Sinéad O'Connor inspired by cleaning

Sinéad O'Connor gets inspiration from songs while she's "washing the dishes".

The Irish singer hit headlines at the end of last year after marrying her fourth husband Barry Herridge following a whirlwind romance. She then announced they were divorcing after just 16 days, but later revealed they were back together. Sinéad also tried to commit suicide shortly before begging for psychiatric help on Twitter.

The 45-year-old star is currently promoting her new album entitled How About I Be Me, but says the turbulence of her most recent relationship didn't spark her latest musical offering.

Rather, the songstress admits to a less complicated way of writing songs.

"It was written between 2007-09, and recorded in 2010-11. I was going out with [Frank Bonadio] and writing these songs. My creative process is quite slow. I hear melodies in my head while I'm washing the dishes and I allow my subconscious to do the work," she told British newspaper The Guardian.

In 1992, Sinéad appeared on Saturday Night Live and sang a rendition of War by Bob Marley. The performance was meant to be a protest over the sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic Church. During the show, Sinéad infamously tore up a picture of the Pope.

"A lot of people say, 'You destroyed your career by tearing up a picture of the Pope but I define success differently in this spiritually bereft business. To me, it's 'Can I be myself?' I could stand in the street and sing and get enough to pay the bills. I don't need millions of dollars," she mused.

"That was why I tore up the Pope's picture – I knew I had enough money that I didn't have to marry a man with a very small penis to get the bills paid. I don't want any man to have control over me. And that is success."