lyrics, the emotional shifts are visible in the young singer's baleful expression. And then she hits the opening lines of the final verse. All the flowers you planted, Mama, she sang, In the back yard / All died when you went away…Sinéad would later say that singing the word Mama had reminded her of her own mother, who had died in a car accident early in 1985. That caused a tear to flow down one cheek. The camera didn't flinch. As the song neared its climax, a second tear flowed down the other cheek. It was a moment of accidental pop profundity, a marriage of music and video that achieved a riveting impact on what was, suddenly, the ultimate break-up song. The video captured the imagination, especially among the emerging generation of young women, catapulting the single to the top of the charts worldwide. Sinéad O'Connor was the hottest star on the planet. I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got followed, going to No.1 in almost 20 countries and selling over 2 million copies in the US alone. Sinad O'Connor on 'Nothing Compares 2 U' originally published in Hot Press in 2000: I still get told that the video for Nothing Compares 2 U is a landmark in videomaking, that it still stands up. Which is amazing and quite funny, because the concepts we had for it were not remotely what happened in the end. What happened was that during one of the setups, we originally had about 15, and all the emotion of the song kind of came up for me. All the associations I had, and all the things I'd been thinking about, that linked me with the song, suddenly came together at once. Cos, you know, I guess I'm the sort of performer where the stuff I do is quite emotional and all. I only sing songs that mean something to me personally. I'm not really, if you like, an Ooh, baby baby kind of singer. So I was sitting there, doing this one shot, and suddenly all the emotion of it occurred to me, and I couldn't help having a little cry for a minute. And in the end, when they looked at the rushes, they decided to just go with that one shot, which had never been done before. But it wasn't in the plan. Mind you, it wasn't in the plan to be crying, either. An extract from the late Bill Graham's review of I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got for Hot Press (1990): …the magnificent 'Nothing Compares 2 U' will endure long past most pop hits' natural radio shelf-life exactly because this song of supplication also so acutely conveys an undercurrent of sulky defiance in its confrontation of love love. I've already heard it sung on the last bus, and that's the ultimate compliment…
