Irish singer Sinéad O’Connor has died at the age of 56, her family announced. It hasn’t been announced as a suicide, but I’m sure that’s the case.

Keith Harris, writing for Rolling Stone, has a great obituary on the singer. This paragraph probably encapsulates her career more than any I’ve read.

Though her singing was passionate and sensual, O’Connor avoided the clichéd images that often straitjacketed female rock stars of that era. She was neither a girlish sexpot nor a hippie free spirit nor a posturing tough chick, and her fiercely idiosyncratic personal style — shaved head, emotionally ambiguous facial expressions, loose outfits — helped younger female artists discover new ways to reinvent themselves.

Obviously, “Nothing Compares 2 U” was a worldwide hit. To many, she had albums worth of material just as fantastic. Her voice was incredible, but she never really resonated with me personally.

She was, however, right about the Catholic church, and her personal experience reverberated with her throughout her life. I hope she has finally found peace.