Jessica Simpson opened up about breaking free from the restraints of her early career as a pop star.
The 44-year-old “With You” hitmaker has a new single called “Use My Heart Against Me” arriving on February 21. Her EP Nashville Canyon, Part 1 follows in March. It’s her first new original music in years, and it’s a departure from previous projects.
Speaking to her sister Ashlee Simpson, Jessica explained that her new music was “for me to set myself apart from old versions of myself.”
She recalled her early days in the industry and feeling held back by the need to pursue success.
The famous sisters also teased the possibility of working on new music together!
Keep reading to find out more…
“The music releases from my younger years were all over the place in terms of actual direction. It was always about following pop-music trends no matter the cost. Even if I didn’t love what I was singing, it was what the label needed of me,” Jessica said during an interview with Ashlee for The Cut. She added that her sister got to be “the cool one” while she was told to be “radio friendly” because “it was the only way that my name would be heard.”
Ashlee agreed, saying that “people were d-cks” to Jessica when she got signed. She noted that it helped her chart her own course in her music career because she didn’t want to go through what her sister did.
They recalled “so many men in suits” controlling Jessica and her image.
“I had to be a pop star because I signed on to be a pop star. No matter what, there was never going to be enough sales, there was never going to be recouping, because they would put so much into me trying to win. You’re a by-product of this company that’s making them money,” Jessica said.
Things were dramatically different for her when she returned to the recording studio to work on new music for her project.
“I don’t care if anything’s a hit. I’m not with a record label. I don’t expect it to even be on the radio,” she said.
That’s not the only difference between her EP and old albums.
“If my younger self was about to promote a new album, I would have 40 interviews lined up; I would be flying everywhere. I would be exhausting myself — and all for a song that somebody else had written that is supposed to be representing who I am as an artist,” she said.
Would Jessica and Ashlee collaborate again in this new era of their careers? The short answer is yes!
“Our tones really vibrate well together. There’s definitely a world where there could be a Jessica and Ashlee record, for sure. We have always wanted to collaborate. It’s just about our worlds colliding and the timing being right,” Jessica said when her sister floated the idea of creating new music together.
Ashlee agreed, saying, “We definitely need to at least write a song for the people.”
If you missed it, Jessica recently opened up about separating from her husband Eric Johnson.
Leave a Reply