| In This Skin | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by Jessica Simpson | ||||
| Released | August 19, 2003 (See release history) |
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| Recorded | 2002–2003 | |||
| Genre | Pop, acoustic pop, R&B, pop rock | |||
| Length | 52:28 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Producer | Greg Fitzgerald, Greg Barnhill, Damon Elliott, Rob Fusari, Franne Golde, Richie Jones, Holly Lamar, Billy Mann, Andy Marvel, Keith Thomas, Rick Wake, Andrew Williams | |||
| Jessica Simpson chronology | ||||
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| Singles from In This Skin | ||||
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In This Skin is the third studio album (fourth overall) by American pop singer Jessica Simpson. The album was released on August 19, 2003 in the United States by Columbia Records. A version of the album with bonus tracks and a DVD was released on March 2, 2004 to build on the success of the album.
In This Skin became Simpson's biggest selling album, pushing her to A-list status. The album reached number two on the Billboard 200 album charts and reached top-twenty on the Australian album charts in 2004. The album was certified 3× Platinum in the United States. In This Skin went on to become the 35th best selling album of 2004, and has sold over 7 million copies worldwide. According to Billboard magazine the album was ranked the number 153 on the list of top-selling album of the 2000s.[1]
Contents |
After the release of her 2001 album Irresistible, Simpson stated she wanted to write songs for her third record. In a interview by MTV in October 2002, Lachey, her then husband, revealed that she is back in the studio, working on a new record. He said "she's finally writing her own music, which I've told her she could do forever but she's been shy about stepping out there and doing it. But she's an incredible writer, and she's doing stuff that's really from the heart". About the album's sound, he said "It's a much more organic record and it's more true to herself", he continued saying "There's all live instrumentation and it's very musical as opposed to the pop thing that was happening before for her. I think she finally feels like this is her record and her chance to do exactly what she wants."[2] In March 2003, Simpson revealed that her third album will be called In This Skin.[3]
Sweetest Sin, the album's first single was written by Diane Warren and it's about losing her virginity.[4] MTV regarded the song as a "sweet track".[5] About the idea of her second single, With You, Simpson said "it's cool for me just because it's my personality [...] Nick loves me with nothing but a T-shirt on so that's where the song idea came from."[6] The cover Take My Breath Away is Simpson and Lachey's love theme, she said "because it was playing the first time Nick kissed me".[7] "I've been obsessed with 'Take My Breath Away' for a very long time", she said. Nick Lachey helped produce the vocals for both of her cover songs. Another album's song is Angels, which was a tough session, Simpson said, because she had to do both songs in one day. Lachey helped her get in the right mood, she said, by keeping his hand in her back pocket "and being right there" during the recording session.[8]
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic | [9] |
| Entertainment Weekly | C-[10] |
| Rolling Stone | |
| Slant Magazine | |
| Stylus Magazine | D+ [11] |
Initial critical response to In This Skin was generally negative. Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine gave the album 2.5 stars rating, saying "The catchy tune, penned by Diane Warren, is a glossy, ever-so-slightly over-produced affair. And the same can be said for the entire album, which is weighed down by soggy, overwrought pop ballads that find Simpson repeatedly declaring her devotion to Lachey. "My Way Home" contains one, bizarre 15-second display of Simpson's lung capacity and a Middle Eastern ether so faint and wispy it virtually evaporates beneath the track's slick production. In This Skin contains a few surprises, though, including "Forbidden Fruit," a track unabashedly inspired by Madonna's "Music," and "Loving You," a seductively contrived reminder that, with teen pop long dead, Simpson should be aiming to recapture the club audience that helped launch her career with I Wanna Love You Forever."[12]
Stephen Thomas Erlewine from Allmusic gave the album 2.5 stars rating with a negative review, saying "Now, for her third album, In This Skin, she tones down the trashy club beats and image, staying within the contemporary dance-pop realm while inching toward the middle-of-the-road diva that she's always yearned to be. The problem with In This Skin is that its heart is in the mature middle of the road but its sound is still pitched too young, making this a record that satisfies neither audience."[13] Rolling Stone gave the album 2 stars, quoting "Judging by Skin, her third album, it's a lesson she's still working through. Her powerful voice is done a disservice by insipid songwriting and arrangements -- as on the loathsome club track "Forbidden Fruit" and the uncomfortably stately ballad "You Don't Have to Let Go" -- that consistently get in the way of her pipes."[14]
It was during the release of this album that Simpson had become a household name, due in part to her reality show Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica. At first, In This Skin wasn't doing very well on the charts, as it debuted at #10 with 64,000 copies and quickly sank to the bottom of the Billboard 200 album charts. In five months, the album had sold just 565,000 copies.[15] However, sales began to steadily increase during the Holiday season in 2003. By that point, Simpson had been receiving huge attention from the media for her antics on Newlyweds, and because of that radio stations warmly welcomed her second single, With You, which eventually brought the album back into the top twenty on the Billboard Charts. Then, Columbia Records decided to re-release In This Skin with several new tracks in order to utilize the success of the singer. With "With You" on the top of the radio charts in February 2004, Simpson released her third single, "Take My Breath Away", as the first single off of the new re-release. The re-release worked as In This Skin jumped to number two on the Billboard charts, selling over 157,000[16] copies that week. The album stayed in the top ten for eight non-consecutive weeks and stayed in the Top 100 for sixty-one weeks. In the Billboard 200 stayed for 75 weeks.[17] In December 2004, In This Skin was certified 3x Multi Platinum by the RIAA for sales more than 3 million copies only in U.S.[18][19] The album ranked the #14 in Billboard Year End Charts Albums 2004.[20]
In Australia, April 4, the album debuted at #40. In its seventh week peaked #13 and became her highest peak in Australia for any Simpson's album to date. In This Skin stayed in the Top 50 for 27 weeks. Later the album was certified Platinum by the ARIA. In Ireland, In This Skin debuted at #58. In its second week fell to #75 and in its fourth week the album peak at #27. The album remained in the top 75 for 8 weeks.[21] In UK, the album debuted at #36, the same peak that reached her first album Sweet Kisses. Remained in the top 75 for 5 weeks. In Canada, the album reached at number twenty-one and later was certified Gold by the CRIA. In Switzerland, no single was released to promote the album. Which the album debuted at #78 and remained in the chart only for three weeks. A low number after her previous albums Sweet Kisses and Irresistible, reached the #5 and #15 respectively. In Latin America, the album peak at #4 in Venezuela, its highest peak there since Irresistible that reached #10. In This Skin was the 35th best selling album of 2004 and has sold 7 million copies worldwide.[22]
"Sweetest Sin" was produced by Diane Warren and failed to reach the US Top 40. The second single "With You," produced by Andy Marvel, enjoyed more success, reaching at top ten on Australia and UK and top-twenty on Ireland, Norway and United States. The single was her first number one in Top 40 Mainstream chart. Later was certified Gold in US and Platinum on Australia.
The third single, a cover of "Take My Breath Away" by Berlin, was another top-twenty hit on United States. The song peaked at number eight and number ten on Top 40 Mainstrean and Hot Dance Club Play charts respectively. The single reached at number ten on Canada and top-twenty on Australia, Belgium and France. The single was certified Gold in Australia and United States. A cover version of "Angels" by Robbie Williams was the fourth single. The song reached at number twenty-seven on Australia.
Simpson went on a world tour throughout summer of 2004 in support of the album, which was named Reality Tour. She performed 41 shows in the United States starting in June and ending the tour on the first of August on the Mid-State Fair in Paso Robles, California. The shows were held in major amphitheaters and indoor Arenas. She also gave a memorable performance of With You/Angels at 2004 MTV Video Music Awards.
| # | Title | Writers | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sweetest Sin" | Diane Warren | 3:14 |
| 2. | "With You" | Billy Mann, Andy Marvel, J. Simpson | 3:12 |
| 3. | "My Way Home" | Romeo Antonio, Damon Elliott, Simpson | 3:13 |
| 4. | "I Have Loved You" | Greg Barnhill, Holly Lamar, Denise Rich | 4:45 |
| 5. | "Forbidden Fruit" | Fitzgerald, Nichols, Simpson | 3:30 |
| 6. | "Everyday See You" | Franne Golde, Kasia Livingston, Simpson, Andrew Williams | 4:18 |
| 7. | "Underneath" | Matthew Gerrard, Trina Harmon, Simpson | 4:02 |
| 8. | "You Don't Have to Let Go" | Jason Deere, Harmon, Simpson | 3:43 |
| 9. | "Loving You" | Damon Elliott, Simpson, Craig Young | 3:31 |
| 10. | "In This Skin" | Rob Fusari, Harmon, Simpson | 4:18 |
| 11. | "Be" | Golde, Livingston, Simpson, A. Williams | 4:11 |
| # | Title | Writers | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Angels" | Guy Chambers, Robbie Williams | 4:05 |
| 2. | "With You" | Billy Mann, Andy Marvel, J. Simpson | 3:12 |
| 3. | "Take My Breath Away" | Giorgio Moroder, Tom Whitlock | 3:15 |
| 4. | "My Way Home" | Romeo Antonio, Damon Elliott, Simpson | 3:13 |
| 5. | "Sweetest Sin" | Diane Warren | 3:14 |
| 6. | "I Have Loved You" | Greg Barnhill, Holly Lamar, Denise Rich | 4:45 |
| 7. | "Forbidden Fruit" | Fitzgerald, Nichols, Simpson | 3:30 |
| 8. | "Everyday See You" | Franne Golde, Kasia Livingston, Simpson, Andrew Williams | 4:18 |
| 9. | "Underneath" | Matthew Gerrard, Trina Harmon, Simpson | 4:02 |
| 10. | "You Don't Have to Let Go" | Jason Deere, Harmon, Simpson | 3:43 |
| 11. | "Loving You" | Damon Elliott, Simpson, Craig Young | 3:31 |
| 12. | "In This Skin" | Rob Fusari, Harmon, Simpson | 4:18 |
| 13. | "Be" | Golde, Livingston, Simpson, A. Williams | 4:11 |
| 14. | "With You" (Acoustic Version) | Mann, Andy Marvel, Simpson | 3:15 |
Japan Bonus Track
| # | Title | Writers | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15. | "Fly" | Simpson | 3:29 |
| 16. | "Fearless" | Michelle Lewis, Simpson | 3:53 |
| 17. | "My Love" | Simpson | 4:09 |
DVD: This edition also comes with a DVD featuring footage from Jessica's wedding and TV show with husband Nick Lachey. The DVD sold at Target includes exclusive material not available anywhere else, namely an interview and studio footage of Jessica recording "Take My Breath Away" and "Angels", directed by Sasha Levinson.