“There is no one who could ever compare”

St Vincent has shared how much she is in “awe” of musician Kate Bush, saying “there is no one who could ever compare.”

St Vincent, real name Annie Clark, made the comments on social media the day after she performed a version of ‘Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)’ to honour Bush’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The ceremony took place in New York last night (November 3), with Bush being inducted via a speech by Big Boi.

In a post on social media, Clark recalled discovering Bush’s music and opened up about her love for the musician.

Clark wrote: “Kate Bush. First heard her song ‘This Woman’s Work” in the pivotal scene in the 1988 film She’s Having A Baby. And though I was 7 or 8 and too young to understand much of anything, I wept.

“Then around age 16 I went to CD World in Dallas and saw a copy of ‘The Sensual World’ on the racks. And I was so taken with her. Her expression. The flower to her lips. I hadn’t put the pieces together yet that this was the woman who sang THAT song. But I took it home and it was her. That woman who could soar so high into the ether and reach so deep into your soul. The entire album is a masterpiece, but I still cannot listen to ‘This Woman’s Work’ without weeping.

“Then I was working on my first record and an engineer friend played me ‘Hounds of Love.’ It was everything. So urgent. So emotional. An entire sonic world. Deeply catchy and deeply bizarre. ART. Kate. Singular. Inimitable. Then the early records. For me: ‘The Kick Inside’. ‘The dreaming’. And later, still pushing soaring on ‘Aerial’. How could someone be this genius and pure and completely free? Vocally, musically, physically?

“I stand in awe of Kate Bush. There is no one who could ever compare.” You can see the full post below.

Ahead of the event, Bush issued a statement on her website that she would not be attending the ceremony, adding: “I am completely blown away by this huge honour – an award that sits in the big beating heart of the American music industry,” she said. “Thank you so much to everyone who voted for me. I never imagined I would be given this wonderful accolade.”

“I’m afraid I won’t be able to attend the ceremony tonight, but for me the real honour is knowing that you felt I deserved it,” Bush continued.

After a video package paying tribute to her career, including contributions from Elton John, David Gilmour, Peter Gabriel and St. Vincent, Big Boi gave a speech hailing Bush as a “true visionary”.

Bush was inducted into the Hall of Fame as part of a 2023 class that also included Sheryl Crow, Missy Elliott, Rage Against the Machine, Willie Nelson, George Michael and The Spinners.

Earlier this week, Bush announced a series of new physical reissues of her album back catalogue, including two radical redesigns of ‘Hounds of Love’. The records will be available to order from her website from December 1.