When the Pawn... is the second studio album by the American singer-songwriter Fiona Apple. It was released on November 9, 1999, through Epic Records. The recording was produced by Jon Brion, and was made as Apple sought to expand the baroque pop and jazz-inflected sound of her debut album, Tidal (1996). It is noted for its original 90-word titleâÂÂthen a record for the longest album titleâÂÂwhich Apple wrote as a poem in response to a negative cover story published by Spin.
The album received positive reviews from critics and was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album. Although early attention often focused on its lengthy title and Apple's public image at the time, When the Pawn⦠has been increasingly recognized as one of the most acclaimed albums of its era. It has frequently appeared on retrospective "best of" lists, ranking number 79 on Slant Magazine list of the best albums of the 1990s, number 106 on Spin 2010 list of the greatest albums of the previous 25 years, and number 108 on Rolling Stone 2020 list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time".
When the Pawn⦠came off the success and controversy of Tidal, her debut album. She had faced a lot of public scrutiny, specifically for her 1997 VMA speech, where she famously stated, "this world is bullshit". The speech urges viewers to be themselves and not compare or change themselves because of the media they are consuming. This outburst came as a response to backlash from her "Criminal" music video. She would continue to have a negative attitude towards the media. Fiona stated that writing music began as a response to fighting with her parents but became cathartic in her life. Apple writes her own music about past experiences she has dealt with. Many songs on the album speak about tumultuous relationships with others as well as with herself. The tumultuous relationship that inspired many of the songs on this album is thought to be with Paul Thomas Anderson. The two were together from 1997-2002. The couple began doing drugs together, where Apple would then start a long road of addiction and later recovery which affected later albums. When the Pawn⦠reflected all these circumstances around the production.
The full album title is:
The title is a poem Apple wrote in response to unfavorable reactions from readers to a Spin cover story about her. Apple said: "It came from being made fun of, and then, of course, it becomes a thing I'm being made fun of for." Richard Harrington of The Washington Post called it Apple's version of the Chumbawamba lyric "I get knocked down, but I get up again" from their 1997 single "Tubthumping".
When the Pawn... broke the record for longest album title at 444 characters (previously held by a volume in The Best... Album in the World...Ever!), though this record was subsequently broken.
According to Katherine St. Asaph of Pitchfork: "When the Pawn⦠is about knowing your patterns, knowing the rubble theyâÂÂve made of your lifeâÂÂand knowing youâÂÂll do it again." Asaph also said: "[Apple's] vocal roles are larger-than-life: precise and unsingably fast, fit for a technical rapper, or open-throated and dramatic, like a stage diva commandeering an encore."
The first single, "Fast as You Can", was fairly popular and received moderate radio and video airplay. It reached the top 20 on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and became Apple's first top 40 hit on the UK Singles Chart. The follow-up singles, "Limp" and especially "Paper Bag", which was nominated for a Grammy Award, were less successful. Apple's boyfriend at the time, filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson, directed the videos for all three singles.
In 2019, Apple collaborated with King Princess on a cover of "I Know". The song was released for Spotify's RISE program on January 25.
A reissue by Vinyl Me Please was announced in 2020 featuring a new cover chosen by Fiona herself, marking the album's first ever vinyl pressing.
In comparison to Apple's debut album Tidal, Harrington stated, "When the Pawn is a decidedly more mature work that trades in youthful melodrama for somber ruminations on shattered relationships and romantic obsession". In The New Rolling Stone Album Guide, Jenny Eliscu states that Pawn is "more musically complex and melodically advanced" than the previous album, while focusing on Apple's "sultry voice and moody piano playing". Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone gave the album three-and-a-half out of five stars, calling it "richer, deeper and stronger than Tidal, in every way", with "a far more muscular approach to both the songs and the singing".
Entertainment Weeklys David Browne awarded the album an A grade, praising Jon Brion's production as well as Apple's songwriting: "Apple hasn't gained much in psychic confidence following the success of Tidal. On When the Pawn..., Apple presents herself as a mental shambles, and she's more than happy to tell us about it." Pitchfork originally gave the album a score of eight out of ten, with reviewer Chip Chanko praising Apple's lyrics, writing: "[Apple] seems older. Her voice is full of a heartfelt soul that seems almost timeless. While Billie Holiday would never have considered the possibility of lines like, 'It won't be long till you'll be/ Lying limp in your own hand,' Apple executes them flawlessly with a modern passion." Amy Linden of Vibe wrote: "When the Pawn... is full of images that resonate. Apple's a sad, sultry woman with a sense of who she isâÂÂeven if that person isn't someone she wants to be. Once again, her pain brings us joy." In contrast, Piers Martin of NME rated it a 5 out of 10, calling it Apple's "second album of Amos-aping MTV-branded Lilith Fair fodder."
On the U.S. Billboard 200, When the Pawn... debuted and peaked at number 13 with 103,000 copies sold in first week. On March 26, 2020, When the Pawn.. was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.