NEW video for the current single from Sinead O’Connor.
The iconic Sinead O’Connor celebrates thirty years in music with the release of her tenth album called ‘I’m not Bossy, I’m the Boss’. Now signed to a worldwide deal with Nettwerk Music Group Sinead O’Connor’s new record was to be called ‘The Vishnu Room’ which is one of the tracks on the album. But inspired by the US Ban Bossy campaign to encourage young girls to be leaders, Sinead wanted to change the title after the original artwork had been printed. When new promo shots by Dublin photographer Donal Moloney were taken the chance to remake the album sleeve came about, “When the record company received the promo shots, which included the cover shot you now see, they asked could they change the planned cover to the current one, and that allowed me the opportunity of changing the title”
With a new album title and striking cover art Sinead makes the point that an artist can look sexy with her clothes on, most likely a reference to her recent open letter to Miley Cyrus warning against how the music industry exploits the image of young women to sell records.
The new album, ‘I’m not Bossy, I’m the Boss’ is passionate and direct. Sinead says it’s “just an album of love songs”, with many written from the perspective of characters whose stories develop as the album progresses.
The record was produced by long-time collaborator John Reynolds, ‘The Vishnu Room’, the original title track of the record is also one of the standout tracks on the album, an intimate conversation with a longed-for man explains Sinead.
“The character is like a bride who has locked herself in the bathroom on the night of the wedding”, Sinead explains. “She is frightened to come out of the bathroom because she is shy about making love with the male character, who has been disdainful of her shyness. She is frightened because she adores the ground he walks on and she is afraid she won’t be hot enough. She is asking will he hold onto her until she’s not frightened.”
The track ‘8 Good Reasons’ sounds like the most autobiographical song on the album. Sinead sings, “You know I love to make music, But my head got wrecked by the business”
Sinead explains that the character in ‘8 Good Reasons’ is the same female we’ve heard from earlier in The Vishnu Room and will hear from again in later songs. “She is singing and will be singing to the same male character who is represented in this song as being the ‘ninth good reason’ for her to stick around on planet earth.”
The lead single from the album is ‘Take Me To Church’, the pre-release press hype around this album lead many to believe that Sinead this would be a cover of Hozier’s breakthru hit. But O’Connor’s ‘Take Me To Church’ is a joyous stomper that gets better with every listen. Sinead explains, “The character has had a profoundly distressing experience with the man of her dreams from which she is ultimately able to not only salvage herself but give birth to herself, coming to the conclusion, “I am only one I should adore.” The song is dealing with a painful subject, but has an uplifting message where the character want to sings sons of loving and forgiving, songs of drinking and of living in a church that does not hurt its congregation.
‘Take Me To Church’ is one of the last three tracks on the album. The closing trio of tracks mark the conclusions of the female character’s conversations. Sinead adds, “Her experience with the male character has frightened her and she has fled. She doesn’t know if she is crazy for being afraid of him. She is trying to make sense of her experience.”
Sinead had toyed with the track sequencing at the last minute and suggests that she got the song chronology wrong in terms of representing the emotional journey of her female character. When you are listening to ‘I’m not Bossy, I’m the Boss’, the track ‘Take Me To Church’ should follow ‘Where Have You Been?’ when anyone sets it into their playlists.
Sinead’s upcoming show at Electric Picnic will be a celebration of her 30 years in music. Expect to hear everything from her breakthrough hit, 1987’s Mandinka, to the multi-platinum international success of 1990’s I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got with her version of Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U.
As well as the hits that have made her an international star, she will also revisit moments from her genre-crossing forays into folk music and roots reggae and her collaborations with artists as diverse as Peter Gabriel, Massive Attack and The Chieftains. On the new record ‘I’m not Bossy, I’m the Boss’ O’Connor has again trodden her unique path, a journey that has made her one of the most iconic female artists of the past three decades.
‘I’m not Bossy, I’m the Boss’ is released on August 8. Sinead O’Connor plays Electric Picnic, Stradbally, Co. Laois on August 30/31
