"The Fragile" is the third studio album by Nine Inch Nails, released on September 21, 1999, as a double album through Nothing Records and Interscope Records. Produced by frontman Trent Reznor and longtime collaborator Alan Moulder, the album was recorded between 1997 and 1999 in New Orleans.
Departing from the distorted sound of their previous album, The Downward Spiral, The Fragile incorporates elements of ambient and electronic music across a variety of genres. It continues exploring themes of depression and drug abuse while featuring more instrumental sections than earlier works, with some tracks being entirely instrumental. At nearly 1 hour and 45 minutes, it is one of the band's longest studio releases.
The album was supported by three singles: "The Day the World Went Away," "We're in This Together," and "Into the Void," as well as the promotional single "Starfuckers, Inc." The accompanying Fragility Tour featured two legs and included several related recordings, such as the remix album Things Falling Apart (2000) and the live album And All That Could Have Been (2002), along with an alternate version titled The Fragile: Deviations 1 (2016).
Critics initially praised the album's ambition and composition, though some noted its length and questioned its lyrical depth. Over time, however, it has come to be regarded as one of the band's best works. It debuted at number one on the U.S. charts, marking the band's first chart-topping album, and was certified double platinum by the RIAA.
