NEW MUSIC FOR OLDS #36A

Like a wild horse

Dia dhuit, paid subscribers.

Switching things up a bit this week. I wanted to throw out a few thoughts on Sinead O’Connor.

I know, I know—Sinead’s online grief cycle ended days ago. We’ve moved on to Pee-Wee! Or that kid from “Euphoria”!

I’m joking, but it does seem like we’ve become ruthlessly efficient at processing the death of a beloved artist. Back in 2016, Bowie and Prince kneecapped us for weeks! But seven years and a global pandemic later, we’ve managed to whittle down the Online Grief Cycle (OGC) to around 72 hours. The unspoken agreement: Three days of collective grief—performative, but sincere—and then we all naturally reboot, in anticipation of the next dead celeb. It’s awful for the artists, especially O’Connor, who clearly could have used this outpouring of love. But from a fan perspective, it’s probably a healthy coping mechanism. I’ve never sat shiva, but I imagine it operates on the same principle: wallow, then move on.