Sheryl Crow has been an iconic singer-songwriter since the early 90s, further making a name for herself through the 2000s. And she’s still making music in 2026, although she revealed that things are a lot different now. For one, she doesn’t expect to make much money from her latest album, Pick You Up.In an October 2026 interview with The Sun, Crow admitted that it’s difficult to make money from music anymore. Her extensive discography, for which she’s won nine Grammy Awards since 1993, has brought her a successful career. But the changing landscape of the music industry has impacted even longtime artists.“I’m at a point now where it’s not a money-maker for me,” said Crow. “In fact, it’s expensive. I pay people—and I’m never going to see the money back. With this record, I’m losing a s**t ton of money.”However, Crow also said that she’s not in it for the money anymore. Instead, she still makes music because it’s what she loves. Additionally, she takes inspiration from legacy artists whose music has lasted long after their deaths.“I think about Dolly [Parton], and I think about Burt Bacharach, people who have written songs that have outlived them,” she said. That’s part of what keeps her going.Sheryl Crow’s Cancer Diagnosis Put Success Into Perspective and Re-Evaluate Her LifeDespite the often unstable foundation of the music industry, there are still artists who are in it for the love of the game. Sheryl Crow is one of those artists who hasn’t stopped creating. Even through illness, personal struggles, and financial uncertainty. When speaking of her inspirations, Crow revealed a reason to keep going that was much closer to home.“I think about my mom who doesn’t make memories anymore,” she said. “But when I play her ‘Moon River’ or ‘Walk On By’, she can sing every word. She can still have that beautiful connection which can never be underestimated.”Technically, Crow has been working through industry pressure for a long time. She admitted that she started to feel uncertain about her work as early as her third album in 1998. With her success increasing with each record, so did the pressure to recreate that success. Additionally, the music world was becoming saturated with teenage pop stars. Crow started wondering if there was still space for her. “I was turning 40, and everything at radio was Britney Spears or Christina Aguilera, 18-year-olds,” she said. It was actually a cancer diagnosis in 2006 that put things into perspective.“A lot of things happened along the way that really saved me,” said Crow. “One of them was having cancer because it helped me step away and go, ‘OK, there’s a natural progression with success. One day, you age out of the demographic.’ With having cancer, you also re-evaluate the role of your job and your own self-worth.“So I stepped away from music for a while and, when I came back, I felt like I was doing it for me,” she added. “Would I still love to get played on the radio ad nauseam? Yes. Is that going to happen? Most likely no. But that doesn’t mean you have to stop. Ego-wise, it’s just something you have to set down.”Photo by Erika Goldring/Getty ImagesThe post Early 2000s Grammy Winner Reveals Why She Keeps Pursuing Music Despite Losing a ‘S**t Ton of Money’ appeared first on VICE.