Melissa Etheridge’s first album in more than three years, The Awakening, will arrive September 25th via Island. It is led by the single “Message to Myself” which goes to U.S. radio outlets on July 30th.

Since the release of 2004’s Lucky, Etheridge has conquered breast cancer and that experience has informed the lyrics for the new album. Among the other tracks earmarked to appear are “Threesome,” “The Universe Listened,” “I’ve Loved You Before,” “An Unexpected Rain” and “California.”

The Awakening began taking shape around the time Etheridge won the best original song Oscar in February for “I Need To Wake Up,” from Al Gore’s environmental documentary I Need To Wake Up.http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003617817