Turning the Tide: Fiona Apple and Female Vulnerability Rewritten

Spirals of poetry and jazz that raised a young Fiona are unraveled in Tidal, one of the most timeless debuts of the nineties. Apple turns the tables, making her the poster child for female angst. Her debut came at a time when female artists like PJ Harvey and Alanis Morrissette challenged the traditional expectations of alternative pop and rock music. With unfiltered emotional honesty and a raw, cutting-edge voice, Apple’s introduction to the music scene was nothing short of unfamiliar. Over slow piano ballads, her deep voice enthralls the listener, lulling them to feel her pain. The idea of the hysterical woman is otherwise rewritten as Apple is unafraid and unapologetic, completely throwing her emotions into her passion. For a debut, it is a rare gem. It is a work that feels remarkably complete, with each note and syllable echoing resounding depth and insight.

Within the debut, Apple uncovers the misery of heartbreak and the range of painful romantic experiences. Unlike the typical breakup ballad, the album takes on an introspective nature. Through Tidal, the listener revisits heavy topics on Apple’s teen heart, such as love, loss, grief, and self-perception. In her beliefs comes her unwavering stance: the intolerance for those who don’t fit her strong-willed nature. Tidal takes off with “Sleep to Dream”, the first track to be fully written by Apple at just 14. 

“I tell you how I feel but you don’t care, I say tell me the truth, but you don’t dare.

You say love is hell you cannot bear, so I say give me mine back and then go there for all I care.”

The opening verse sets the tone for the entire record. There’s a firmness to the words Fiona sings, an indifference in her voice. Sleep to Dream places Apple central to a relationship far from repair. The former lover has long disappointed the singer, and there seems to be no coming back, as Apple has decided his true colors were enough of a letdown. “This mind, this body, and this force cannot be stifled by your deviant ways.” One of the most influential lyrics from the track, Fiona, emphasizes finality. There is a sense of emotional closure, as Apple makes a clear distinction between choosing herself or continuing an unhealthy connection. This is a consistent feeling displayed in the album and throughout many other tracks in her discography as well.  

As the album progresses on, Fiona grows increasingly more vulnerable as her pain rises to the surface. The difficulty lies in processing her emotions, as she is caught in an emotional tug-of-war following her teenage heartbreak. Take track nine, Pale September, for example. Apple writes, “My heart went cold and only hollow rhythms resounded from within / But then he rose, brilliant as the moon in full / and sank in the burrows of my keep / And all my armor falling down in a pile at my feet.” Though previous feelings of finality were expressed, she displays a complex awareness of the way she’s lost her footing and former beliefs. Apple is unafraid of owning up to her mistakes and further acknowledges the repercussions of her behaviors in other tracks. The victim position is far from glorified – her lyricism serves as an act of accountability, her form of the beginning to an end. Apple’s rawness is both empowering and refreshing, as it presents to the listener her attempts to redefine herself. 

Tidal is an album reflective of Fiona’s journey towards self-empowerment, a testament to her previously shattered heart. As a young teen girl in search of her identity, she confronts the one who has wronged her as well as herself. Her voice booms with pain as she is unfiltered and further motivated by her past hardships. Female vulnerability is rewritten as she thoroughly speaks her mind on each track with the undertones of strength and passion. As time goes on, this debut can only gain more acclaim. In a world where women’s emotions are expected to be minimized, Fiona is praised for the way she wears her heart on her sleeve. Transparency and unconcealed honesty are key to what keeps Tidal as relevant as it was during its release today. Fiona Apple rewrites what it means to feel fury as a woman, redefining the standard for many female artists to come.