“Not So Glamorous at All”: The Consequences of Fame and Celebrity Status in The Cranberries’ To The Faithful Departed

Abstract

The Cranberries have been considered to be one of the major rock bands from Ireland. From 1993 until 2019, they released eight studio albums, and hit the world charts with songs such as “Linger” and “Zombie”, before disbanding following singer Dolores O’Riordan’s death. After two very successful and critically acclaimed records, The Cranberries’ third release To The Faithful Departed (1996) became the target of harsh criticism, as the press considered it to be lyrically shallow. As a result, The Cranberries’ third album has been traditionally analysed in that way. This paper aims at providing a new, comprehensive analysis of The Cranberries’ To The Faithful Departed by bringing the band’s then recently achieved stardom into focus, as such an experience had a significant impact on the four members’ emotional state, and hence in the songwriting. Thus, it is hoped that the present article will provide a greater understanding of how the lyrics of The Cranberries’ 1996 album reflect the struggles of a band achieving celebrity status in the music industry. This essay can be viewed as innovative for two reasons: firstly, there has been a lack of academic research on The Cranberries, and secondly, it offers a new reading of their third record To The Faithful Departed.