America's Sweetheart is the debut studio album by American alternative rock musician Courtney Love, released worldwide on February 10, 2004 by Virgin Records.

Upon its release, it received little promotion, with the main source of media exposure being a music video for the album's first single, "Mono," and Love's highly publicized drug issues.

America's Sweetheart received mixed reviews and was a commercial failure, selling 86,000 copies in its first three months,[4] and with Love further citing the album as "a mistake."

[8] The recording sessions for the album featured Love working with producer Linda Perry and lyricist Bernie Taupin,[9] and amounted to a total of 32 songs,[10] including a cover of "Bette Davis Eyes" by Kim Carnes.

Non-US versions of the album feature – though uncredited – Brody Dalle and Kim Deal on a different recording of "Sunset Strip" (with slightly altered lyrics), singing and playing guitar.

Also, amidst the several controversies surrounding America's Sweetheart's release, Love accused Virgin Records of putting the final product out before it was finished.

"[13] Furthermore, according to BMI and ASCAP's websites, four of the songs on the album ("But Julian I'm a Little Bit Older Than You", "Almost Golden" and both singles, "Mono" and "Hold on to Me") weren't officially registered for copyright collect.

I was busy taking drugs to dull the pain of having lost everything and made a shit album to boot [...] the producer didn't know what he was doing and he just spent my money.

After adding drum takes to the album, Maloney travelled back to the US and was put in charge of assembling Love's live band, which later became known as The Chelsea.

"[20] NME also published a mixed review stating that the album "sounds slight and rather ragged" but "never less than compelling" and that "the production covers everything in a superficial glosshile.

"[24] Pitchfork Media reacted negatively to the album stating that "America's Sweetheart demonstrates a fairly monstrous decline in both quality and conviction" and that it was "retaining all the dated grunge crunch.

"[25] Similarly, Rolling Stone magazine's Rob Sheffield suggested that, "for people who enjoy watching celebrities fall apart, America's Sweetheart should be more fun than an Osbournes marathon.

"[26] In The Village Voice, Robert Christgau wrote positively of the record, believing Love had "delivered an album as invigorating in its contempt for rock professionalism as Neil Young's Tonight's the Night.