Sheryl Crow feels she has become a stronger songwriter over the years.
Earlier this year she released her 10th studio album, Be Myself, and credits her longevity in the business for helping to improve her lyrical and melodic skills.
Comparing her career to one in sport, she told glamour.com, “Hopefully the more you do it, the better you get at it. You finely tune those muscles, and you’re aware of what works and what doesn’t. I hope I’ve gotten to be a stronger songwriter, a stronger producer and a stronger musician over the years. I really enjoy my line of work, and I feel really lucky that I’m still enjoying it after 25 or 30 years.”
As for the record’s powerful title Sheryl explained Be Myself is “indicative of a lot of things” on the tracks, from the pressure to recreate one’s self, to the intrusion of technology. Meanwhile, the album’s titular track features the line: “If I can’t be someone else, I may as well be myself’.
“That would be the consolation prize,” she said of the lyric. “It’s a little satirical, and maybe along the dark side, but it’s a reality. It’s also a fun pop song, and it points out some of the absurdities of life. It just felt like that was a good title.”
Sheryl also recalled that she and her band were recording the material during the presidential campaign in the U.S.. Controversial candidate Donald Trump beat Hillary Clinton to emerge victorious, and Sheryl couldn’t help but bring some of the emotions of that period into the studio with her.
