There are many legendary things pop icon Sinead O'Connor has done in her enduring career. The first was at the beginning, when she got a buzzcut in response to a recording executive's request for her to grow her hair long. She has maintained this buzzcut ever since. But it's not just her punk-inspired hairstyle that makes O'Connor (now formally Shuhada Sadaqat after converting to Islam in 2018) the icon that she is. In celebration of the release of Nothing Compares, the new documentary that chronicles her life and career, we look back at some of her most memorable style moments.
Her defiance was legendary. A singer first for protest and then for pop, she rode for Ireland, tore up a picture of Pope John Paul II on stage on SNL in 1992 in protest of the Catholic Church's complicity and involvement with child abuse, and later got boo'ed off stage in Madison Square Garden for it. She didn't care. She did what she wanted anyway. Below, are our favourite looks from Sinead O'Connor over the years, but especially during the 90s.
View this post on Instagram
At the Grammy's in 1989, which was the year before she became the first artist to publicly denounce the Grammy's, despite being nominated for 4 awards that year. In a letter to the Academy, she wrote: “We are allowing ourselves to be portrayed as being in some way more important, more special than the very people we are supposed to be helping — by the way we dress, by the cars we travel in, by the ‘otherworldliness’ of our shows and by a lot of what we say in our music,”.
View this post on Instagram
Before SNL in 1990, two years before her protest against the Pope. Sinead performed Three Babies and The Last Day Of Our Aquaintance. She was originally scheduled to appear on the May 12, 1990 episode, but withdrew in protest when Andrew Dice Clay was named as the host.
View this post on Instagram
At the VMA’s in 1990. She was one of the most awarded artist that year winning 3 awards, including the award for ‘VIDEO Of THE YEAR’ for Nothing Compares 2 U, which at the time was one of the most viral songs globally.
View this post on Instagram
Headlining Glastonbury in 1990 (a good year for the singer).
View this post on Instagram
At a concert in 1990 wearing a loose fitting white tunic and a female symbol necklace.
View this post on Instagram
Performing on stage in a linen vest.
View this post on Instagram
At the airport, 1990.
View this post on Instagram
Wearing a "recovering catholic" shirt.
