The Emperor's New Clothes (song)

For the Panic! at the Disco song, see Emperor's New Clothes (song).

"The Emperor's New Clothes"
Single by Sinéad O'Connor
from the album I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got
B-side	"What Do You Want?" "Mandinka" (remix)
Released	5 June 1990
Genre	Alternative pop[1] rock[2]
Length	5:16 (album/12" version) 4:29 (video version) 4:16 (7" version)
Label	Ensign Chrysalis
Songwriter(s)	Sinéad O'Connor
Producer(s)	Sinéad O'Connor
Sinéad O'Connor singles chronology
"Nothing Compares 2 U" (1990) "The Emperor's New Clothes" (1990) "Three Babies" (1990)
Music video
"The Emperor's New Clothes" on YouTube

"The Emperor's New Clothes" is a song written and recorded by Irish singer-songwriter Sinéad O'Connor for her second studio album, I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got (1990). The song was released as the album's second single on 5 June 1990 by Ensign and Chrysalis Records and reached number three in Canada, number five in Ireland, and the top 20 in Australia, Italy and Switzerland. In the United States, the song topped the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart for a week. Its music video was directed by John Maybury.^[3]

Composition

Lyrically, the song is about personal tribulations amid the oppression of the world around her, while she sings: I will live by my own policies/I will sleep with a clear conscience.^[4]

Critical reception

Jodi Cleesattle from American Eagle felt that "The Emperor's New Clothes" is "the album's closest thing to a typical rock song", and "an up-front autobiographical song with even, somewhat gritty vocals and strong backing on both electric and acoustic guitars."^[5] Bill Coleman from Billboard described it as a "jangly",^[6] "clever, guitar-laced rocker [which] is a fine choice as a follow-up". He also stated that it "should confirm O'Connor's status as a viable pop radio star."^[7] Tom Moon from Knight-Ridder declared it as a "show-stopping moment" and a "bitter what-I-learned-on-the-road song".^[8]

Simon Reynolds from Melody Maker felt that "this shrill statement of independence (so radically minimalist it doesn't have a tune)", "could be directed either at a male lover or at a public that keeps foisting their expectations on her slight shoulders."^[9] Pan-European magazine Music & Media viewed it as "hard-hitting pop".^[10] David Giles from Music Week remarked that it's "a rockier track", more like "Mandinka" than "Nothing Compares 2 U", "though without any of the former's quirkiness."^[11] William Shaw from Smash Hits named it "the most confessional record ever", describing it as "goose-pimplingly honest".^[12]

Retrospective response

In a 2020 retrospective review, Matthew Hocter from Albumism said that the song "shows a conviction that is part anger and part middle finger to the never-ending judgement the singer faced at the time with her star sky rocketing, scrutiny around her Catholic faith, and her role as a newly single mother."^[13] AllMusic editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine described it as one of several "moments of brilliance" in his review of the compilation album So Far... The Best Of.^[14] In 1998, David Quantick from NME wrote that it is a song "very heavy on specifics and is full of not very obscure lines like. He thinks I just became famous and that's what messed me up and the splendidly un-rock 'n' roll You know how it is/And how a pregnancy can change you."^[15]

The lyric It seems like years since you held the baby/ While I wrecked the bedroom, according to Mark Richardson from Pitchfork in 2009, "is delivered with a muted lilt, O'Connor's voice bright and possibly a little hopeful, confident in her strength despite the weight of the past".^[16] In a 2015 review, Pop Rescue wrote that the song itself is "a rockier song" than the others on the album, adding that "it really has a great rhythm and shows that Sinéad is equally at home of these harder pop rock songs. This is a brilliant track!"^[17]

Track listing

• US CD single

1. "The Emperor's New Clothes" (LP Version) – 5:16
2. "The Emperor's New Clothes" (Main Mix) – 4:37
3. "What Do You Want?" – 2:58
4. "Mandinka" (Jake's Remix) – 5:58

Personnel

• Sinéad O'Connor – vocals, songwriter, producer, acoustic guitar
• John Reynolds – drums
• Andy Rourke – bass
• Marco Pirroni – electric guitar
• Chris Birkett – engineering

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1990) Peak position Argentina (CAPIF)[18] 1 Australia (ARIA)[19] 20 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[20] 24 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[21] 25 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[22] 3 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[23] 56 Germany (GfK)[24] 28 Ireland (IRMA)[25] 5 Italy (Musica e dischi)[26] 15 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[27] 23 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[28] 22 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[29] 23 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[30] 17 UK Singles (OCC)[31] 31 US Billboard Hot 100[32] 60 US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[33] 1

Year-end charts Chart (1990) Position Canada Top Singles (RPM)[34] 42 US Modern Rock Tracks (Billboard)[35] 5

Release history

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Ref.
United States	5 June 1990	7-inch vinyl 12-inch vinyl CD cassette	Ensign Chrysalis	^[citation needed]
United Kingdom	9 July 1990	7-inch vinyl		[36]
	16 July 1990	12-inch vinyl		[37]
	30 July 1990	7-inch vinyl box set CD cassette		[38]
Japan	24 August 1990	CD		[39]

References

1. Pitchfork Staff (September 28, 2022). "The 150 Best Albums of the 1990s". Pitchfork. Retrieved April 26, 2023. ...a jaunty alt-pop us-against-them anthem ('The Emperor's New Clothes').
2. Breihan, Tom (17 January 2024). "The Alternative Number Ones: Sinéad O'Connor's 'The Emperor's New Clothes'". Stereogum. Retrieved 17 January 2024. 'The Emperor's New Clothes' is a rock song.
3. "Sinead O'Connor - The Emperor's New Clothes (Live in 1990)". Radiolivestageone.webradiosite.com. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
4. Cinquemani, Sal (3 October 2003). "Sinéad O'Connor: I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
5. Cleesattle, Jodi (2 April 1990). "Pain, power essence of O'Connor's voice". American Eagle. p. 15.
6. Coleman, Bill (31 March 1990). "Dance Trax: The Alternative Tip Is looking Sharp" (PDF). Billboard. p. 31. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
7. Coleman, Bill (16 June 1990). "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. p. 85. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
8. Moon, Tom (23 March 1990). "Sinead O'Connor produces a stunning second album". Spokane Chronicle. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
9. Reynolds, Simon (14 July 1990). "Singles". Melody Maker. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
10. "Previews: Albums" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 7, no. 12. 24 March 1990. p. 16. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
11. Giles, David (21 July 1990). "Singles" (PDF). Music Week. p. 19. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
12. Shaw, William (11 July 1990). "Review: Singles". Smash Hits. No. 303. p. 45. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
13. "Sinéad O'Connor's 'I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got' Turns 30: Anniversary Retrospective". Albumism. 18 March 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
14. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Sinéad O'Connor - So Far: The Best of Sinead O'Connor". AllMusic. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
15. Quantick, David. "Sinead O'Connor – I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got". NME. Archived from the original on 2000-08-17. Retrieved 4 December 2020.
16. Richardson, Mark (24 April 2009). "Sinéad O'Connor: I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got (Limited Edition)". Pitchfork. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
17. "Review: "I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got" by Sinead O'Connor (CD, 1990)". Pop Rescue. 5 October 2015. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
18. "Los 5 éxitos de la semana". La Nación (Costa Rica) (in Spanish). 11 September 1990. p. 24. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
19. "Sinéad O'Connor – The Emperor's New Clothes". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
20. "Sinéad O'Connor – The Emperor's New Clothes" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
21. "Sinéad O'Connor – The Emperor's New Clothes" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
22. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 8003." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
23. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 7, no. 35. 1 September 1990. p. V. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
24. "Sinéad O'Connor – The Emperor's New Clothes" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
25. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – The Emperor's New Clothes". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
26. "Classifiche". Musica e dischi (in Italian). Retrieved 29 May 2022. Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Sinead O'Connor".
27. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 34, 1990" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
28. "Sinéad O'Connor – The Emperor's New Clothes" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
29. "Sinéad O'Connor – The Emperor's New Clothes". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
30. "Sinéad O'Connor – The Emperor's New Clothes". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
31. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
32. "Sinead OConnor Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
33. "Sinead OConnor Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
34. "Top 100 Hit Tracks of 1990". RPM. Retrieved 30 April 2019 – via Library and Archives Canada.
35. "The Year in Music 1990: Top Modern Rock Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 102, no. 51. 22 December 1990. p. YE-47.
36. "New Singles". Music Week. 7 July 1990. p. 39.
37. "New Singles". Music Week. 14 July 1990. p. 37.
38. "New Singles". Music Week. 28 July 1990. p. 27.
39. "Emperor's New Clothes, The | シニード・オコナー" [Emperor's New Clothes, The | Sinéad O'Connor] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 8 September 2023.