Sinead O' Connor - Fire on Babylon

What this video is

Released in August 1994 as the second single from O'Connor's fourth album Universal Mother, 'Fire on Babylon' arrived at a moment when O'Connor had deliberately distanced herself from mainstream pop celebrity following the global success of 'Nothing Compares 2 U' (1990). The song addresses maternal abuse and family trauma, themes consistent with the confessional, autobiographical turn in alternative music of the…

Why it matters

A landmark example of mid-1990s confessional art-pop music video, 'Fire on Babylon' represents Michel Gondry's early international breakthrough period and demonstrates his defining technique of externalising interior psychological states through practical in-camera spatial transformation. The…

The director

French filmmaker and music video director born in Versailles. Attended art school in Paris and co-founded the band Oui Oui, for which he also directed videos. Broke internationally after directing Björk's 'Human Behaviour' (1993). Known for inventive…