Irish Musicians | 3 to 5 BOPS

Irish Musicians: 3 to 5 BOPS No. 61 (2023), features musical BOPS courtesy of The Cranberries, Dermot Kennedy, Hozier, Niall Horan, and Sinéad O’Connor.

Ah, you know what time it is! It’s 3 to 5 BOPS time – WOO! On 3 to 5 BOPS, it’s all about brevity and sweetness… for the most part! There’s a theme/topic, 3, 4, or 5 songs, and a blurb – two paragraphs or less.  3 to 5 BOPS, hence, is a mini playlist that shouldn’t take much time to consume.  In the 61^st edition of 3 to 5 BOPS (2023), we select songs from Irish Musicians. The BOPS arrive courtesy of 🎙 The Cranberries, 🎙 Dermot Kennedy, 🎙 Hozier, 🎙 Niall Horan, and 🎙 Sinéad O’Connor. Okay, let’s get into it!

1. Sinéad O’Connor, “Nothing Compares 2 U”

💿 I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got • 🏷 Chrysalis • 🗓 1990

“It’s been seven hours and fifteen days / Since you took your love away.” Those iconic lyrics hail from the beloved, 1990 classic, 🎵 “Nothing Compares 2 U” (💿 I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got). “Nothing Compares 2 U” was written by the late, great 🎙 Prince. Prince even recorded his own, absolutely terrific version.  Still, the version of the song that we all know and love hails from the one and only, 🎙 Sinéad O’Connor.  Sadly, O’Connor is no longer with us, passing away on July 26, 2023, at just 56 😢.  Despite death, the legacy of 🏆 Grammy-winning the Irish singer/songwriter lives on via the fierceness of this no. 1 hit.

Sinéad O’Connor made this cover truly sound like an original, PERIOD (more like exclamation).  Her tone is haunting and marvelous on “Nothing Compares 2 U.”  A tuneful song, Her expressiveness only amplifies the melody more. Furthermore, she does a superb job bringing out the emotions: “Since you’ve been gone I can do whatever I want / … But nothing, I said, nothing can takeaway these blues.” Of course, she’s particularly electric on the chorus: “‘Cause nothing compares / Nothing compares to you.” Adding to the allure of this beloved gem, nominated for three Grammys itself,  is the production by O’Connor and 🎛 Nellee Hooper. The sound, it’s just glorious – maybe it’s the keys, or is it the strings? Regardless, the world lost a magnificent artist in Sinéad O’Connor.  Her music and her legacy endures on, particularly on her ace in the hole, 🎵 “Nothing Compares 2 U”.

Appears in 🔻:

• Sinéad O’Connor, Nothing Compares 2 U: FIERCE Pop + Rock 🔥🤘 33 (2023)

2. Niall Horan, “Meltdown”   

💿 The Show • 🏷 Neon Haze Music Ltd. / Niall Horan / UMG Recordings, Inc. • 🗓 2023

“When it all melts down, I’ll be there.” Good to know, 🎙 Niall Horan! The Irish singer/songwriter released 🎵 “Meltdown” as the second single from his third studio album, 💿 The Show. “Meltdown” is brief but potent, running about two-and-a-half minutes in duration, more than enough for the listers to experience that Niall magic, WOO! He wrote “Meltdown” alongside 🎼 ✍ Amy Allen, Joel Little, and John Ryan.  Little and Ryan also produce the track, with incredibly positive results. “Meltdown” benefits from an electrifying groove and driving bass line.  Furthermore, Niall gives us strong vocals.  “Screamin’ in your car (Yeah) in the driveway / Spinnin’ out, think your life’s goin’ sideways,” Horan asserts in the first verse. In the second, he adds, “Sleep is so thin (Yeah) out of habit / Hard to tell the real from the dreams you imagine.” Clearly, things are NOT going well for this person.  Even so, superhero Niall is there for you, he reveals on the memorably penned, tuneful chorus! Good to know! All in all, “Meltdown” is a surefire ear-worm after the first listen!   

Appears in 🔻:  

• Awesome Songs: May 2023 
• Melt: 3 to 5 BOPS No. 44 (2023) 
• 11 Songs SOOO Hot, They MELT! (2023) 
• Best Songs of 2023 (So Far)

3. Hozier, “Take Me to Church” 

💿 Hozier • 🏷 Rubyworks / Columbia • 📅 2014

🎵 “Take Me to Church” was a no. 2 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 – a huge, breakthrough hit for Irish singer/songwriter 🎙 Hozier. Furthermore, the standout from 💿 Hozier (2014) was 🏆 nominated for the Grammy for Song of the Year.  Listening emptily, it’s easy to see why it was a massive hit.  Who doesn’t enjoy a song that references sex?  Considering the depth of its subject matter analytically, it’s almost unbelievable it achieved the commercial accolades it did.  

In a NY Mag interview, The Irish singer/songwriter describes the song as being about sex, humanity, and disdain for the church “teaching shame about sexual orientation.”  The lyrics of the song confirm those strong feelings:  

“My church offers no absolutes 

She tells me ‘worship in the bedroom’ 

The only heaven I’ll be sent too 

Is when I’m alone with you.”

Furthermore, in the interview, he tackles the influence of the church in Ireland, and homophobia in Russia. Key lyrics, such as “We were born sick, you heard them say it,” confirms this.   Throughout its course, “Church” amplifies blasphemous references to make a statement.  Ultimately, that statement is that all humans, regardless of sexuality, should be able to love and be with whomever they’d like.   

Appears in 🔻:  

• A Compendium Comprised of 100 Notable LGBTQ+ Songs (2020)
• 15 T Songs Selected with No Rhyme or Reason (2020)
• Church ⛪: 5ive Songs No. 44 (2022)

4. Dermot Kennedy, “Innocence and Sadness” 

💿 Sonder • 🏷 Riggins Recording / Island • 📅 2022 

“I woulda waited for you all night to talk for a minute / I’ll sing into the cold dark night till you listen…” Oh, the 🎵 “Innocence and Sadness”! “Innocence and Sadness” appears as the fifth track off of 💿 Sonder, the 2022 sophomore album by Irish singer/songwriter, 🎙 Dermot Kennedy.  In the chorus, Kennedy continues singing, “People spend their life heads down, souls hidden / I’m tryin’ to be who you need me to be, well.” Kennedy penned this gorgeous piano ballad himself, while 🎛 Jonah Shy and Scott Harris produce. Throughout the course of “Innocence and Sadness,” Dermot Kennedy serves up expressive, nuanced vocals. He sings with incredible authenticity – you totally buy what he is selling! “Never felt alone till the late night / Never knew she was my home till the king cried,” he sings in the second verse, adding, “Lost inside the forest, but it feels fine / Innocence and sadness in the same night.” Woo! Kennedy’s performance is commanding to the n^th degree and incredibly sweet. His poetry is magnificent.  

Appears in 🔻:

• 11 Songs Where The Boys Are Sad (2022)

5. The Cranberries, “Zombie”

💿 No Need to Argue  • 🏷 UMG Recordings • 📅 1994

“In your head, in your head / Zombie, zombie, zombie-ie-ie.” Ah, to this day, that’s a truly glorious, timeless chorus – one for the ages.  Of course, that zombie-driven chorus arrives courtesy of Irish alternative rock band 🎙 The Cranberries fronted by the late, great 🎙Delores O’Riordan. O’Riordan penned this classic from  💿 No Need to Argue about unrest between Ireland and England (“It’s the same old theme, since 1916”) and most specifically, a 1993 bombing by the Irish Republican Army that killed two English children (“Another head hangs lowly / Child is slowly taken”).  This beloved classic both referencing the conflict as well as seeking peace.  🎵 “Zombie” has been covered by numerous musicians including 🎙 Bad Wolves (💿 Disobey, 2018) and Miley Cyrus (💿 Plastic Hearts, 2020).  

Appears in 🔻:  

• Zombie: 3BOPS No. 7 (2021)
• An Alphabet of Random Songs (2021) 
• 11 Spooky Songs About Monsters, Mythical Creatures & Such (2022)

Irish: 3 to 5 BOPS No. 61 (2023) [📷: Brent Faulkner/The Musical Hype; Chrysalis, Island, Neon Haze Music Ltd., Niall Horan, Riggins Recording, UMG Recordings, Inc.; KERBSTONE, Wynn Pointaux from Pixabay]