Biography

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.

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 eative 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 eative 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. "

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."