Sinéad O'Connor Backtracks and Says She Is Not Retiring from Recording and Touring: 'I Retract'

"I love my job. Making music that is," Sinéad O'Connor said

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Published on June 11, 2021 11:52 AM

Sinead O'Connor. Photo: Andrew Chin/Getty

After the 54-year-old singer announced last week that she would be stepping away from music and touring following the release of her album NVDA next year, the "Nothing Compares 2 U" singer backtracked on her previous sentiments.

On Monday, O'Connor shared lengthy statement on Twitter addressing her prior claims and described her decision to announce her retirement as a knee-jerk reaction.

"Good news. F--- retiring. I retract. Am not retiring," she tweeted alongside her statement. "I was temporarily allowing pigs in lipstick to f--- my head up."

"Here's my statement..... in the form of these three photos. It's 'colourful' but that's me : )," she continued, adding the hashtag, "#LetOConnorBeOConnor."

In her three-page note shared on social media, O'Connor explained that she had been "badly triggered" by some interviews she did for her new memoir, Rememberings, in which she details surviving childhood trauma, calling one interview "unnecessary and hurtful," adding: "I felt like I did thirty years ago and for thirty years. That I'd be better off (safer) if I ran away and gave up being in music at all. Because I keep getting used as a coat hanger for people to clothe with whatever they like."

"... I said I was retiring. As I have said many times before in knee jerk reactions when I was young and made the butt of media abuse on the grounds I'm legally vulnerable," she continued. "The hugest misconception (I'm always asked this but never answer) of 'Sinead O'Connor' is that she is Amazonian. I'm not. I'm a five-foot, four-inch soft-hearted female who is actually very fragile."

She continued: "... I love my job. Making music that is. I don't like the consequences of being a talented (and outspoken woman) being that I have to wade through walls of prejudice every day to make a living. But I am born for live performance and with the astonishing love and support I have received in the last few days and will continue to receive from Rob Prinz and all at ICM, as well as many managers and buyers and fans, I feel safe in retracting my expressed wish to retire."

"... Also, I lied when I said I'm past my peak," O'Conner also noted. "Ain't no such f---ing thing :) I'm just past listening to any more s---- about how crazy people are invalid."

sinead o connorperfomring — Sinéad O'Connor performing in 1990. Martyn Goodacre/Getty

In her previous statement when she announced that she would be stepping away from music and touring, the singer tweeted, "This is to announce my retirement from touring and from working in the record business. I've gotten older and I'm tired."

She continued, "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."

"It's not sad news. It's staggeringly beautiful news. A wise warrior knows when he or she should retreat: #MeTime ❤️," she added. "It's been a forty year journey. Time to put the feet up and make other dreams come true ; )"

At the time, a rep for O'Connor confirmed her retirement to PEOPLE.