A true musical queen, Jessica Simpson came onto the scene in the late ‘90s, making waves with hits like “I Wanna Love You Forever,” “Irresistible” and “With You.” But, in the next stage of the American singer’s life, she left Hollywood for Nashville to record her new album Nashville Canyon: Part I, where her Southern roots took true form. As the Dukes of Hazzard actress continues to work, she's getting real about the past struggles she experienced while essentially competing with fellow pop stars Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera during the early aughts.
Jessica Simpson got her start in music by performing in church choirs, whereas Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera showed off their talents on The Mickey Mouse Club. That childhood fame made it easy for the two to launch their careers early on with Spears’ …Baby One More Time and Aguilera’s Genie in a Bottle. During Jessica Simpson’s interview with Rolling Stone, she admitted that she knew competing with her peers would be an uphill battle:
I was never gonna win, because I had someone like Britney [Spears] and Christina [Aguilera] ahead of me, who were selling so many more records. I didn’t want to dance, I didn’t want to wear a head mic. But I agreed to do it, because I worked for Sony, and I didn’t want to let them down, and I felt like I was constantly letting people down. Even myself, probably because I wasn’t singing words I wrote.
I truly feel where Jessica Simpson is coming from. Since the former reality TV star came onto the music scene a little later with her debut album Sweet Kisses in 1999, her work was often compared to Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera’s choreography-charged big numbers. The two pop singers were also constantly topping the Billboard Top 100, whereas Simpson never had a Billboard Top 100 #1 single. By the time Simpson achieved sex symbol status with her second album Irresistible, Spears and Aguilera were already pushing the boundaries of the pop genre with their edgier images.
It also didn’t help that the That '70s Show alum was constantly mistaken for Spears. That even got to the point where a fan asked Simpson for an autograph, expecting to see a “Britney Spears” signature. While the similarities are apparent as the two are both Southern blondes with musical talent, I can see how frustrating that can be when you’re trying to make a name for yourself in a very competitive business.
While Jessica Simpson became well-known for her music, her true fame came from her and now-ex-husband, Nick Lachey’s, reality TV show, Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica. This sadly tacked Simpson with the “dumb blonde” trope based on her iconic reality show moment when she didn’t know if the tuna she was eating was fish or chicken. Simpson’s weight was also widely discussed, specifically in regard to whether she gained or lost 100 lbs.
Fortunately, after 17 years, Jessica Simpson is returning to music, though is shying away from pop. Nashville Canyon: Part I is more Americana and is inspired rock, country, and soul. All in all, it would seem that Simpson is enjoying this era in her career. One would think that a freedom to produce the kind of music she's passionate about and fact that she's no longer directly competing with Britney Spears or Christina Aguilera play into that. Simpson's EP is available for streaming now.
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