Criminal (Fiona Apple song)

This article is about the Fiona Apple song. For the song by Britney Spears, see Criminal (Britney Spears song). For other uses, see Criminal (disambiguation).

"Criminal"
Single by Fiona Apple
from the album Tidal
Released	September 16, 1997 (U.S.) June 30, 1998 (UK)
Genre	Alternative rock, piano rock
Length	4:46 Radio Edit 4:22 Video Edit 5:41 Album Version
Label	Work, Epic Records
Writer(s)	Fiona Apple (lyricist/composer)
Fiona Apple singles chronology
"Sleep to Dream" (1997) "Criminal" (1997) "Never Is a Promise" (1998)

"Criminal" is a 1997 piano rock song by Fiona Apple. Apple described the song as a description of "feeling bad for getting something so easily by using your sexuality."^[1] It was released as the third single from the album Tidal in September 1997, and is Apple's biggest hit, peaking at #21 on the Billboard Hot 100, as well as #4 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. The song won the Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance at the 40th Grammy Awards and was nominated for Best Rock Song. The song was listed at number 71 on Blender magazine's 2005 list of "The 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born".^[1] It reached #55 on VH1's "100 Greatest Songs of the 90's.^[2]

Music video

The song's music video was directed by Mark Romanek and cinematographed by Harris Savides. The video features Apple sulking in various states of undress, and The New Yorker described her as "looking like an underfed Calvin Klein model."^[3] It explores themes of voyeurism and adolescence.^[4] In 1998, the video won an MTV Video Music Award for Best Cinematography.

Track listing

1. "Criminal" – 5:41
2. "Sleep to Dream" (live) – 4:36

Charts

Chart (1997)[5]	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	21
U.S. Billboard Adult Top 40	17
U.S. Billboard Modern Rock Tracks	4
U.S. Billboard Top 40 Mainstream	18

Cover versions

In 2006, singer Natalie Cole covered Apple's single "Criminal" for her album "Leavin'". Natalie took her own spin on the song giving it a more Motown feeling to it.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "The 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born: 51-100". Blender (magazine). October 2005. Retrieved June 29, 2007.^{[dead link]}
2. ^ "VH1: 100 Greatest Songs of the '90s". VH1. http://www.vh1.com/shows/dyn/the_greatest/127759/episode_featured_copy.jhtml. Retrieved 2008-08-09. 
3. ^ Frere-Jones, Sasha. "Extraordinary Measures". The New Yorker. October 10, 2005. Retrieved June 18, 2007.
4. ^ Zeltner, Mark. "Fiona Apple's 'Criminal' and Video Voyeurism for the '90s". Images, issue 5. Retrieved June 28, 2007.
5. ^ "Tidal > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles".

External links

• "Criminal" music video