The music world fell in love with Fiona Apple right away.  She was discovered in 1996 at age 18 when her debut album, Tidal -- with its songs about lust and heartache, guilt and torment -- sold four million copies and won a Grammy. In her first year of fame, this self-described "basket case" was called difficult and melodramatic, but her follow-up album, this year's When The Pawn ..., revealed a more confident singer, songwriter and pianist.  

She was a delight at our cover shoot -- arriving early, with no handlers, clearly excited to meet the rest of the musicians.  After her meltdown this spring at New York's Roseland -- when she left the stage mid-show because of sound problems -- she did a makeup date several months later and told the audience, "It was a misunderstanding. You said you wanted something self-confessional.  I thought you said selfish and unprofessional." Perhaps she's not so tortured after all.