Sinéad O'Connor: I understand loneliness

Sinéad O'Connor can fully identify with lonely people.

The Irish singer hit the headlines recently after splitting and rekindling her relationship with her fourth husband several times.

Her new record includes many love songs and it's a theme which has come to mean a lot to the star. She's also interested in people and the different things they go through in their lives.

"[My song] Reason with Me was about a friend of mine who's a workaholic, not a drug addict. You know, there can be the obvious addictions, like drugs or sex or whatever, then you have other ones like working a lot or isolating yourself. A world full of people, and an awful lot of people are lonely. I identify with those people," she explained.

In her younger years Sinéad raged against the establishment. She famously shaved her head and ripped up a picture of the Pope, but things are different now.

The 45-year-old has learnt to accept herself and puts many of her previous antics down to being young.

"I'm at an age when you feel comfortable with who you are," she told the Los Angeles Times. "When you're young it's quite scathing, and very confusing. I wouldn't wish it on anyone."