By: Mark Chen

Since her 1987 debut, Sinéad O’Connor’s rich velvet voice has captivated music lovers around the globe. Since her passing late this July, many have talked about her great contributions to music in multifarious tributes to the great singer. The New Yorker declared that “The world owed [O’Connor] more than it gave.” Through multiple scandals, mournings, and books, the Irish musician wrote some of the greatest music ever performed by an Irishwoman. However, O’ Connor has faced many controversies through her short life.

Pope John Paul II was remembered for his successful attack on communism, and for the first apology of the catholic church’s actions in the second World War. However, many remember him as a sexual abuser of children in the Catholic Church. And it seems that O’ Connor viewed the Pope as such, as demonstrated in an unscripted section of 1992 Saturday Night Live (SNL) broadcast, she ripped up a picture of the eight most admired man in the 20th century.

Singing, she claimed the pope was the “real enemy.” The public outlash against her actions was huge, outraging people from Frank Sinatra to Bob Dylan. According to Insider, a global news publication, “A resurfaced SNL clip of ‘Goodfellas’ star Joe Pesci saying he would have ‘smacked’ Sinead O’Connor is circulating online.” This incident follows one two years prior, where she refused to perform until the U.S national anthem was removed from the program. And before her musical debut, she announced her support of the Irish Republican Party(IRA), a statement she quickly withdrew. She would later explain that she was too young at the time to understand the situation.

However, according to Daily Mail journalist Mary Carr, Sinéad O’Connor’s biggest legacy will be in shedding light on the way mental illness ruins lives. Her once glowing eyes have been reduced after tragic incidents, like the suicide of her 17-year-old son, Shane.

On July of 2022, a new documentary about the life of Sinead O’Connor appeared, partially silencing public outcry on her most infamous action. “The people who run the music industry aren’t punk at all. They’re a bunch of frightened people,” O’Connor wrote in “Rememberings,” her 2021 memoir. O’ Connor was not afraid to openly state controversial beliefs. In a 2010 interview, she admitted to knowing about the public outlash against her when the defaced the pope. “I’m not sorry I did it. It was brilliant. But it was very traumatizing,” she told the New York Times in a 2021 interview.

While her legacy may purely be the defacing of the pope, she also was an influential figure in rock as we know it. Whether it was knowingly destroying her self image, or singing passionately amid a cacophony of jeers, Sinéad O’Connor has it all.

It’s been seven hours and 15 days

Since you took your love away

I go out every night and sleep all day

Since you took your love away

Since you been gone, I can do whatever I want

I can see whomever I choose

-Sinéad O’Connor – Nothing Compares 2 U