Sinead O’Connor postpones new LP & tour to enter year-long trauma & addiction treatment program

Gina Alexander

Sinead O'Connor has announced that she's postponing her 2021 tour to enter a year-long trauma and addiction treatment program. "I had a very traumatic six years and this year was the end of it but now recovery starts," she wrote in the first of long thread of tweets. "I would ask you please to be supportive and understanding and to hold onto your tickets for 2022 because I will be back with a new album and tour."

"This year I lost someone beloved and has affected me so badly that I became briefly addicted to a drug other than weed," she continued on Twitter. "I have been addicted to weed for 34 years. A lifetime. 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."

Sinead added, "The last year has been very traumatic also due to one of my kids being unwell and the child is thriving now thank god but the mom needs TLC. If I take this time to heal, I will be fit for a lifetime of touring. If I don't, I won't. If you knew the six years I've had, your know what I'm talking about. And I will explain very clearly in 2022. Music business is a very unforgiving place for artists who need to postpone due to emotional or mental health issues. I would ask my agents and promoters to look into their souls regarding that and to support me in taking this step toward making a life I am happy in. So that we can all make some money !!! If taking this step means my career is over then so be it. As Mary Oliver says, I must save the only life I can. But I do got one shit kicking album yo out out before I go ; )"

Though the album and tour have been postponed, O'Connor does have a memoir that will be out in June 2021. "Treatment begins next week so I'll still be posting here until then," she wrote in closing. "Mostly about what a total twat Trump is. And how he's way too stupid not to be clever. They may as well just have Putin openly in charge of America since he's been running it for four years anyway." Sinead was supposed to have toured the U.S. this year before COVID shut down touring.

In October, Sinead released a cover of traditional spiritual "Trouble of the World" which was her first release in five years. This year marks the 30th anniversary of her smash album I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got and its Prince-written single "Nothing Compares 2 U."