Fiona Apple’s “Criminal” is one of the most famous classic rock songs of the 1990s. During an interview, Apple said the treatment for the video fit with the music. Regardless, the final version of the video ruined the song for her.
Why Fiona Apple wanted to work with a music video director who previously collaborated with Nine Inch Nails and Madonna
Apple’s video for “Criminal” garnered lots of attention in the 1990s for being sexual. During a 1999 interview with The Washington Post, Apple explained the origin of the clip. “I had qualms when it was being made but I could not admit it to myself,” she said. “I’d done two videos and it wasn’t satisfying, everybody knew they could get a lot more from me. And it came to me as ‘Everything could be so great if you did this with Mark Romanek, he gets his videos played on MTV.’”
For context, Romanek is a music video and film director. He previously helmed the videos for songs such as Nine Inch Nails’ “Closer” and Madonna‘s “Rain” and “Bedtime Story.” Apple felt “Criminal” would play on MTV if she worked with Romanek.
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Fiona Apple’s wardrobe for the ‘Criminal’ music video was a bed full of underwear
While she was touring, Apple received a treatment for the video. “OK, it’s about sexual guilt, fine,” she responded. She was shocked when her wardrobe for the shoot was a bed full of underwear. “And all I can think is ‘I’m a teenage girl. If I’m in my underwear and everybody sees it and tells me it looks great, it makes me feel good and I’m not going to argue,’” she revealed.
Apple didn’t like the finished product. “Then the video comes out and I just felt like an a**,” she said. “Forget the fact that I was in my underwear, I thought that it was cheesy. I didn’t look like myself. It’s kind of ruined the song for me. No offense to Mark Romanek — well, I guess offense — I have total qualms about it now.”
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The way listeners in the United States and the United kingdom reacted to ‘Criminal’
Regardless of what Apple thought of the video, the song became a huge hit. “Criminal” reached No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100, staying on the chart for 20 weeks. It remains her only song to hit the chart. “Criminal” appeared on Apple’s debut album Tidal. Tidal reached No. 15 on the Billboard 200 and stayed on the chart for 91 weeks.
“Criminal” was not popular in the United Kingdom. The Official Charts Company reports the song did not chart there. Meanwhile, Tidal did not chart there either. “Criminal” gained further attention when it appeared in an episode of American Horror Story: Freak Show. Listeners in the United States reacted positively to “Criminal” even if Apple did not.
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