The story of one singer’s phenomenal rise to worldwide fame, and how her iconoclastic personality resulted in her exile from the pop mainstream. Focusing on prophetic words and deeds across a five-year period (1987-1992), the film reflects on the legacy of this fearless trailblazer, through a contemporary lens.
“I just wanted to scream”. Sinead O’Connor had no intention of being a pop star and for the first time, she gets to set the record straight in her own words. The iconic pop singer grew up in Ireland and was named after Sinéad de Valera, the wife of Irish President Éamon de Valera. When not listening to an eclectic mix of records, most of Sinead’s childhood was spent being abused by her mother. Her mother would leave the young Sinead out in the family’s garden for hours. Upon being transferred to five different schools, Sinead was sent to a Magdalene Sisters institution which was so full of horrors they had a profound impact on her.
Eventually, Sinead joined a band and traveled to London, performing demos, and ended signing with U2’s manager. The documentary insightfully chronicles her various battles with her label over album covers and continued sexism. Countless scenes show male talk show hosts like Charlie Rose inquiring why she shaved her head. She called out institutional racism at the Grammys in solidarity with Public Enemy since the awards ceremony refused to acknowledge hip-hop as music. These public protests would infamously blow up when she tore up the photo of the Pope on Saturday Night Live.
By speaking truth to power, Sinead faced endless scrutiny. “Nothing Compares” lays out a compelling argument that she paved the way for other female singers to protest onstage. And thankfully this documentary covers all one’s burning questions. Director Kathryn Ferguson’s clips and reverberating sound design are the best in a music documentary since Todd Haynes’ “Velvet Underground” documentary. Recently, her son took his own life, and I hope there is some peace for the tortured artist.
“Nothing Compares” recently premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival
