Prince vs. Sinéad O’Connor | Head 2 Head 🗣️

In the 33^rd edition of Head 🗣️ 2 Head 🗣️ (2023), Prince and Sinéad O’Connor contend for the best rendition of “Nothing Compares 2 U.”  

Welcome to Head 2 Head! On Head 🗣️ 2 Head 🗣️, we pit at least two musicians singing the same song together, comparing their performances.  Then, after much deliberation, we deliver a verdict of which performance was the best, or at least, subjectively, which performance moved us more.  In the 33^rd edition of head 🗣️2 head 🗣️ (2023), 🎙 Prince and 🎙 Sinéad O’Connor contend for the best rendition of 🎵 “Nothing Compares 2 U”. So, without further ado, let the Head 2 Head commence!

1. Prince, “Nothing Compares 2 U”

💿 Originals • 🏷 Warner • 📅 2019

The death of 🎙 Prince on April 21, 2016, ranks among the most shocking in entertainment history. The multitalented, versatile pop/rock/R&B musician was incredibly prolific throughout his career.  While his death meant no more brand-new music, he left a vault full of unreleased music, hence why his  studio recording of  🎵 “Nothing Compares 2 U”, from 1984, saw the light of day. The late, great 🎙 Sinéad O’Connor holds claim to the most famous version of the song, but lest we forget, it was Prince who wrote this epic classic and recorded it first. 

When “Nothing Compares 2 U” was released as a single in 2018, Matt Miller of Esquire Magazine described it as “fucking incredible” – I agree wholeheartedly! The original is EPIC, exemplifying Prince at his very best.  After all, we all know that 1984 was his year – 💿 Purple Rain, HELLO! His vocal tone is distinct and pure, perfectly suited for his melody.  The overall vocal performance is nuanced, filled with emotion and that personality that ONLY The Purple One could conjure up.  The falsetto is nothing short of magnificent – ripe, ripe, RIPE! Adding to the allure is the production, namely the beefy guitars, pummeling drums, the soulful saxophone solo (🎷 Eric Leeds), and the supporting vocals backing the masterful lead.  Fittingly, “Nothing Compares 2 U” concludes Prince’s 2019 posthumous album, 💿 Originals.  Again, just to reiterate, who recorded it 🎵 “Nothing Compares 2 U” first? Prince, despite the fact we didn’t hear it until he was long gone. 

Appears in 🔻:

• 13 Songs Fueled by NOTHING (2018)
• 25 Stunning Ballads from 2018 (So Far) | Year in Review
• Recapping 40 Stunning Ballads from 2018 | Year in Review
• Prince, Nothing Compares 2 U – Throwback Thursday no. 4: Weekly Gems No. 4 (2020)
• Weekly Gems 💎 4: Week of 4-20-2020

2. 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). As stated previously, “Nothing Compares 2 U” was written by the late, great 🎙 Prince. Furthermore, he recorded it originally in 1984.  Still, the most familiar version hails from the one and only, 🎙 Sinéad O’Connor.  Sadly, O’Connor passed 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, the biggest and most important song of her career.  Nominated for three Grammys, it surprisingly won none, though 💿 I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got was awarded the Grammy for Best Alternative Music Performance.

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)
• Irish Singers: 3 To 5 Bops No. (2023)

The Verdict 👨🏿‍⚖️

Ah, it’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for! Who takes this epic Head 🗣️ 2 Head 🗣️ – 🎙 Prince or 🎙 Sinéad O’Connor?  All fingers point to Sinéad O’Connor for obvious reasons. (1), she secured a no. 1 pop hit. (2), she was nominated for three 🏆 Grammys, specifically for 🎵 “Nothing Compares 2 U”, and technically earned one because 💿 I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got was awarded the 🏆 Grammy for Best Alternative Music Performance. (3), this version is the one ingrained into music history because we are most familiar with it.  Sure, Prince originally recorded it, but we heard the original after the fact – a long, long time after O’Connor earned her definitive honors.  STILL, the Prince version, THE ORIGINAL, is indeed “fucking incredible” as the critic notes. 

So… the verdict is… BOTH VERSIONS ARE GREAT, I CAN’T DECIDE, SO, WE’LL CALL IT A DRAW.  Rest in peace to both these magnificent musicians.  I leave you with a classic, Sinéad O’Connor GIF:

Prince vs. Sinéad O’Connor: Head 2 Head 🗣️ No. 33 (2023) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Chrysalis, Warner; Hernán Toro, Los Muertos Crew, RDNE Stock project, Thomas Ronveaux from Pexels]