History Music / TheFragile1999

but in his voice I heard decay.'']]

->''"The clouds will part and the sky cracks open\\

!!But in his voice, [[JustForFun/TVTropesWillRuinYourVocabulary I heard tropes]]:

* {{Bowdlerise}}: The promotional radio edit of "Starfuckers, Inc." is called "Starsuckers, Inc.", and censors every swear (aside from the word "whore") as well as the words "suck you" and "taste" (in the context of fellatio). It additionally replaces the song's non-explicit bridge entirely[[note]]although this was more for legal reasons, since it heavily interpolated "You're So Vain" by Carly Simon without permission[[/note]].

* ClusterFBomb: "Starfuckers, Inc." and, to a lesser extent, "Somewhat Damaged". The majority of the swearing in the latter is concentrated in the "too fucked up to care anymore" part. There is little swearing elsewhere on the album.

* HopeSpot: "We're In This Together" and the TitleTrack sees the protagonist finding some reprieve in the form of a relationship with a female, and seemingly discovering an opportunity to improve...only for the next song "Just Like You Imagined" to seemingly imply their dissolution, with the subsequent "Even Deeper" showing the protagonist falling back down from their high.

* ConceptAlbum: According to an interview Trent gave, the album was intended as a continuation of [[Music/TheDownwardSpiral its predecessor]] in which the protagonist goes from seeking happiness (left side) to [[DownerEnding losing their hope and winding up right back where they started (right side)]]. Although the connection isn't too explicit in the lyrics, they do consistently depict underlying themes of decay, brokenness, depression, and trying to re-assemble one's life.

-->Flew too high and burnt the wing

* SuicideBySea: One possible reading of both "La Mer" and "The Great Below", which appear back-to-back. It has been suggested that Trent's original plan was to have a female vocalist sing the climactic part of the song, but [[WhatCouldHaveBeen for whatever reason]] this didn't end up happening.

''The Fragile'' is the third studio album by American rock band Music/NineInchNails, released on September 21, 1999. The album was recorded at Trent Reznor's Nothing Studios in New Orleans, taking over two years to make.

** A variation of the line "and all that could have been" appears in both "The Wretched" and "The Great Below". The same line also ended up being the title of both a live album and a song on its accompanying studio compilation ''Still'', both released three years after ''The Fragile''.

** "Slipping away" is referenced in both the title track and "Into The Void".

** A variation of the line "and all that could have been" appears in both "The Wretched" and "The Great Below". The same line also ended up being the title of both a live album and a song on the acoustic EP ''Still'', both released three years after ''The Fragile''.

* ConceptAlbum: According to an interview Trent gave, the album was intended as a continuation of [[Music/TheDownwardSpiral its predecessor]] in which the protagonist goes from seeking happiness (left side) to [[DownerEnding losing their hope and winding up right back where they started (right side)]]. Although the connection isn't too explicit in the lyrics, they do consistently depict underlying themes of decay, brokenness, and depression and trying to re-assemble one's life.

* RecurringRiff: See MoodMotif above.

The album is largely seen as a [[ConceptAlbum conceptual]] [[SpiritualSuccessor sequel]] to the band's previous album ''Music/TheDownwardSpiral'' from the perspective of that album's protagonist. The music and lyrics explore the protagonist's internal turmoil in his attempts to find stability and build back up from the dark place he's in emotionally and existentially.

In terms of sound, the album [[NewSoundAlbum differs a great deal]] from ''Spiral'' by largely forgoing distorted and gritty sounds in favor of a more eclectic, art rock-styled approach. It's also, to date, one of the band's only two [[MultiDiscWork multi-disc studio albums]][[note]]Not counting different disc arrangements between formats like vinyl.[[/note]] (the other being ''[[Music/GhostsIToIV Ghosts I-IV]]''), with its CD release split into "left" and "right" discs around 50 minutes each in length (totaling at 104 minutes, about 39 longer than ''Spiral''). As a result, the album's additional time lends a slower pace, with its tracks focusing more on somber progression than the raw energy of its predecessor.

** The phrase "nothing can stop me now" from ''The Downward Spiral'' appears again on the album in a much more optimistic context.
** A variation of the line "and all that could have been" appears in both "The Wretched" and "The Great Below". The same line also ended up being the title of both a live album, and a song on the acoustic EP ''Still''.

* BlackmailIsSuchAnUglyWord: From "Starfuckers, Inc.":
-->''I sold my soul, but don't you dare call me a whore.''

* ConceptAlbum: Loosely - there are underlying concepts of decay, brokenness, and depression and trying to re-assemble one's life, only to end up "where it starts -- [with] the same emotion."
** According to Trent in an interview, the album itself was intended as a continuation of [[Music/TheDownwardSpiral its predecessor]] in which the protagonist goes from seeking happiness (left side) to [[DownerEnding losing their hope and winding up right back at the start (right side)]].

* FadingIntoTheNextSong: Most of the album's songs do this, with the only notable exception being between "The Great Below" and "The Way Out is Through", the tracks that set the two discs apart.

* HopeSpot: "We're In This Together" and the TitleTrack sees the protagonist finding some reprieve in the form of a relationship with a female, and seemingly finding an opportunity to improve...only for it to evade him, as the next song "Just Like You Imagined" seemingly implies their dissolution, and the subsequent "Even Deeper" shows the protagonist falling back down from their high.

* JumpScare: "The Day the World Went Away" starts aggressive, has a quiet midsection, and then suddenly bursts right back into the noisiness for the climactic ending.

* LoudnessWar: The album marked a substantial increase in NIN's participation in this trope, particularly as compared to ''Music/TheDownwardSpiral''. It still has dynamics in the quiet parts, but when it gets loud, IT GETS LOUD.

* ShoutOut: One lyric in "We're In This Together" ("You're the queen and I'm the king") is one to Music/DavidBowie's "Heroes" from the [[Music/HeroesDavidBowieAlbum album of the same name]], who Reznor credits as being one of his biggest influences.

* NewSoundAlbum: ''The Fragile'' features more industrial and experimental elements and is a little less heavy.

* FadingIntoTheNextSong: Most of the album.

In terms of sound, the album [[NewSoundAlbum differs a great deal]] from ''Spiral'' by largely forgoing distorted and gritty sounds in favor of a more eclectic, art rock-styled approach. It's also, to date, one of the band's only two [[MultiDiscWork multi-disc studio albums]][[note]]Not counting different disc arrangements between formats like vinyl.[[/note]] (the other being ''Ghosts I-IV''), with its CD release split into "left" and "right" discs around 50 minutes each in length (totaling at 104 minutes, about 39 longer than ''Spiral''). As a result, the album's additional time lends a slower pace, with its tracks focusing more on somber progression than the raw energy of its predecessor.