Enya has revealed that her new album is a celebration of winter.

And Winter Came... is a collection of songs exploring the season and the passing of time, according to the Irish singer.

"It has to do with that reflective time of year. The spring, summer, is quite a hectic time for people in their lives, but then it comes to autumn, and to winter, and you can't but help think back to the year that was, and then hopefully looking forward to the year that is approaching," she said.

Enya, Ireland's all-time biggest-selling solo artist, added that she understands that the record may not have universal appeal, saying: "Not everyone is going to sit and listen to an Enya album.

"When someone says it's not their cup of tea, it's not their kind of album, that's fine by me. When you spend two to three years working on an album that I feel very happy with the end result, there is nothing I would change. Musically, I have achieved what I set out to do."