Wildflower marks change in life: Crow
Sara Hall

NEW YORK—As Lance Armstrong pedaled to another Tour de France victory, Sheryl Crow found herself in an unfamiliar position: on the sidelines. For years, Crow’s universe revolved around her — her multiplatinum records, her sold-out shows, her celebrity. But about a year ago, after deciding to take a break from recording, Crow went to Europe to explore a new relationship with Armstrong and a life that didn’t revolve around work.
“It was a challenge in more than one way,” Crow says during an interview, munching on a late breakfast in her hotel room. “Not only was I not working, I was in a foreign country where I didn’t speak the language, and I’m with somebody who’s new to me, and I experienced a lot of vulnerability ... (it) was a challenge to my ego, and in the end, was kind of exciting.”
And life-changing. Besides cementing a relationship with Armstrong, who is now her fiancee, the experience changed the way she approaches her life and her music — and it’s reflected in “Wildflower,” her latest CD, which was released Tuesday. “I feel much less pressure,” says Crow, 43, looking taut in a black tank top, stylishly tattered jeans and a yellow LIVESTRONG bracelet. “I feel have tinges of ‘This has got to be really good, this has to have meaning,’ but I allow myself to enjoy it.”
She’s had a lot to enjoy over her 12-year career. From her first album, the multiplatinum “Tuesday Night Music Club,” the singer-songwriter has released a steady stream of best-selling albums and chart-topping hits. But making those albums wasn’t always enjoyable. She recalls the process as “one of gnashing of teeth and hair-pulling” as she tried to balance substantial, credible songs with radio-friendly hits. “A lot of people get into (the record business) because they wanna be seen, but for me, I wanted to be so great, I wanted to matter, and that’s an immense amount of pressure to put on yourself,” she says.