Sophie B Hawkins The Crossing rar

It's been eight years since Sophie B. Hawkins released an album of all-original material. In that time she's become a mother, supported Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, helped clean up the Gulf after the 2010 oil spill, and made peace with her childhood, which was filled with confusion and unhappiness at the hands of two alcoholic parents.

The Crossing, Hawkins' latest album, finds her surrendering to the past, accepting her father's death, and in the end emerging with happiness she's never known before.

"It's a very positive crossing for me," Hawkins says. "I've just been able to leave the shore of all this struggle and baggage, and it doesn't even matter what's on the other side. It almost doesn't matter where I'm going; it just matters how I'm going."

This year marks Hawkins' 20th anniversary in the music industry. She first erupted on the scene with her debut album Tongues and Tails, which featured the sensual "Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover." That was soon followed by "As I Lay Me Down." While she was riding high on the charts, behind the scenes she was struggling with her record label for creative control over her music. Realizing she wouldn't be able to fully express herself, she decided to chart her own course. Subsequent releases brought critical success but lacked the commercial success she had once experienced.

Hawkins doesn't have regrets. One of the songs on The Crossing is called "Dream Street and Chance." She calls it a "beautiful and complex" song that talks about time.

"I'm standing on the corner of Dream Street and Chance," says Hawkins. "It feels like anything can happen."

She is certainly doing her best to align the stars. In addition to a Broadway musical she's been writing on for the past several years that will reportedly star Kristin Chenoweth, she's also set to portray Janis Joplin in a play this fall. It all started with an idea that her long-time partner, Gigi Gaston, had. Without any hesitation, Hawkins committed to the project. The play, written by Gaston, will tell the story as if Joplin came back 42 years after her death and says all of the things she never got to say.