Listen
to Jessica Simpson's In
This Skin, and you will
hear many things: Love.
Romance. Sexuality. Sweetness.
Maturity. Peace of Mind.
Yet chief among the things
you will hear is the sound
of a woman becoming her
own person and staying true
to her heart.
Cowritten by Jessica --
with contributions from
Fran Gold, Damon Elliott
and Trina Harmon, and production
by Ric Wake and Rob Fusari,
In This Skin shines a light
on a side of Jessica that
she's never had the opportunity
to let free. "I've
been searching my soul for
things I wanted to sing
about and things I wanted
to say and so I came up
with this record, "Jessica
explains. "When people
listen to this record it
will make them happy."
That's because the songs
on In This Skin reflect
the happiness and growth
that Jessica has been experiencing.
Now married to long time
beau Nick Lachey (of 98
Degrees) and firmly in control
of her life and creative
output, Jessica has reached
deep inside to come up with
an album that may well be
most personal of her career.
In This Skin might be Jessica's
third collection but, in
terms of emotional honesty
and stylistic range, it
is, in a real sense, the
first album that's truly
her own. That's because
In This Skin marks Jessica's
debut as a songwriter and
her lyrical and musical
influences fuel the album's
thematic journeys. "I've
wanted artistic control
for a long time but in the
past I wasn't able to get
it," she confesses.
"Being in charge of
your creative destiny is
beautiful for any artist,
especially someone like
me who wants to sing about
positive things and to inspire
others. This time I really
wanted to make an album
that was real and organic
and that you could listen
to all the way through and
maybe be inspired to fall
in love or follow your dreams.
"
That sense of liberation
is abundant on the album's
first single "Sweetest
Sin." Written by hit
maker Diane Warren and produced
by Ric Wake, "Sweetest
Sin" is unabashedly
carnal and, as Jessica notes,
a marked change from the
giddy teen pop that launched
her career. "I'm not
dancing around this time,"
she laughs. "I'm not
wearing that head set mic
ever again in my life!"
A celebration of love,
her marriage, and making
love, "Sweetest Sin"
signals a new artistic direction
for Jessica. "You'll
definitely know I'm a woman
after hearing this song,"
she offers. "It's a
deeply sensual song but
it's also romantic and recording
it was one of the most natural
things I've done. It's so
great to be able to sing
about things you're going
through because it makes
you relate even more to
the music which makes that
music beautiful."
In This Skin is filled
with both beauty and love,
with lyrics drawn from personal
experiences and journal
entries to create an album
resonating with a captivating
reality. Just listen to
the bittersweet ballad "You
Don't Have To Let Go."
"I wrote that song
for my dad," Jessica
says. "It was so hard
for him to walk me down
the aisle and for him to
handle the idea that I was
getting married and, in
his eyes, leaving. So I
wrote this song for him
about our relationship and
all that he sacrificed for
me."
"Underneath,"
an emotional ode to the
ups and downs of romantic
love, was penned during
a turbulent period in Nick
and Jessica's relationship
when the pair embarked an
ill-fated separation. Jessica
cites the love and support
of her fans as the motivation
behind the album's title
track's message of determination.
Set to a gentle acoustic-laced
groove "In This Skin"
is, according to Jessica,
about "...being comfortable
in your own skin, being
worthy and feeling beautiful.
I wrote in the liner notes
that this is for all the
fans. I want them to listen
to the song and let the
lyrics serve as an inspiration."
Inspiration and spirit
have always been crucial
to Jessica. From the beginning
of her career she has aimed
to be more than just some
cutie pie teen star: she's
always invested her songs
with positive outlooks and
lived her life in a manner
that stays true to her beliefs.
Jessica Simpson first made
her mark in the world of
contemporary Christian music.
Born and raised in Dallas,
Texas, Jessica was sharing
bills with gospel great
Kirk Franklin and Ce Ce
Winans while still in junior
high. Word of the then-teen's
phenomenal voice and stage
presence soon filtered out
of the Christian circuit
and, in the late 90's, Jessica
signed with Columbia Records.
Sweet Kisses, her major
label debut, was released
in 1999 and spawned the
smash singles "I Wanna
Love You Forever,"
"I Think I'm In Love,"
and "Where You Are."
Following the release of
her debut, Jessica hit the
road, wowing audiences worldwide
with her soaring emotion-packed
vocals and high-energy stage
presence. "It was an
amazing time for me,"
Jessica recalls. "I
was 17 and seeing the world,
doing what I loved and doing
it in a way that felt right."
The title track to Irresistible,
her 2001 follow-up, was
a crossover smash, charting
on the Hot 100 (#15), the
Rhythmic Top 40 (#12), Top
40 Mainstream (#3) and Top
40 Tracks (#5).
Since the release of Irresistible,
Jessica's been working on
her acting résumé.
In addition to her recurring
role on "That 70's
Show," Jessica can
be seen in an episode of
UPN's "The Twilight
Zone." Meanwhile, Jessica
and new husband Nick Lachey
will share their lives with
fans in an upcoming reality
TV series on MTV.
But music remained one
of Jessica's truest loves
and, when it came time to
make In This Skin, she was
ready for this vital next
stage in her career. "I
knew the sort of songs I
wanted to sing and write,"
she says. "Songs that
are uplifting and real."
With her new album, Jessica
Simpson comes into her own
as a woman and refines her
ever-evolving voice as an
artist. Collaborating with
a crop of up-and-coming
writers and producers, Jessica
has created an album that
sounds fresh and rings absolutely
true. Her message? "It's
about love and confidence
and loving where I am in
my life."