The estate of the late Sinéad O’Connor has strongly criticized Donald Trump for using the singer-songwriter’s rendition of “Nothing Compares 2 U” at his campaign rallies. Trump recently played the song at events in Maryland and North Carolina over the past week.
In a statement provided to Variety, O’Connor’s estate, along with her label Chrysalis Records, demanded that Trump immediately cease playing the song.
“Throughout her life, Sinéad O’Connor was known for living by a strict moral code characterized by honesty, kindness, fairness, and decency towards others. We were deeply disturbed to learn that Donald Trump has been using her iconic performance of ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’ at his political rallies,” the statement reads. “It is not an exaggeration to say that Sinéad would have been appalled, hurt, and insulted to have her work misrepresented in this manner by someone whom she herself referred to as a ‘biblical devil.’ As stewards of her legacy, we insist that Donald Trump and his associates immediately cease using her music.”
Sinéad O’Connor passed away on July 26, 2023, in London at the age of 56. The Southwark Coroners Court ruled in January that she died of natural causes.
The Irish singer gained international acclaim with the release of her second album, “I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got,” in 1990. The album featured her rendition of “Nothing Compares 2 U,” originally written by Prince and released under his side project the Family. O’Connor’s version of the song topped charts in multiple countries, including Ireland, where it remained at No. 1 for 11 weeks. The song earned a Grammy nomination for Record of the Year and Best Female Vocal Rock Performance, while her album won the Grammy for Best Alternative Music Performance.
O’Connor, while promoting her memoir “Rememberings” in 2021, told People the importance of safeguarding her musical and financial assets for her children. She advised them to contact her accountant before emergency services in the event of her untimely death, citing concerns about record labels exploiting her work posthumously. O’Connor expressed dismay at the practice of record companies profiting more from artists after their death, citing examples like Tupac.
Trump, the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021, is seeking re-election despite facing two impeachments and indictments in several states on charges including falsifying business records, mishandling classified documents, conspiracy, and racketeering. O’Connor joins a long list of musicians who have condemned Trump’s use of their music at rallies, including Johnny Marr of the Smiths, who expressed his disappointment over Trump playing “Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want.”
“I never imagined this could happen,” Marr wrote. “But it stops now.”
Numerous other artists, including Adele, Aerosmith, Bruce Springsteen, and Rihanna, have also objected to Trump using their music at his rallies.
