A SULLEN GIRL 25 YEARS ON: FIONA APPLE'S TIDAL ANNIVERSARY
by Una McStay
“This world is bullshit.” Fiona Apple’s infamous 1997 VMAs speech for Best New Artist, one of her most recognizable moments of controversy, laid bare her reservations and convictions against the world of celebrity with these four simple words. Already a heavily reviled figure in pop music at the time, Apple’s words caused critics to cite her as obnoxious, spoiled, or worse. However, her speech revealed more than just a stuck-up teenage pop star, it saw a true artist asking to be understood. She accepted the award for her debut album, “Tidal,” which celebrates its 25th anniversary today.
At the time of the album’s release Apple was only nineteen years old. “Tidal” is an intense, brooding, and emotional album that rides the wave of many other “sad girl” songwriter albums of the 90s. Alanis Morisette, Tori Amos, and Natalie Merchant also contributed to this period in music, yet Apple’s desperate and haunting songs stuck out from the pack. She began writing and playing piano at a young age and every track on “Tidal” was written solely by her.
Her rise to stardom began with her only true pop hit, “Criminal,” a song that feels rebellious and illicit, but also deals with complex emotions in dealing with emerging sexuality. Apple’s voice is stunning and deep on the song and the lopsided instrumental draws from jazz influences. Her musical vocabulary is intricately detailed, even on her debut record, and her talented piano playing shows her skill. The music video drew controversy over its supposedly vulgar nature and began much of Apple’s journey towards becoming a figurehead for misogynistic rhetoric.
Thematically, “Tidal” could be described as an album about love, but it's also so much more than that. “Sullen Girl” deals with the aftermath of a sexual assault that Apple experienced as a child and the emotional trauma she struggles with. Her plea for understanding through turmoil cuts incredibly deep. My personal favorite song on the album is “Never Is a Promise.” The swelling strings and piano beautifully highlight the devastating lyrics. As the tension builds she sings “My feelings swell and stretch I see from greater heights…” I love the pure beauty of the song, but I also love the darkness underneath it, a common theme among Apple’s discography.
25 years on, “Tidal” still holds these beauty and darkness in its music and lyrics. Fiona Apple sings about the two as if they cannot exist without the other. “Tidal” marked the beginning of Apple’s career as well as the beginning of the artistic self in the public eye. Her creative voice on the album was not fully formed, but as listeners we can hear the defiance in her sensitivity, the rage in her sadness, and the regret in her joy. During its release Apple was constantly critiqued for her outspokenness on the “bullshit.” On her newest release, “Fetch The Bolt Cutters,” she sings “Kick me under the table all you want/I won’t shut up.” I know I’m glad she never did.