Musically, "Sheryl Crow" was described as a combination of rock, blues, alternative rock, country, folk, and light hip hop loops. Unlike its predecessor, it also features a more off-balance production and a richer instrumentation, with "lots of fuzz, wurlitzer, hammond, moog. Nothing extreme, perhaps, but almost psychedelic when joined to big mainstream melodies", one critic explained. The album covers topics of American life, relationship breakups, and moral and ethical issues, among others. For example, "Home" is a folk ballad where Crow recounts the emotional difficulties of a deteriorating relationship, while "Superstar" deals with a woman fantasizing about stardom. The song "A Change Would Do You Good", which features hand claps and organ licks, is about the need to escape a constricted life.