in 1998, sinéad o'connor left label ensign records and signed with atlantic records, but her album was delayed by due to her personal struggles, including the birth of her daughter, an alleged suicide attempt, a bitter custody battle and becoming a priestess in a religious order. o'connor described "faith and courage", her first album with atlantic, as a record about "survival" which depicted her own troubled "journey" as she bared her soul on a series of autobiographical and often cathartic songs. "it's exciting and a little scary to be back. i wanted to make a record which was strong and positive. it's about getting my spirit back on its feet and standing up", she said.