Sinead O’Connor Makes Surprising Career Announcement

Sinead O’Connor is retiring from her four-decade-long musical career. In a series of tweets on Friday, the Irish singer-songwriter, best known for the 1990 hit “Nothing Compares 2U,” confirmed that she is retiring from music and touring. She also announced that her next album, No Veteran Dies Alone, will be her last. The album will release sometime in 2022.

Announcing her retirement, which was confirmed by one of the singer’s representatives to Billboard, O’Connor said that “it’s time for me to hang up my nipple tassels, having truly given my all.” The singer explained that she has “gotten older and I’m tired.” She added that the announcement is “not sad news. It’s staggeringly beautiful news. A wise warrior knows when he or she should retreat” and said that “it’s been a forty-year journey. Time to put the feet up and make other dreams come true.” O’Connor also said that “all shows which were originally set for 2020, rescheduled to 2021 and then to 2022 are going to be pulled. Because this soldier woman has grown old quicker than covid.”

O’Connor, whose career will be remembered for her shaved head close-up in the video for “Nothing Compares 2 U” and tearing up a photo of Pope John Paul II following an SNL performance, as well as several well-received albums, will conclude her musical career with the 2022 release of No Veteran Dies Alone. She confirmed that the album will be her last. In a tweet on Sunday, the Grammy winner said she is “really happy” that her final “recording is gonna be the one song I always dreamed of singing and haven’t yet, Mo Ghile Mear. And as the outro song for the Micheal Flatley movie (I dunno it’s name). Recording next weekend : ) Can’t fuggin wait.”

O’Connor’s announcement came as she promotes her memoir Rememberings, in which she recounts her life and the twists and turns that fame brought her. O’Connor said that the book “made me realise I’m my own boss,” and that while her surprise Friday announcement may have caused confusion and upset to “booking agents or promoters or managers,” she “didn’t wanna wait for permission from the men, as to when I could announce it.”

As for what’s next? O’Connor said she has a few ideas and one dream in particular that she hopes to achieve. With touring now behind her, she said that she will have more free time, and she has “always wanted to be one of the artists involved in presenting and mentoring on The Voice of Ireland,” something that she was never before able to do because of her busy schedule. The singer quipped, “if they ever want me they can contact my managers.”