Sinead O’Connor: Inspiring Dreamy Rebellions
It could be any other obituary with Sinead O’Connor breathing her last on 26th July. But the allure of her persona and music still lives on.
The singer was a name to reckon with in the 1980s, but she made it to the global stage with “Nothing Compares 2 U” in 1990. Her albums always reported great sales figures, and her global fans and thousands of rebellions who got inspired made it possible.
Her shaved head became a part of her identity, touching millions who dreamt of unconformity. Even she went on to mention herself as “It’s the bald woman from Ireland” in an email exchange with Billboard in 2014.
And when she grew her hair, the tag “formerly bald” was always associated with her.
Further, in a conversation with the New York Times in 2021, she said, “I just don’t feel like me when I have hair.” It’s very much Sinead O’Connor and others who, like her, like to live their lives on their own terms.
Other signature symbols of this singer from Ireland were her ripped jeans and Dr. Martens’ footwear. Her signature style, especially her shaved skull, emerged as a symbol of rebellion against the set rules of sexuality and gender.
Revolutions, renegotiations, and liberations on these issues are still going on, and she will always be one of the most prominent faces for all the struggles and endeavors to push boundaries.
So, with her demise, it’s like the fall of an angel who took many under her wings with her music, beliefs, and way of living.
Today, you will see some prominent examples of baldness associated with the identity of women who choose to be different. Ayanna Pressley, an alopecia patient and a United States Representative from Massachusetts, made a public appearance with her bald head in 2020.
And all of us have seen Dora Milaje in Black Panthers, released in January 2018.
But when Sinead O’Connor started it, things were much different. There was no icon to look up to. Like now, then also there were certain images of a mainstream pop stars, and she broke that with her unique statement.
Her bald head was definitely the biggest highlight of it. Throughout her life and music, she has always celebrated singularity and freedom to live, and that lingers like her lines,
“I only want to be my own woman
I haven’t traveled this far to become
No man’s woman
No man’s woman
No man’s woman.”
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written by
sibashree bhattacharya
Sibashree has been into SEO and eCommerce content writing for more than 9 years. She loves reading books and is a huge fan of those over-the-top period dramas. Her favorite niches are fashion, lifestyle, beauty, traveling, relationships, women's interests, and movies. The strength of her writing lies in thorough research backing and an understanding of readers’ pain points.
