The late Prince has somehow been caught up in a battle between Sinéad O’Connor and former President Donald Trump for his unauthorized use of the song the “Purple One” wrote, the acclaimed 1990 hit, “Nothing Compares 2 U,” during his political rallies.
The action signifies not only a dispute over copyright infringement but delves deeper into matters of artistic integrity and respect for an artist’s values even after their death.
The song, originally written by Prince for one of his side projects, The Family, never gained much attention until O’Connor’s rendition catapulted it into worldwide fame.
Prince, known for his prolific songwriting and musical innovation, penned “Nothing Compares 2 U” as a deep expression of loss and longing, themes universally resonant yet deeply personal to O’Connor’s vocal delivery, which imbued the song with a raw emotional power that resonated with millions.
Sinéad O’Connor, who passed away in 2023, was a figure known not just for her musical talent but for her outspokenness, particularly on issues of politics and human rights.
Her estate, alongside Chrysalis Records, has expressed that the use of O’Connor’s version of the song by Trump—an individual whom O’Connor had explicitly criticized—contravenes the principles she stood for.
“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,” the estate and Chrysalis Records stated in a joint communication.
They further highlighted O’Connor’s own words from a 2020 interview with Hot Press, where she labeled Trump as a “biblical devil,” underscoring the stark opposition between O’Connor’s beliefs and the ideologies represented by Trump’s usage of her work.
In 2020, Sinead told Hot Press, “I actually do believe Donald Trump is the biblical devil, the f**ker….I know this may sound extreme – I don’t really give a flying f—k what everyone else thinks — but I am convinced the man is actually a Satanist.”
