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Adam Levine's Cover of "Nothing Compares 2 U" Is Hauntingly Vulnerable

The former The Voice Coach honored the late Sinead O’Connor with his deeply emotional tribute. 

By Jackie Manno

When former The Voice Coach Adam Levine (Seasons 1-16) was on The Howard Stern Show in 2023, he chose to honor the late Sinead O'Connor by covering one of her signature songs shortly after her death.

How to Watch

Watch the Season 26 premiere of The Voice on Monday, September 23 at 8/7c on NBC and next day on Peacock. 

Levine chose to sing "Nothing Compares 2 U," a special song for many reasons — namely O'Connor's vulnerability when she sings it. During his intimidate rendition, he sang with a soft yet raspy tone, conveying the pain in the track perfectly. 

Check out his gripping version in the video further down this article. 

RELATED: Adam Levine Hit a Seriously Impressive High Note Singing Prince's "Purple Rain"

What to know about "Nothing Compares 2 U" by Sinead O'Connor

Originally written by Prince, O'Connor's version was recorded for her 1990 album I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got. It reached the number-one position on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and is also known for its emotional music video where O'Connor sheds a tear while singing to the camera. 

In 2021, Rolling Stone listed "Nothing Compares 2 U" on the 184 position on its "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" list. 

"This haunting, heart-wrenching evocation of the grief of lost love remains peerless," The Guardian wrote of the tune in 2020. 

RELATED: Adam Levine's Cover of "Faith" by George Michael Is Effortlessly Suave

Adam Levine on Blast