Happy Wednesday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here, and today, our writers share what they’ve been listening to over the past month. Feel free to share what you’ve been listening to over the past month in the comments, because we’re all all part of the Geekly Gang. I’ll get things started with what I’ve been listening to over the past month.
Kyra’s Tunes
Fiona Apple was never afraid to be herself. Her first album had a placeholder name she thought was funny to switch from Title to Tidal. Get it? But the title–or tidal–fit. From tracks like “Criminal” to “Shadowboxer,” Tidal was a snapshot of someone finding their way in a world never created for them. Decades later, and the groove on “Criminal” still gets me. Many of the tracks are peak RnB. The industry marketed Apple as alternative rock or art pop. But her sound held way more jazz. Apple refused to be categorized. During her acceptance speech for Best Female Rock Performance at the 39th Grammy Awards, some may say she threw away her career. She dared to speak out against the industry and false image it created.
*Sexual Abuse Trigger Warner for the next paragraph*
At the time, what the public didn’t know was that Apple struggled with her self-image, especially after the “Criminal” music video. That’d be the same “Criminal” that earned her first Grammy. In the video, she was young, suggestive, and waif thin. The press wasn’t kind. They equated the character Apple portrayed in the video to her private self. During her acceptance speech, Apple spoke out against the music industry’s false images because she didn’t want someone to think of her as sexy when she suffered from an eating disorder. In interviews, Apple shared that she developed the eating disorder to look as thin as she could so she wouldn’t be attractive. So she wouldn’t be “bait” for the same type of man who raped her outside her Harlem apartment at age twelve.
*End trigger warning*
That subject is unpleasant, but unfortunately, it factors into Apple’s art. How could it not? After the media backlash, Apple remained defiant. She released her second album with a title that’s a literal 444-character poem, often shortened to When the Pawn…. She wasn’t going to be anyone’s pawn. The two singles “Paper Bag” and “Fast as You Can” are two of my favorite tracks. “Fast as You Can” features plenty of key and tempo shifts. It’s so, so good, and a shot of adrenaline. And the images within the lyrics echo what happened to a younger Fiona Apple. “Paper Bag” slows things down with cabaret flare. Seriously, I half expect Sally Bowles to belt the lyrics. And Rolling Stone must agree with me. When the Pawn… was listed as 108 of their 500 Greatest Albums List.
Fiona Apple would release an album every five or six years; her albums never lost their artistry. In fact, her fourth album The Idler Wheel earned Apple yet another Grammy Award and another spot on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums Lists. But I’m skipping to her fifth (and as of writing this post) most recent album, 2020’s Fetch the Bolt Cutters. Bolt Cutters is a hint of what to expect. Expect nothing. Expect anything. Apple brandishes anything that can make music, even if the object is a pair of bolt cutters or her pounding a hand against her living room wall. Most of the songs on Fetch the Bolt Cutters delve deep into experimentation. The first two tracks, “I Want You to Love Me” and “Shameika” function as a great handshake to get into Fetch the Bolt Cutters. If you want something a little more dancy, start with the lead single “Shameika.” Each track proves Apple was never afraid of being herself.
One last thing about Fiona Apple before I turn the post over to Season and Skye: I love Fiona Apple’s cover of The Beatles’ “Across the Universe.” On first listen, you won’t notice too much of a difference between the two artists, but the song’s writer, John Lennon, may have something to say about that. Lennon lamented that The Beatles rushed through their recording(s) of “Across the Universe.” He wanted to rerecord the track, giving it the attention it deserved, but Lennon passed away before he ever did. Apple did the song justice.
I had another artist I wanted to share here, but I went longer with Fiona Apple than I expected. I’ll save my other artist for next month.
Well, it looks as if I’m flying solo this month with Geekly Tunes. Our other writers didn’t share any of their tunes. Hopefully, we’ll hear from them next month, but I’ll turn the conversation over to you, Geekly Gang. What have you been listening to over the past month? Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.
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