Controversy as Trump uses iconic Sinead O’Connor song

US presidential candidate, Donald Trump, is in hot water following his use of a song from the late Irish singer Sinead O’Connor at his latest political rallies.

The executors of Sinead O’Connor’s estate have vehemently opposed Donald Trump‘s use of her most famous song at his political gatherings, stating that she would have been ‘disgusted.’

The controversy started when the former US President featured O’Connor’s rendition of ‘Nothing Compares 2 U at rallies for his 2024 Republican nomination campaign.

This usage sparked an immediate backlash, considering O’Connor’s passing on July 26, 2023, at the age of 56, a loss that deeply affected the music industry.

Estate and label unite in protest

A collective statement from O’Connor’s estate and Chrysalis Records made a stern request for Trump to immediately cease using her music.

O’Connor, who had previously labelled Trump as a ‘biblical devil’, was described as someone who adhered to a stringent moral compass throughout her existence.

‘It is well known that Sinead O’Connor lived by a fierce moral code defined by honesty, kindness, fairness, and decency towards her fellow human beings.

‘It was with outrage therefore that we learned that Donald Trump has been using her iconic performance of Nothing Compares 2 U at his political rallies.

‘It is no exaggeration to say that Sinead would have been disgusted, hurt and insulted to have her work misrepresented in this way by someone who she herself referred to as a “biblical devil”,’ they stated.

Protecting O’Connor’s musical legacy

O’Connor’s interpretation of Prince’s composition not only became one of Ireland’s most significant musical exports but also catapulted her to global fame upon its 1990 release.

This incident follows numerous musicians, including Johnny Marr of The Smiths, Rihanna, Neil Young, Linkin Park, the late Tom Petty, and Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler, who have all previously demanded Trump refrain from using their music for his political ambitions.

As the guardians of her legacy, the statement concluded, ‘we demand that Donald Trump and his associates desist from using her music immediately,’ underscoring the profound disconnect between O’Connor’s values and Trump’s political agenda.