When The Pawn Hits The Conflict He Thinks Like A King What He Knows Throws The Blows When He Goes To The Fight And He’ll Win The Whole Thing ‘Fore He Enters The Ring There’s Nobody To Batter When Your Mind Is Your Might So When You Go Solo You Hold Your Own Hand And Remember That Depth Is The Greatest of Heights And If You Know Where You Stand Then You Know Where To Land And If You Fall It Won’t Matter ‘Cause You’ll Know That You’re Right.
– Fiona Apple’s sophomore album title, a 90-word poem written in response to critics of her first record.
The music industry does not know what to make of Fiona Apple. She’s a 90’s pop star, a sullen bratty diva, an anthem author, a drop in the bucket of music history. After decades of profound critical acclaim, the discerning Apple has cultivated a legion of fans, five critically lauded albums, a penchant for inspiration rather than commerciality, and an industry which awards none of the above.
Fiona Apple’s music has been kind to speak to those in a transitional period in their lives. Her overtly confessional and poetic lyrics transcend relatability, she draws her audience in with pop hooks and forces them to understand her emotions through masterful lyricism. In every song, Fiona finds a microcosmic niche-of-a-niche emotion to exploit. Her lyrics most importantly peer into the life of a mortal woman, one who is open about her indulgences into addiction, manipulation and vengeance. Fiona portrays her life as transitory, as she navigates the woes of humanity through her short but dense discography.
Fiona as we know her was wrought through trauma; her music is like a 25-year long peek into a private diary, as she confronts and grows with her past through lyrical combat. An adolescence of sexual abuse, bullying and isolation only stoked the creative flames of a girl with a musical background who admittedly feels her emotions very intensely. Mouthing off about maturing too soon and crooning about the woes of a life never normal, Fiona Apple’s discography is a silent but violent protest against maturation without representation.
Her discography, through 5 albums and a few wayward singles, never sacrifices quality for quantity. Fiona’s philosophy on maintaining musical integrity is why her releases are so sparse. In a world full of disposable singles, Fiona labors for years, fortifying her records before releasing them, and her innovative quality has only strengthened in the decades since her debut record. Below is a tour of the tour-de-force songwriter, and a peek into how some of her records remain powerful middle fingers to the music industry:
Tidal– The calm before the storm
When Tidal was released, Fiona caught the perfect wave of post-punk, female empowerment, and alternative rock. The songs on the album were described by Apple as having no particular theme, rather just a collection of confessional songs that expressed her feelings at the time. The title, Tidal, was both a reference to her extreme waves of emotions explored on the record, and a joke about needing to name her record anything. This record is perfect for rainy days and pensive nights, the point of this record being to display the full range of Fiona’s talents. Fiona didn’t have much reason to punch back yet, but just compiling a record of diverse sounds and raw lyrics made her stand out from a soon-to-be eternally bland music scene. Standout tracks include classics like “Shadowboxer” and “Criminal”, as well as the cult favorites “The First Taste” and “Carrion”
When the Pawn…- The art of rage
Forged in the fire of an artist scorned, Fiona’s sophomore album is an anthem of unapologetic anger. This record is in many ways the thesis of her musical retaliation. Her potent sonic recipe combines poetic turn of phrase with more rock infused hooks, and her violent vocal vendetta. Her grit and rawness meet to birth something immaculately unholy, a perfect unison of imperfect parts, that make her emotions feel human, and Fiona herself seem godlike. Her rage can be felt in every lyric, no matter how melancholic, or how delightful. Each of Fiona’s songs feels like the calculated move of a pawn. Like a tiger in a cage she’s just waiting to pounce with full force. With each move she makes, each song she writes, we get closer to seeing her triumph over her foe-du-jour. While all of her albums are complete bodies of work, this record truly has no skips, and every track stands out.
Fetch the Bolt Cutters– A new Fiona
Fetch the Bolt Cutters is a musical anomaly. Scoring Pitchfork’s first perfect 10 rating in nearly a decade, FTBC struck at the perfect moment. Composed mostly of odd organic sounds Fiona had around the house, like dogs barking and pencils tapping, the record is an ode to finding the extraordinary within the ordinary. Released during the early pandemic, her lyrics cut deeper than ever to a society that needed to hear, though the most admirable thing about this record has nothing to do with the music. Fiona acknowledged throughout the press tour for this album all of the unceded native territory the music was recorded on, yet another way Fiona reminds us to look past the ordinary, and fight for the extraordinary. Standout tracks include the title track, “For Her” and “I Want You To Love Me”.
Fiona’s perspective changes as she ages but her innovative perspective and countercultural mindset has never dimmed. She reinvents and constantly changes her position within the music industry and beyond. She sees the power of music and points the gun directly where she wants it. Her lyrics and her vision are precisely aimed, and while the crosshairs might be pointed at different subjects, her musical intent remains the same: fire at will.
