Singer Sinead O'Connor dies aged 56, Irish media reports.

DUBLIN, July 26 (Reuters) - Irish singer Sinead O'Connor, known for topping the charts around the world with the 1990 song "Nothing Compares 2 U", has died at the age of 56, the Irish Times and national broadcaster RTE reported on Wednesday.

O'Connor crashed onto the global music scene with her mesmerizing version of the song originally written by Prince, facing directly into the camera for the music video that has subsequently been viewed almost 400 million times on YouTube.

Long known as much for her shaved head and outspoken views on religion, sex, feminism and war as for her music, she will be remembered in some quarters for ripping up a photo of Pope John Paul II during a television appearance on "Saturday Night Live."

Reporting by Padraic Halpin, Graham Fahy and Suban Abdulla, Editing by Kylie MacLellan and Rosalba O'Brien