Alanis Morissette released her seminal album, Jagged Little Pill, exactly twenty years ago; on June 13, 1995. With that album, the Canadian alt-rock singer/songwriter sent a sisterly love letter full of advice to all the young women coming of age in North America in the 1990’s, and, I would argue, her legacy endures in our hearts today. The album sold more than 30 million copies worldwide and won four Grammy Awards. But, in spite of its commercial success, to my mind, JLP played a major role in defining music in the 1990’s. Why is this relevant now? Aside from the fact that many women who were entering adolescence at the time of the album’s release are now gaining traction in the working world as influential adults today, I would argue that the album infused our generation with a ferocious sense of wisdom coupled with optimism. Does everyone remember when Alanis Morissette played the role of God in Dogma? Because 1) she is beautiful, and 2) she makes a really strong role model. A lot of the songs on JLP are so full of life and angst, so rich, with a pendulous balance between fragile and resilient. A lot of the songs deal with themes of anger and frustration, but they also teach us lessons in how to deal with anger and frustration. Remember that Alanis Morissette was a contemporary of Britney Spears, as well. It’s no surprise, however, that her music has endured for so much longer. In “Ironic“, she sings: “Life has a funny way of sneaking up on you.” But life also has a funny way, she adds, of helping you out. I love revisiting some of these old music videos, because apart from the fact that they look wonderfully dated and 1990’s, I also appreciate that they are so natural and driven by their own authentic energy. In contrast to these days, when a lot of music videos are incredibly over-the top produced. Alanis was a role model in 1995, and she still is a icon today.
FDRMX Eyes: “Birth of Venus” is a new release from Blue Nile, a newcomer to the Brooklyn ambient/esoteric electronica scene. Check out the video here!