Sinéad O'Connor is widely regarded as one of the most influential female performers of the '90s, not only for her sensational performances and raw vocal emotion but also for her outspoken confidence to express herself publicly. Sinéad was born in Dublin in 1966, and was discovered by Paul Byrne, drummer of U2 protégés In Tua Nua, while singing wedding covers in the city. After co-writing the first In Tua Nua single, she left school to focus on music, studying voice and piano at the Dublin College of Music before relocating to London in 1985.

Released in September 1994, Universal Mother was described by Sinéad as "the first attempt to try to expose what was really underneath a lot of the anger of the other records". The album features sparse, striking but delicate arrangements on intense and honest songs. Standout moments include the singles 'Thank You For Hearing Me' and 'Fire On Babylon', along with contributions from Germaine Greer (on opening track 'Germaine'), and Sinéad's son.