Monday 11 June 2012

My never ending love for Ashlee Simpson P1: Music

It all started in middle school and I can't make it stop. 


There was a girl I hung out with and she had a big thing for the Olsen Twins and Hilary Duff. Suddenly she came to school blaring La La by Jessica Simpson's sister. It was chocked full of innuendo that we could yell-sing on Weston road and burst into a fit of giggles. I wasn't an MTV watcher so I had no idea who this chick was. But if course I dove in head first because she was cool for the moment.





Turns out that Ashlee Simpson had just landed a record deal and her reality TV show was about her personal and newly independent life in LA and recording her first album Autobiography. The album charted at #1 in the US and was the biggest female debut of 2004. Her image was based on being the opposite of her sister's squeaky clean pop-princess and more of the edgy sister shuffled to the side who wears chucks and listens to punk-rock. They dyed her blonde tresses and poof: the Anti-Jessica.




After that one-song obsession and the SNL thing (Which tooootally wasn't her fault and I stand by that) she fell off the map for me. Years later while surfing the Toronto Public Library catalogue for music I put Autobiography on hold. The CD didn't download on my computer so I just popped it into my walkman where it would remain for weeks after the due date. I couldn't get enough. She was edgy, seemingly angry and so awesome. I wanted more so I also requested her newest album at the time I Am Me. The weeks later were filled with me sing-screaming the title song while cleaning my washroom. I watched the Boyfriend music video and memorized the lyrics to every song on that album. Once again I was hooked.


This song was rumoured to be about her ex-bff Lindsay Lohan and Wilmer V.

I watched most of the first season of The Ashlee Simpson Show and I was surprised that she actually was involved in more than the vocals but the writing as well. 




Through the interwebs I heard buzz about a new album. A clip of the title song Bittersweet World was on some Hills Episode. I did my Library-thing again and downloaded the album. The album was power-pop, but I heard a more glam 80s sound vs. a 90s Britney. The drop date of her album was a bit chaotic since the pregnancy rumours were true. Ashlee gave birth to her son a few months after Bittersweet World was released, thus a massive promo tour wasn't possible. For her at least, she's not Beyonce.  






Wait up for me to post my Ashlee Simpson Music Guide for you to listen to some of my favourite songs and part 2 pf this series so you can and understand the fandom.



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