A New World

Nashville newcomer Jessica Simpson talks about her new hit, her man . . . and the story of her life!

Jessica Simpson recently spent some time talking with County Weekly about some topics near and dear to her heart. Here’s some of what she had to say during that exclusive interview. For more, check out the Aug. 25 issue of Country Weekly.

CW: What was the motivation behind [“Come On Over”]?
JS: The motivation behind the song was just about . . . Rachel was missing her man and I was missing mine so it was kind of like we were talking about wanting them to be with you right then and there, right now.
CW: I have to ask you, who was that guy walking toward you at the end of the video?
JS: I honestly don’t remember. Tony would be mad if I remembered his name. (laughter)
CW: Who did you want it to be?
JS: Tony, absolutely.
CW: I know you’re a Texas girl, but your first musical success was as a pop star. What made you decide to do a country album?
JS: I wanted to make a country album about 3 years ago. I didn’t tell the label I wanted it to be country. I basically talked with my A&R of the project and she said the best song writers are in Nashville so let’s go to Nashville and write because I wanted to start writing. So I went out to Nashville and the songs I started to write were a little bit more country, and we were trying to convince the label and the label said: ‘Absolutely not, we signed you as a pop artist, you can not be singing this music.’ I was really upset because I liked the music that I was writing so I went in and made another album and another pop record—I made two more pop records—and so by the time this record was going to start, I had had the movies and the Jessica Simpson collection and there’s other ways for me to be creative, and I think I was saying that (I’d sing at) a local bar, just as long as I was singing—you know like a local club or something—and I just basically told the label if I can’t go write a record in Nashville and sing country, then I’m not making another album. And they said: ‘Go ahead,’ and here I am. I’m glad I stood up for myself!
CW: You seem to be going through the elation of a brand new relationship. Are there any songs on your new album “Do You Know” that explores that “feeling on top of the world” emotion that one experiences with a new love in their life besides “Come On Over?”
JS: Oh, yeah, definitely. I’ve been with Tony the whole time that I made this record so the one that I wrote for him is one of my favorites called “You’re My Sunday.” I co-wrote that with Hillary Lindsay and Luke Rhett (?...not sure of his name) My Sundays are all about Tony. He’s everything that Sunday represents too: just relaxing and resting.
CW: On the other side of that coin, everyone goes through break-ups.
JS: I have break-up songs on there. I think through writing the album, I went through a lot of emotions. It was definitely a healing process for me, and it was that moment that I put all those emotions into a melody, into a lyric and all these things that I wish I would have said, or could have said or could have done or did too much of . . . I definitely wrote about. I think a lot of women are going to love a song (on the album) called “When I Loved You Like That.” A lot of girls are going to be like: Yeah! (laughter) . . . In your face! (laughter)
CW: If you were to write a country song about your life, what would the title be?
JS: Dolly said something so cute the other day. She had a quote about me because she wrote the title song of my new album called “Do You Know” which is just an unbelievable spiritually romantic song. She’s such a prolific song writer. She said this quote—she was giving me compliments, which to get compliments from Dolly Parton is like beyond words for me, but then at the end she said: “It’s like the blonde leading the blonde.” (laughter) That’s the perfect song title. It’s kind of like I’m trying to follow in the footsteps of Dolly. I just love how she’s creative in so many different ways, and she just truly inspires me in everything that she does. I mean with the Jessica Simpson collection, I try so much to be so involved with that and there’s so many different ways to be creative, and I think Dolly definitely embraces that. I hope one day I can have my own amusement park. (laughter)
CW: Here comes the crystal ball question. If you had a crystal ball, would you want to look into the future to see what your life will be like in 10 years or do you just want to wing it—take the good with the bad and roll with the punches?
JS: I’d take the good with the bad and roll with the punches. I don’t want to see what my life is going to be because that would affect the decisions . . . it could affect decisions that I make and I want to be the person that I would be in that crystal ball and not do anything that would affect it.
CW: Tell me about your new fragrance.
JS: It’s called Fancy.
CW: How did that come about?
JS: I’ve always wanted to do a fragrance. I’ve endorsed a fragrance before called Dessert, but now to actually have my own is really great because I got to be involved with the entire process of smelling things and what reminded me of home—a lot of that—and then certain flowers like Gardenia and apricot and a little bit of vanilla and some almonds. It’s a really, really nice scent. You can get in an elevator and you won’t offend anybody. (laughter) If anything, you’ll get a compliment.

August 11, 2008
story by Pat Gallagher
photo by WAYNE MASER/SONYBMG

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