In a series of tweets over the weekend, Sinéad O’Connor stated that she is retiring from her career in touring and recording music.
The Irish singer-songwriter, known for her ethereal take on the Prince-penned “Nothing Compares 2 U” that peaked at No. 1 on the Hot 100 in 1990, announced her retirement plans on Friday evening (June 4). Billboard reached out to a representative for O’Connor for comment.
“This is to announce my retirement from touring and from working in the record business. I’ve gotten older and I’m tired. So it’s time for me to hang up my nipple tassels, having truly given my all. NVDA in 2022 will be my last release. And there’ll be no more touring or promo,” O’Connor wrote on Twitter.
Replying to a fan who inquired about her upcoming concert dates, O’Connor clarified: “Yes, all shows which were originally set for 2020, rescheduled to 2021 and then to 2022 are going to be pulled. Because this soldier woman has grown old quicker than covid.”
In a follow-up tweet, she added, “It’s not sad news. It’s staggeringly beautiful news. A wise warrior knows when he or she should retreat: #MeTime.”
“It’s been a forty year journey,” said O’Connor, who’s released 10 full-length studio albums over the years. “Time to put the feet up and make other dreams come true.”
On Saturday, O’Connor returned to Twitter to say she was sorry to anyone on her team who might have been taken aback by her sudden announcement.
“Apologies if any upset caused to booking agents or promoters or managers due to my tweeting about my retirement,” she wrote. “I guess the book made me realise I’m my own boss. I didn’t wanna wait for permission from the men, as to when I could announce it. Also, I’d had a few whiskeys.”
O’Connor just released a memoir titled Rememberings. The book, which delves into her upbringing, her journey in music and her struggles with illness, was first announced in December, soon after the singer had said she was entering a year-long treatment program for trauma and addiction. At the time, she told fans that she planned to return with both a new album and tour in 2022.
“I grew up with a lot of trauma and abuse. I then went straight into the music business. And never learned really how to make a normal life. Never took proper time to heal. Wasn’t ready to either,” she wrote on Twitter in November.
