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"Criminal"--most remember it as an insanely popular
single of the 90's. Many MTV/VH1 addicts may also recall seeing the video, which instantly became renowned for being
"soft porn" or a "sex tease"; some even associated it with child molestation because of Fiona's small, waif-like build.
There was much hype about this video, indeed, during Fiona Apple's prime--"prime" here meaning the time she was most recognized
by the general public. The song itself was never looked at deeply, for it seemed all
so simple, and therefore, was brushed away--as tends to happen with singles. And to the general public, it would appear,
that Fiona was brushed away as well. But she wasn't--not at all.
I cringe to listen to today's pop songs. So much in these voices has been manipulated
that any self-respecting recreational singer could tell you that there isn't much talent there at all. Fiona was different;
you see, if you get signed to a record deal because you sound like Jojo or Ashley Simpson or Avril Lavigne, you're likely
screwed; they want to make you sound like everyone else. But if you get signed because you have a singularly unique
and stunning voice, they won't mess with your voice in the recording studio, because your voice doesn't need to sound like
anyone else's--that's how good it is. An example of one of these singers that you're likely to hear on the radio is
Christina Aguilera. You tell me the name of someone else who sounds like her. Her voice is powerful,
strong, emotional, and simply beautiful. Not to rag on Jojo, of course--she's got a decent voice, and she's pretty good
for her age. But her voice is just "pretty," that's all.
From the very beginning, even from the slightly-manipulated "Criminal," I could tell
that Fiona had a very different voice. She's capable of singing higher, yes, but she's really more of an alto than a
soprano. She's got a very powerful voice. As time went on and she produced more music, her songs began to move
farther and farther away from the mainstream genre, and her voice did as well. By the time she'd released her second
album, you could no longer call her voice "pretty" in the way you'd call Jojo's voice "pretty"--it was developing more of
a roughness, a darker tone, a lower range, an almost trill-like vibrato. It was, in other words, becoming more unique,
more mature. Of course, since she definitely would never put up with becoming one of the many "pop star" voice-manipulated
zombies, that different sound took her off of most pop stations.
But Fiona Apple is far from obscure--even now, she has many thousands of loyal fans, the fans
I like to call true fans, the ones who like her for HER music and HER voice and HER lyrics. And although she's
moved a long way since her Tidal days, it's still important to remember what got her to where she is today--"Criminal."
This site is dedicated to "Criminal" and all things Fiona Apple. You will find, whether
you're a curious newcomer or an old fan, that this first single that started it all is far from dead, and that there is still
talk about it even now, still many curious fans who actually look beyond the supposed obvious "meaning" of the lyrics and
questioned them.
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email the site owner at dottnet@charter.net
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