Fiona Apple - 20th most vital artist today according to Spin Magazine, May 1998 |
"My whole thing last year was to
convince the world that I didn't care what they thought about me," says Fiona
Apple, rock's most fascinating work-in-progress. "And I guess it worked, because
now I really don't." If the Apple we've been watching since her darkly wondrous
debut, Tidal, has indeed been a false front, then perhaps we'd better brace
ourselves for what's to come. In a year publicly defined by her MTV Video Music
Awards acceptance rant, the mixed messages of her ubiquitous "Criminal" video,
and her sometimes loopy interviews, the confidence and maturity of her bluesy,
torch-like songwriting was often lost in the shuffle. "The writers do ask me
about the songs," Apple says, "but when it comes out in the articles it's all
rape and underwear and sex and bad boyfriends." Apple recently returned to the
studio, but she's still not sure what direction her new album will take. "Part
of the joy of making a record is figuring out who I am now," she says. On this
day, at least, the poster girl for adolescent angst is downright bubbly, gushing
over a new shipment of handmade gifts from girl fans. "Much as I complain and
whine in my songs-and I don't feel sorry for doing that-they also bring out
reasons not to whine."
1997 ranking: -
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Alan Light
Taken
without permission from Spin Online