Sarah McLachlan- Shine On

McLachlan’s enjoyed many milestones, winning three Grammys, eight Junos and selling over 40 million albums. She created Lilith Fair, an outreach program for inner-city kids and is mother to two daughters, Taja and India. Now Sarah, 46, is ready for a change. Her eighth album, she says, “is about moving through the second half of my life in a more mindful and meaningful way.” Many of its songs are inspired by her father’s death three years ago. “I had to find my footing again without the anchor of his unconditional love,” she explains. On “Song for My Father,” McLachlan pays touching tribute to him. “You were the place I could always rest my head when my world came undone,” she sings over guitar and flute. The gorgeous piano ballad “Beautiful Girl” could be seen as a father or a mother talking to a daughter. Either way it works, offering hope and strength—the hallmark of McLachlan’s best songs.