Sinéad O’Connor’s Most Unlikely Collaborations
Sinéad O’Connor has never been known to shy away from transcending genre, subverting expectations and giving the world contemporary works that leave a lasting mark. As one of An Post’s “Iconic Irish Voices” she will be immortalised on stamps available online and in post offices, alongside other Irish musicians who have shaped our culture. To mark this moment, here are some of Sinéad O’Connor’s most unforeseen collaborations.
Click here to get your hands on the limited range of stamps.
I Want Your Hands On Me With Mc Lyte
An unexpected amalgamation of east-coast hip hop and Sinéad O’Connor’s traditional Celtic vocalism. Who would’ve thought they’d pull it off so well? Initially released as a solo track by Sinéad, she insisted on recruiting the trailblazing female rapper MC Lyte for the remix. Initially surprised at her choice, MC Lyte questioned why Sinéad picked her. Sinéad replied that it was the raw energy on her track “Shut The Eff Up” which grabbed her attention.
“She was so intrigued by this young person using this language to get her point across and she wanted me to say the words exactly like that on the remix.” – MC Lyte
Fire On Babylon With M-Beat
Sinéad O’Connor jungle track? Say no more. Sinéad had a tendency to reach out to left-field artists out of the blue and ask for a collaboration. This is what happened with legendary junglist M-Beat. One of the forefathers of the dance sub-genre which combines Jamaican roots with fast-paced drum patterns. Remixing “Fire On Babylon”, the duo gave us something that would definitely solicit a wheel-up in clubs, 30 years later.
BOMB THE BASS With Benjamin Zephaniah
Caribbean culture and sounds seemingly heavily inspired Sinéad’s collaborative endeavours. Here, it was with the late renowned Jamaican-British poet and musician, Benjamin Zephaniah. Sinéad and Benjamin were personal friends and created this song together as a critical scope of Britain’s past as both artist’s family histories had been directly affected by British colonialism.
Special Cases With Massive Attack
Sinéad’s voice fits like a glove on Massive Attack trip-hop sounds. The song details how essential it is to be able to trust people in a chaotic and sometimes unforgiving world. This was especially relevant given the context of the impending war on Iraq which would start only a few months after the release of the track.
