Sinead O'Connor fans might be disappointed to hear that the vocalist will no longer be performing "Nothing Compares 2 U," her biggest hit (according to The Hollywood Reporter). The track, which was written by Prince, was the standout on her acclaimed 1990 album I Do Not Want What U Haven't Got.
O'Connor stated in a Facebook post that the song simply didn't resonate with her emotionally anymore and she didn't want that to take away from the overall beauty of the song. It wasn't just a jaded celebrity complaining: She cited the Bel Canto—an Italian singing style that translates to "beautiful song"—that she was trained in and how it prevents her from tackling tracks that don't tickle her emotionally.
O'Connor offered the post as a warning to fans, lest they be disappointed not to hear the track in concert. She has a small series of tour dates throughout the rest of 2015, with various stops at festivals and concert halls in Australia, Europe and Canada.
That's praiseworthy on her part, so hopefully at this point in her career it won't deter attendance at her shows. "Nothing Compares 2 U" was her only no. 1 hit...although it went to no. 1 in more than 10 countries, including the U.S. and UK.
You can read the full statement below:
"OK, the time has come for me to cease singing Nothing Compares 2U. The first principle of the manner in which I'm trained as a singer (Bel Canto) is we never sing a song we don't emotionally identify with. After twenty-five years of singing it, nine months or so ago I finally ran out of anything I could use in order to bring some emotion to it. I don't want audiences to be disappointed coming along to a show and then not hearing it, so am letting you know here that you won't. If I were to sing it just to please people, I wouldn't be doing my job right, because my job is to be emotionally available. I'd be lying. You'd be getting a lie. My job is to give you honesty. I'm trained in honesty. I can't act. It just isn't in my training. I have ceased singing other songs over the years for the same reason."
