| "Criminal" | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by Fiona Apple from the album Tidal |
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| Released | September 16, 1997 (U.S.) June 30, 1998 (UK) |
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| Genre | Piano rock | ||||
| Length | 5:41 | ||||
| Label | Work | ||||
| Writer | Fiona Apple | ||||
| Fiona Apple singles chronology | |||||
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"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."[1] It was released as the album's third single in September 1997 (see 1997 in music) and 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".[1]
Contents |
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."[2] It explores themes of voyeurism and adolescence.[3] 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
| Chart (1997)[4] | 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 |
External links
Albums: Tidal · When the Pawn... · Extraordinary Machine · iTunes Originals Singles: "Shadowboxer" · "Slow like Honey" · "Sleep to Dream" · "The First Taste" · "Criminal" · "Never Is a Promise" · "Fast as You Can" · "Limp" · "Paper Bag" · "Parting Gift" · "O' Sailor" · "Not About Love" · "Get Him Back"
References
- ^ a b "The 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born: 51-100". Blender (magazine). October 2005. Retrieved June 29, 2007.
- ^ Frere-Jones, Sasha. "Extraordinary Measures". The New Yorker. October 10, 2005. Retrieved June 18, 2007.
- ^ Zeltner, Mark. "Fiona Apple's 'Criminal' and Video Voyeurism for the '90s". Images, issue 5. Retrieved June 28, 2007.
- ^ "Tidal > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles".
