Happy Birthday to Fiona Apple, a True Original
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Few artists operate in a vacuum, which means that even the most original performer absorbs her influences from somewhere. So it goes that Fiona Apple (born Fiona Apple McAfee Maggart on September 13, 1977), a remarkably talented singer and songwriter known for carving her own niche, has never operated without outside influences. Yet, what's admirable is that Apple never feels compelled to betray her influences in her music and that over the course of the four albums she's released in the past decade and a half, she's crafted a singular vision spurred on by her inventive intent. It was that intriguing formula -- the soaring vocals,
instrumental dexterity, and soul-searching lyricism -- that originally set
her apart and netted her a contract with Sony Music, where she is
affiliated even today. It was also the sound that made her an almost
immediate success, driving her debut album, Tidal, to sales of 2.7 million and a single from that album titled "Criminal" to Billboard's
Top 40.
It also helped garner her an MTV Video Music Award that almost proved her undoing. In her acceptance speech, Apple denounced the overhyped imagery and faux fashion that seemed to be the typical award show's stock and trade. Apple, however, was unapologetic, and from that point forward, her unpredictable attitude and forthright stance tempered her image and gained her a reputation as an artist with a petulant personality.
It also helped garner her an MTV Video Music Award that almost proved her undoing. In her acceptance speech, Apple denounced the overhyped imagery and faux fashion that seemed to be the typical award show's stock and trade. Apple, however, was unapologetic, and from that point forward, her unpredictable attitude and forthright stance tempered her image and gained her a reputation as an artist with a petulant personality.
Apple's second album further affirmed her offbeat instincts. The title -- When the Pawn... for short -- is a complete poem that Apple wrote in response to negative press. In addition to its impressive sales and a top 20 hit in its lead single, "Fast as You Can," it also gained distinction in the Guinness Book of Records for having the longest album title up until that time. However, her irascible instincts again came to the fore when, shortly thereafter, she performed at New York's Roseland Ballroom and walked offstage 40 minutes into her set after equipment issues disrupted her performance.
The follow-up album, Extraordinary Machine, was also fraught with difficulties. It was three years in the making, and prior to its release, the entire album was leaked online. To complicate matters, the album was rerecorded after completion, not because the label was dissatisfied as some fans thought but because Apple opted to remake it from scratch.
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The Fillmore Miami Beach
1700 Washington Ave., Miami Beach, FL
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