Jessica Simpson Grows Up
The blond heartthrob who recorded the 1999 pop smash "I Wanna Love You Forever" is growing up.
"I want to set myself apart from the whole bubblegum teen pop thing," singer Jessica Simpson said this week from Los Angeles. "That's really not who I am."
"I'm going to be 22 years old soon and I'm really growing up. All my friends are graduating from college right now and getting ready to go out into the real world and have real jobs. I've got friends who are getting married. And so my focus in life is changing."
Simpson recorded her ballad-heavy debut album, "Sweet Kisses," two years ago. The album's biggest single, "I Wanna Love You Forever," took her career into the stratosphere.
Simpson's sophomore album, "Irresistible," came out last spring. The emphasis was on uptempo, danceable pop/R&B songs, and Simpson's elaborate live shows featured vigorous song-and-dance routines. Last summer, the Dallas-bred singer launched her own Dreamchaser tour featuring the Extreme Mobile Venue, an over-the-top touring production that included a freestyle motorcycle jumper.
But a lot has changed since last summer.
"Music changes so much. But since Sept. 11, it has changed drastically," she said. "I think people are definitely tired of the little pop ditties. They want more substance."
"For me personally, it changed my focus. Because I suddenly thought, 'Oh, my gosh, I'm about a voice.' And that's really what I want to be doing, less dancing and more singing. I want to inspire people and I want people to listen to my music and be moved."
Simpson recently performed more than a half dozen USO shows in Bosnia, joining an entourage of celebrities that included Wayne Newton, Rob Schneider, Neal McCoy, Ruth Pointer and Bo Derek.
"We flew over on a big Air Force cargo plane," Simpson said. "It was freezing and we were sitting straight up in these rigid seats. It was tough, but we had a great, great experience."
Performing in front of crowds of homesick soldiers was an emotional experience.
"So many of the men were so young. I'm 21 and some of them were 18 year-old boys," she said. "It brought out the patriot in me. I'm definitely believing in America right now."
Simpson will play a cameo role in the upcoming Dana Carvey/James Brolin comedy "Master of Disguise." On the movie set, Simpson met Brolin's wife, Barbra Streisand.
"Barbra and I got to talk about movies and music and life. It was pretty amazing," Simpson said. "She had a lot of things to tell me about singing and about my voice. I was completely in awe."
Streisand's advice to Simpson: "Live in the moment and enjoy what you do."
On the cover of her current album, the sexy blond singer appears in a semi-transparent shirt that is hiked up to reveal a bare midriff.
The image is deceptive. Fans who have followed Simpson's career for several years know that before she became a pop star she performed on the Christian-music circuit.
"God is my life," Simpson said. "He's the one who directs me and guides me every day.
"My commitment to my spiritual life has just gotten deeper and stronger because I'm in a really hard business. If I didn't have God in the center of it, I'd pull out all my hair. He keeps me really grounded and very focused."
When she isn't performing, Simpson said she enjoys going to the mall and going to restaurants.
"I'm still just Jessica Simpson. To the people I grew up with, I'm still the same girl. I try to stay really normal. I think it's so important. And I think my relationship with God really helps."
Simpson is currently writing songs for her third album, which is due next year.
"I didn't get to do a lot of my own songs on 'Irresistible.' But on the next album, I hope to write at least 90 percent of the songs. I've been working with other writers and learning the craft of songwriting," she said.
