The Shocking Truth Behind Prince's Secret Reaction to Sinead O'Connor's 'Nothing Compares 2 U' Cover

Prince, Sinead O’Connor. Shutterstock (2)

Sinead O'Connor's most successful song was a cover of Prince's "Nothing Compares 2 U," however, their relationship was far from amicable.

In her 2021 memoir, Rememberings, O'Connor finally disclosed details about her alleged meeting with the late Prince, who passed away in April 2016 at the age of 57. She stated that they briefly crossed paths in 1988 but only engaged in conversation after her rendition of "Nothing Compares 2 U" achieved success. O'Connor expressed her initial belief that Prince wanted to celebrate the song's popularity and anticipated a cake, as it seemed customary for him.

Sinead O’Connor. Linda Chapman/Shutterstock

Their meeting, however, reportedly took an unpleasant turn. O’Connor claimed that Prince reprimanded her for using profanity in interviews. She defiantly reminded him, "I do not work for you. If you dislike it, you can go to hell."

Furthermore, O'Connor accused Prince and his assistant (referred to as Igor) of persistently offering her soup despite her clear refusal. Subsequently, Prince allegedly proposed a pillow fight, to which she reluctantly consented.

"Upon feeling the first thump, I quickly grasp that he has concealed something within the pillow's end with the intention to cause harm," she expressed. "He is not merely playing around. I become deeply annoyed and equally frightened."

While Rememberings made its debut after Prince's passing, O'Connor showed no regrets in sharing her experience with him in her book. In an interview with The New York Times in May 2021, she stated, "It takes a certain level of madness to be a musician, but there is a clear distinction between madness and being a violent abuser of women." She also expressed that she was unfazed by the fact that Prince wrote her most cherished song, asserting, "In my perspective, it is my song."

Prince. Shutterstock

In 1990, Prince publicly praised the song; however, he was famously not a fan of others covering his work. When Maroon 5 covered "Kiss" in 2013, Prince criticized the band for including their version on their album. In an interview with Billboard, he stated, "I do pay performance royalties on others' songs I perform live, but I'm not recording these songs and putting them up for sale. Why do we need to hear another cover of a song someone else did? Art is about building a new foundation, not just laying something on top of what's already there."

Recently, Prince's estate refused permission to use O'Connor's rendition of "Nothing Compares 2 U" in a Showtime documentary titled Nothing Compares.

Prince's sister Sharon Nelson stated in a September 2022 Billboard statement that nothing can compare to Prince's live rendition of the song featuring Rosie Gaines, which can be found on the Hits 1 album. Sharon Nelson mentioned that she felt Sinéad did not deserve to use the song in her documentary, so they declined. According to O'Connor's family, her death was confirmed on Wednesday, July 26. They expressed their great sadness and announced the passing of their beloved Sinéad, requesting privacy during this challenging time. Sinéad O'Connor was 56 years old.