Troy (song)

"Troy" is a song by Irish singer-songwriter Sinéad O'Connor from her debut studio album The Lion and the Cobra (1987). It was released by Chrysalis Records as the lead single from The Lion and the Cobra in 1987. Written by O'Connor, the lyric is based on the poem No Second Troy by William Butler Yeats. In 2002, a dance version of the song was released as "Troy (The Phoenix from the Flame)", becoming a top-ten hit on several international dance charts, including the US Dance Club Songs chart.

"Troy"
Single by Sinéad O'Connor
from the album The Lion and the Cobra
B-side"Still Listening"
Released1987
Recorded1986
StudioOasis Studios
(London, England)
Genre
Length6:34
LabelChrysalis
Songwriter(s)Sinéad O'Connor
Producer(s)
Sinéad O'Connor singles chronology
"Heroine"
(1986)		 "Troy"
(1987)		 "Mandinka"
(1987)
Music video
"Troy" on YouTube

Critical reception

AllMusic editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine noted in his review that songs like "Troy", "Jackie" and "Jerusalem" "are compelling because of their hushed, quiet intensity".[1] Mark Richardson from Pitchfork described the song as an "epic and visceral psychodrama", adding it is "lushly orchestrated, painting the story of desire and betrayal on a wall-sized canvas".[2] Sal Cinquemani from Slant wrote: "...the fierce melodrama of young love and betrayal is imbued with the surrounding violence in "Troy", the song's crumbling romance equated with the burning of the famous Greek city." He added the song "is, perhaps, the album's defining moment, exhibiting all of the traits — vulnerability, fury, conviction, theatricality — the infamously outspoken singer-songwriter would become known for in the years that followed".[3]

Music video

The video featured O'Connor, completely bald and covered with gold and silver body paint, singing to a background of moving images including flames.

Live performances

O'Connor initially sang "Troy" live only during the year after it was released, subsequently refusing to do so until 2008, when she performed at the Night of the Proms in Belgium and the Netherlands.

Chart performance
Chart (1988)
(Original version)		 Peak
position
Dutch Top 40[4] 5
Dutch GfK Singles Chart[5] 8
Flemish Singles Chart[6] 12
Chart (2002)
(Remix version)		 Peak
position
Flemish Singles Chart[7] 35
UK Singles Chart[8] 48
US Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play[9] 3
US Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales[9] 6

References
  1. "Sinéad O'Connor - The Lion and the Cobra". AllMusic. Retrieved 2020-03-23.
  2. Richardson, Mark (2009-04-24). "Sinéad O'Connor: I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got (Limited Edition)". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
  3. Cinquemani, Sal (2007-08-03). "Review: Sinéad O'Connor, The Lion and the Cobra". Slant. Retrieved 2020-03-23.
  4. "De Nederlandse Top 40, week 3, 1988". Archived from the original on 2008-01-20. Retrieved January 19, 2016.
  5. "dutchcharts.nl". Retrieved January 3, 2009.
  6. "ultratop.be". Retrieved January 3, 2009.
  7. "ultratop.be". Retrieved January 3, 2009.
  8. "charts-surfer.de search results". Retrieved January 3, 2009.
  9. "Allmusic – Sinéad O'Connor – Billboard singles". Retrieved January 3, 2009.
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