Why These Musicians Refused to Sell Their Songs to Advertisers

The strongest refusal in this case came from her estate, but it was rooted in the way she lived. After “Nothing Compares 2 U” was used at Donald Trump campaign events, her estate and label demanded that the use stop, saying it misrepresented an artist known for fierce moral conviction. That reaction felt consistent with a career that had never been built around easy approval. O’Connor often paid a heavy price for speaking publicly about belief, abuse, power, and conscience, especially after her 1992 Saturday Night Live appearance.