Criminal (song)

Infobox Single
Name = Criminal


Artist = Fiona Apple
from Album = Tidal
Released = September 16, 1997 (U.S.)
June 30, 1998 (UK)
Format =
Recorded =
Genre = Rock
Length = 5:41
Label = Work
Writer = Fiona Apple (lyricist and composer)
Producer =
Certification =
Last single = "Sleep to Dream"
(1997)
This single = "Criminal"
(1997)
Next single = "Never Is a Promise"
(1998)

"Criminal" is a piano rock song written by American singer-songwriter Fiona Apple for her debut album "Tidal" (1996). Apple described the song as a description of "feeling bad for getting something so easily by using your sexuality." [http://www.blender.com/guide/articles.aspx?ID=1771 "The 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born: 51-100"] . "Blender (magazine)". October 2005. Retrieved June 29, 2007.] It was released as the album's third single in September 1997 (see 1997 in music), and is widely considered Apple's breakout hit [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiona_Apple Retrieved March 24, 2008] , peaking at #21 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song won a Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance at the 40th Grammy Awards. The song was listed at number seventy-one on "Blender" magazine's 2005 list of "The 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born".

Music video

The song's music video was directed by Mark Romanek. The video features Apple sulking in various states of undress, and "The New Yorker" described her as "looking like an underfed Calvin Klein model."Frere-Jones, Sasha. [http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2005/10/10/051010crmu_music "Extraordinary Measures"] . "The New Yorker". October 10, 2005. Retrieved June 18, 2007.] It explores themes of voyeurism and adolescence. [Zeltner, Mark. [http://www.imagesjournal.com/issue05/features/fiona.htm "Fiona Apple's 'Criminal' and Video Voyeurism for the '90s"] . "Images", issue 5. Retrieved June 28, 2007.] In 1998, the video won an MTV Video Music Award for Best Cinematography.

Track listing

# "Criminal" – 5:41
# "Sleep to Dream" (live) – 4:36

Charts

External links

* [http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid44170252/bclid44160875/bctid14247127 "Criminal" music video]

References