Sweetest Sin
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| “Sweetest Sin” | |||||
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| Single by Jessica Simpson from the album In This Skin |
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| Released | July 22, 2003 | ||||
| Format | CD single | ||||
| Genre | Pop | ||||
| Length | 3:03 [single version] 3:14 [album version] |
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| Label | Columbia | ||||
| Writer(s) | Diane Warren | ||||
| Producer | Ric Wake | ||||
| Jessica Simpson singles chronology | |||||
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"Sweetest Sin" is a song by Jessica Simpson, and was the first single from her third album, In This Skin. Released in 2003 (see 2003 in music), the single failed to chart in the USA, becoming Simpson's second single not to do so. It is noted for being the first single in which Simpson could express the feelings of making love (in song and in video) from first hand experience.[original research?]
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[edit] Background and recording
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This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims. Please improve the article by adding references. See the talk page for details. (September 2007) |
"Sweetest Sin" was written by Diane Warren and produced by Ric Wake. It was the first single in which Simpson could understand what sex meant in her music, because it was the first single she recorded after reportedly losing her virginity to Nick Lachey following their marriage. (It is commonly known that Simpson said she had taken a vow to remain a virgin until marriage.) The song attracted minor controversy over its sexual intonation, but not to the degree of other Simpson singles. In her first sexually driven, yet sexually mature, song dedicated to making love, Simpson speaks from personal experience as she accounts what she believes is the "sweetest sin". She then proceeds to sing, "Your skin upon my skin, would be the sweetest sin".
The recording process of "Sweetest Sin" was not without its problems and was documented in an episode of Simpson's reality series, Newlyweds. Simpson originally recorded "Sweetest Sin" confidentially in a slightly remixed form and announced she was pleased with its progress. However, her bosses at Columbia Records did not feel the same and she was later alerted that she made the song too "challenging"; in essence, they felt that potential listeners of the song would be turned off by singing they would not be able to duplicate. This was not well received by Simpson, who broke down into tears when she received the news. Later, after attending a wedding, she went to re-record her vocals. She brought along Nick Lachey because she felt he was a good vocal producer. With Lachey's assistance, Simpson was able to record a performance for the version that was released.
[edit] Music video
In a similar fashion to the song, the "Sweetest Sin" video was Simpson's first opportunity to express herself visually with first hand sexual experience.[original research?] Simpson's father, Joe Simpson, commented on the subject on the set of the video, where he stated that they could now celebrate the fact that Simpson could "do it until she was blue in the face".[cite this quote] This comment received some criticism because some felt that Joe Simpson should not be commenting on Jessica and Lachey's sex life in that manner.[citation needed] The video was directed by Dean Paraskevopoulos.
The video starts with overexposed black-and-white shots of Simpson dancing and looking at viewers. It cuts to Simpson swaying on a beach, and embracing her husband, Nick Lachey, underneath a waterfall on the beach. Further scenes detailing the journey are presented, such as one in which Simpson lies on a bed by herself fantasizing about her husband. The video continues with intercut footage of the previous scenes, until the final seconds of the song, when Simpson is joined by her husband, in which they move on their bed on the beach in a scene in which it is implied that they are making love.[original research?] The video ends when Lachey disappears, leaving Simpson alone, suggesting that it was a fantasy (supported by the lyrics that it "would" be the sweetest sin).[original research?]
The making of the video was not without complications. It was filmed in cold temperatures, causing Lachey to publicly announce that it was one of the most difficult videos he had filmed. It was filmed in the same period as the video for "Shut Up", the first single from his solo debut album. When Simpson, her family, and Lachey were watching a rough copy of "Sweetest Sin", Lachey was impressed with it and asked how much it cost. Simpson said that the budget had been around 172,000 dollars, which angered Lachey because the "Shut Up" music video had cost much less. Lachey consequently reshot his music video, although he was again given a much lower budget than Simpson.
[edit] Chart performance
"Sweetest Sin" became Simpson's second consecutive single, after "A Little Bit", not to chart on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. A CD single was released, causing the song to hit number six on the Hot 100 Singles Sales chart, but the U.S. singles market had been in decline since 2001, so the sales statistics for "Sweetest Sin" did not significantly contribute to its chart performance.
| Chart (2003) | Peak position |
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| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Singles Sales | 6 |
| U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles | 24 |
| Philippine Top Hits | 48 |
[edit] References
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This article does not cite any references or sources. (July 2007) Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. |
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