, a masterpiece that is an early candidate for album of the year. In so many ways, it is emblematic of Apple following her other critically acclaimed albums such asThough she started off as a pop star based on the stunning success of “Criminal” and her stunning debut, Apple has carried her career in the vein of artists like John Lennon, Patti Smith, Tom Waits, those artists who make their own rules and seemingly answer to no industry standards or what is expected by fans.
. It was her first new album in seven years. That November, she was scheduled to tour South America when she posted a devastatingly heartbreaking note that any dog parent has experienced and can relate to. She explained in an achingly beautiful fashion that she needed to cancel the tour to be with her dying dog, Janet. For a major label star to put the kibosh a tour right before it begins is not ideal. But Apple made what every dog lover agrees would be is the right call.
Trump’s nuts roasting on an open fire/As he keeps nipping at his foes/You’ll cry creepy uncle/Every time he arrives.” The song ends, “Donald Trump, fuck you.” She followed that just a month later with the equally hilarious and eviscerating anti-Trump track “Tiny Hands.”When the “Man In Black” endorses you, that is badass validation. Apple sang not once, but twice with Johnny Cash, joining him on covers of Simon & Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water” and Cat Stevens’ “Father And Son.