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Cyndi Lauper likens making music to doing a 'cooking special'

A lot of time has passed since Cyndi Lauper released her breakthrough blockbuster album "She's So Unusual" — 30 years, in fact. But time, and tunes such as 1984's "Time After Time," have been kind to the singer, who visited TODAY Wednesday.Lauper told TODAY's Carson Daly and Savannah Guthrie that she has not just one favorite song on her debut album, but "a favorite moment, when ... the music ca

A lot of time has passed since Cyndi Lauper released her breakthrough blockbuster album "She's So Unusual" — 30 years, in fact. But time, and tunes such as 1984's "Time After Time," have been kind to the singer, who visited TODAY Wednesday.

Lauper told TODAY's Carson Daly and Savannah Guthrie that she has not just one favorite song on her debut album, but "a favorite moment, when ... the music came alive. I guess, when 'All Through the Night' actually worked, or 'Girls Just Want to Have Fun' actually worked," she said. 

The 60-year-old singer also likened her song creation process to a "cooking special." "That's how I do music," she explained. "I take a little of that, and a little of this and mix it."

But if there's one element of time that Lauper can't get used to, it's the early hours morning television requires. After briefly losing her train of thought while talking about "Kinky Boots," the Tony-winning musical she wrote music and lyrics for, Lauper turned to Daly and Guthrie. 

"My head went blank!" she grinned. "It's too early. I got up at 3:30. ... How do you do it?"

"I just don't sleep," said Daly. "Lots of coffee."

A special 30th anniversary edition of "She's So Unusual" packed with early versions of the songs and remixed tracks is available now. Lauper is also hitting the road with Cher for the Dressed to Kill tour from April 23 to July 11.