Jessica Simpson recently shared her feelings of frustration with the music industry after being dropped by her record label, despite the success of her 2008 country album Do You Know, which debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart.
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In a conversation with Fancy Hagood during the Saturday episode of Trailblazers Radio, the singer looks back on her music career.
Jessica Simpson is reflecting on her early music career in a candid conversation with Fancy Hagood on an upcoming episode of Trailblazers Radio, with PEOPLE offering an exclusive first look. During their chat, Simpson recalled feeling “mad at music” after being dropped from her record label despite the success of her 2008 country album, Do You Know, which hit No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart.
“I took a long break,” Simpson shared with Hagood. “I was mad at music a bit. After being dropped with a number one country album, I was dropped and I just never understood it. They just said I would never recoup if I didn’t give them part of the brand, but my brand was already successful.”
Simpson also spoke about being warned against pursuing a music career, with people advising her that it could damage her career—just like they had once thought reality TV would. Despite the setbacks, she emphasized the importance of relatability in her music. “That’s so important I believe as a musician, I’m not going to be the one up there that [is] like, ‘Oh my God, I want to be just like Jessica.’ I want people to say, ‘Oh my God. I’m just like Jessica.’ That just works for me.”
Simpson made her return to music in March with her EP Nashville Canyon, Pt. 1 and performed live for the first time in 15 years. She reflected on the challenges she faced, especially the pressure from record labels and high-budget production choices that didn’t align with her vision. Despite this, Simpson’s passion for music remained, and she said it was the right time for her to return after following her gut instincts.
“I’ve always wanted to put music out. It just never felt like the right time. And I’m an intuition gut follower,” Simpson explained. She also shared that her connection to Nashville played a role in the creation of her EP, as it felt like a special place after her older daughter chose to celebrate her birthday there.
Simpson’s music journey began in 1999 with the release of Sweet Kisses, and over the years, she released seven studio albums. After taking a step back from music around 2010, she now finds herself back in the industry, driven by both personal growth and the desire to inspire her children.
“Instead of singing ‘Happy Birthday,’ she wanted us to sing ‘I Saw the Light’ and play Hank Williams that morning we were in Nashville because that’s where she wanted to go… And she’d never been. I woke her up with that song, and it just hit me. The light. It was like the light’s here,” Simpson shared.
“This is where I discover myself,” she continued, reflecting on her connection to Nashville. “This is where I’m born free… I did a gospel record at 14 here. I got to write my first songs here. I wrote my whole country record here, and I was always so safe.”