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''Irresistible'' is the second
studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...
by American recording artist
Jessica Simpson Jessica Ann Simpson (born July 10, 1980) is an American singer, actress, entrepreneur and philanthropist. After performing in church choirs as a child, Simpson signed with Columbia Records in 1997, aged seventeen. Her debut studio album, '' Swe ...
, released on May 25, 2001, through
Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...
. Simpson, who began working on the project in July 2000, contacted already established writers and producers to collaborate on the project, including
Cory Rooney Mark Cory Rooney (born 1968) is an American record producer. He has written, produced, and developed various successful records for artists including Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, Jessica Simpson, Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony, Thalia, Michael Ja ...
,
Rodney Jerkins Rodney Roy Jerkins (born July 29, 1977), also known by his stage name Darkchild, is an American record producer, rapper, and songwriter. He has collaborated with a broad range of popular artists. Jerkins has won multiple Grammy Awards. Among hi ...
, and
Walter Afanasieff Walter Afanasieff (born Vladimir Nikitich Afanasyev; February 10, 1958), formerly nicknamed Baby Love in the 1980s, is an American record producer and songwriter of Russian-Chinese descent. He was a collaborator with Mariah Carey on her first ...
. In contrast to her debut album '' Sweet Kisses'' (1999), which included more ballads, ''Irresistible'' explored hip hop and R&B genres of music. Simpson described the material as "
Mariah Carey Mariah Carey (; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Referred to as the " Songbird Supreme", she is noted for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style and signature use of the whi ...
meets
Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the " Princess of Pop", she is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s. After appearing in stage productio ...
", indicating the soulfulness of the songs as well as their contemporary appeal. Lyrical themes addressed in the album include love and heartbreak, sexuality, and self-respect. ''Sweet Kisses'', which was aimed at an older audience, did not perform well commercially, and so Simpson re-evaluated her career. At the suggestion of her label executives, Simpson modified her image and sound in ''Irresistible'', deciding to delve more into the
teen pop Teen pop is a subgenre of pop music that is created, marketed and oriented towards preteens and teenagers.Lamb, Bill"Teen Pop" About.com. Retrieved January 28, 2007. Teen pop incorporates different subgenres of pop music, as well as elements o ...
and R&B genres, as she felt that restyling herself to match the image of her contemporaries—Spears and
Christina Aguilera Christina María Aguilera (; ; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality. Known for her four-octave vocal range and ability to sustain high notes, she has been referred to as the " Voice of ...
—would help rejuvenate her career. After its release, ''Irresistible'' received mostly negative reviews from critics, most of whom were disappointed by the music; some of them also felt it was too generic and over-produced. The album debuted at number six on the US ''Billboard'' 200 but quickly fell down the charts afterward. Though the album's initial chart placement was an improvement from her previous endeavor, it failed to match the commercial success of her contemporaries, as the album went on to sell only 755,000 copies in the United States and over two million worldwide. It was certified
gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile met ...
by the
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA) for shipments of 500,000 copies. Elsewhere, the album was a moderate successful, reaching top-twenty in Canada and Switzerland and barely cracking the top forty in Sweden, Japan and Germany. Although it was certified gold in Japan and Canada. Two
single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...
s were released from ''Irresistible''. The title track, the album's lead single, was commercially successful, as it reached the top twenty in charts of eleven countries, including number eleven on the
UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
, and at number fifteen on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100. It was followed by "
A Little Bit "A Little Bit" is a song recorded by American recording artist Jessica Simpson. It was written by Kara DioGuardi, Steve Morales and David Siegel, and was produced by Morales along with Ric Wake. The song was released as the second and final s ...
", which failed to chart in the United States, but reached a peak position of number sixty-two in Australia. Simpson performed songs from ''Irresistible'' on a number of occasions. In 2001, she embarked on her first headlining tour, titled the DreamChaser Tour, to promote the album.


Background

Simpson signed a record deal with
Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...
in 1998 and the next year she released her debut album titled '' Sweet Kisses''. The album featured mostly ballads, and was targeted at a more mature audience than the works of her contemporaries,
Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the " Princess of Pop", she is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s. After appearing in stage productio ...
and
Christina Aguilera Christina María Aguilera (; ; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality. Known for her four-octave vocal range and ability to sustain high notes, she has been referred to as the " Voice of ...
. Simpson even stayed true to her Christian beliefs and dressed conservatively, unlike her peers. The album only managed a peak of number twenty-five on the US ''Billboard'' 200, far from the success of her contemporaries. This led Simpson to reevaluate her career and although she was enjoying some success, she felt she could improve on this. Feeling her more "innocent" image would halt her career from developing further, Simpson adopted a sexier image and newer sound, at the suggestion of the Columbia executives. She moved into the
teen-pop Teen pop is a subgenre of pop music that is created, marketed and oriented towards Preadolescence, preteens and teenagers.Lamb, Bill"Teen Pop" About.com. Retrieved January 28, 2007. Teen pop incorporates different subgenres of pop music, as well ...
genre, as she felt that restyling herself to match the image of Spears and Aguilera would help remake her career. She separated from her then-boyfriend
Nick Lachey Nicholas Scott Lachey ( ; born November 9, 1973) is an American singer, actor, television personality, and host. He rose to fame as the lead singer of the multi-platinum-selling boyband 98 Degrees, and later starred in the reality series '' Newl ...
, in March 2001, feeling the need to concentrate on her career. Her new image was promoted through appearances on many events, where Simpson wore revealing outfits. The development of this image coincided with the production and release of her second studio effort, ''Irresistible''. Simpson said that she wanted to portray a "sexier, more mature style" in her new album. "I recorded ''Sweet Kisses'' when I was 17 years old and I'm 21 his monthso there is four years of growth involved," Simpson said in an interview with ''Coventry Newspapers'' in July 2001. In an interview with ''
Cosmopolitan Cosmopolitan may refer to: Food and drink * Cosmopolitan (cocktail), also known as a "Cosmo" History * Rootless cosmopolitan, a Soviet derogatory epithet during Joseph Stalin's anti-Semitic campaign of 1949–1953 Hotels and resorts * Cosmopoli ...
'' in June 2001, she explained, "This record is about who I am now. The music is edgier, and I'm all grown up." According to Terri Doughtery, author of ''People in the News: Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey'', Simpson hoped her new image would bring more attention to the power of her voice. "It's not just me singing about being in love. I also have heartbreak songs and girls telling off guys songs. It's going to take me a while to recoup nthis album, because we spent a lot of money on it," Simpson said to ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
''.


Development

Simpson started working on the album in mid-July 2000. While compiling songs for ''Sweet Kisses'', she had expressed inconvenience when a track's lyrics were too suggestive or delivered a message she did not agree with and thus asked for its modification. However, for ''Irresistible'', she decided to let
Tommy Mottola Thomas Daniel Mottola (born July 14, 1948) is an American music executive, producer and author. Mottola is currently the Chairman of Mottola Media Group and was previously the Chairman and CEO of Sony Music Entertainment, parent of the Columb ...
, the CEO of Columbia, take control of the whole project. He enlisted many established composers and producers for the album, hand-picked each song for the track list, and rejected those he felt were not so good. Although she had previously announced that she would write a few songs for her second album, Simpson does not share songwriting credits on any of the tracks. On being asked why, she said that she was very shy when it came to songwriting and felt that it requires a lot of "bravery" to write songs. She also expressed that she could not find the right words for the songs and hence did not write for the record. According to Simpson, the album did not have a definite concept or theme; Mottola selected songs which they felt were good enough for Simpson and compiled them into an album. Described as being very sexy and more grown up by Simpson, the opening
title track A title track is a song that has the same name as the album or film in which it appears. In the Korean music industry, the term is used to describe a promoted song on an album, akin to a single, regardless of the song's title. Title track may al ...
was written by the Swedish duo
Anders Bagge Sven Anders Bagge (; born 16 January 1968) is a Swedish composer, lyricist, musician and record producer and partner with Peer Åström. The two songwriters / producers are known as Bagge & Peer. Bagge is also one of jury members for the TV4 sin ...
and
Arnthor Birgisson Arnthor Birgisson (Icelandic: Arnþór Birgisson, born 12 February 1976 in Reykjavík, Iceland) is an Icelandic-Swedish songwriter and producer. Arnþór moved to Sweden in 1978 at age two and lives in Stockholm. Information As young Arn ...
, in collaboration with English singer-songwriter Pamela Sheyne. Birgisson told
music technology Music technology is the study or the use of any device, mechanism, machine or tool by a musician or composer to make or perform music; to compose, notate, playback or record songs or pieces; or to analyze or edit music. History The earlies ...
magazine ''
Sound on Sound ''Sound on Sound'' is an independently owned monthly music technology magazine published by SOS Publications Group, based in Cambridge, United Kingdom. The magazine includes product tests of electronic musical performance and recording devices, a ...
'' that they started developing the song after Sheyne proposed the title and concept. Bagge and Birgisson developed the melody and completed the song's lyrics. Sheyne also sings backing vocals in the song. "
A Little Bit "A Little Bit" is a song recorded by American recording artist Jessica Simpson. It was written by Kara DioGuardi, Steve Morales and David Siegel, and was produced by Morales along with Ric Wake. The song was released as the second and final s ...
" was written by
Kara DioGuardi Kara Elizabeth DioGuardi (; born December 9, 1970) is an American songwriter, record producer, music publisher, A&R executive, and singer. She writes music primarily in the pop rock genre. DioGuardi has worked with many popular artists; sales o ...
, along with Steve Morales and David Siegal. Although she had the written songs for other artists including
Kylie Minogue Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter and actress. She is the highest-selling female Australian artist of all time, having sold over 80 million records worldwide. She has been recognised for reinve ...
and
Martine McCutcheon Martine Kimberley Sherrie McCutcheon (formerly Ponting, born 14 May 1976) is an English actress and singer. She began appearing in television commercials at an early age and made her television debut in the children's television drama ''Bluebird ...
, the song became DioGuardi's first writing credit for an artist from her native country. Simpson said that "the message behind the song is for the guys to listen to the girl." The next track, "Forever in Your Eyes", was co-written by Lachey, along with
Rhett Lawrence James Everett "Rhett" Lawrence is an American record producer and songwriter. He has produced, mentored, and helped launch the career of 5 artists amongst the top 200 artists to be featured on Billboard magazine's top charts from 1955-2012, who ...
.
Walter Afanasieff Walter Afanasieff (born Vladimir Nikitich Afanasyev; February 10, 1958), formerly nicknamed Baby Love in the 1980s, is an American record producer and songwriter of Russian-Chinese descent. He was a collaborator with Mariah Carey on her first ...
, long-time
Mariah Carey Mariah Carey (; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Referred to as the " Songbird Supreme", she is noted for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style and signature use of the whi ...
collaborator, worked with Simpson on three cuts from ''Irresistible''. One of the songs, "When You Told Me You Loved Me", was written by Afanasieff in collaboration with
Billy Mann William H. Mann (born William Isaiah Erlichman; December 20, 1968) is a Grammy-nominated American songwriter, record producer and founder of independent music publishing company Green & Bloom/Topline, as well as chairman of management firm Man ...
. In an interview with Allpop, Simpson named the song as one of her favorites and said, "I really base that on a situation of a friend of mine whose parents are divorced. I like the emotion behind that song."
Cory Rooney Mark Cory Rooney (born 1968) is an American record producer. He has written, produced, and developed various successful records for artists including Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, Jessica Simpson, Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony, Thalia, Michael Ja ...
wrote "Hot Like Fire" solely, which Simpson described as "certainly not kid stuff", a song "with a lot of attitude." Louis Biancaniello and Sam Watters were also brought in to write and produce songs for the album. One of the cuts, "For Your Love", according to Simpson, is reminiscent of "
I Wanna Love You Forever "I Wanna Love You Forever" is the debut single of American recording artist Jessica Simpson. The song was released on August 30, 1999, by Columbia Records as the lead single from Simpson's debut studio album, '' Sweet Kisses'' (1999). Written and ...
" (1999). Simpson covered the
gospel Gospel originally meant the Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words an ...
hymn "
His Eye is on the Sparrow "His Eye Is on the Sparrow" is a gospel hymn written in 1905 by lyricist Civilla D. Martin and composer Charles H. Gabriel. It is most associated with actress-singer Ethel Waters who used the title for her autobiography. Mahalia Jackson's recordi ...
" as the last song of the album. She said, "I wanted to give my audience a piece of my heart and soul. The message is there's so much in life that can get you discouraged, but if you trust that you're being watched over, you have a reason to live and a sense of freedom. It's different for everyone, but for me, my relationship with God is the way I clear out the shadows that hang in our lives."


Recording and production

Motolla selected
Cory Rooney Mark Cory Rooney (born 1968) is an American record producer. He has written, produced, and developed various successful records for artists including Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, Jessica Simpson, Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony, Thalia, Michael Ja ...
as the executive producer of ''Irresistible''. Most of the recording and mixing works were done at
Sony Music Studios Sony Music Studios was an American music recording and mastering facility in New York City. The five-story building was a music and broadcasting complex located at 460 W. 54th Street, at 10th Avenue, in the Hell's Kitchen section of Manhattan. I ...
, New York City and was completed over a time span of eight months. Rooney also coordinated the recording process while Robert Williams miked the vocals. Sony's C-800G Tube Condenser Microphone, equipped with a dual large diaphragm and electronically selectable pick-up pattern, was used to record the vocals. In an interview with ''Sony SoundByte'' magazine in 2002, Williams said of his choice: "In the studio, it comes down to what you hear. ..She has such a big range, from a whisper to really belting it out, and you need a microphone that can handle the range without distortion." He had used the microphone for Simpson's first album and felt that it suited her well. He also noted that on ballads, "the S's and wet sounds of lips" are important to the texture of the song. According to him, as Simpson's vocals tended to be "bright", he edited the lower ends of her voice to equalize the track. To mix the tracks, a Sony Oxford Console was used. Audio engineer
Mick Guzauski Nathan "Mick" Guzauski is an American multi-platinum mixing engineer and sound engineer. His work spans a wide range of styles, including jazz, R&B, Latin, rock, pop, easy listening, funk and hip hop. He won a 2002 Latin Grammy for Thalía's ...
explained to ''Sony SoundByte'' that he used the console's "Automated EQ feature" on the tracks. He said that he could "tailor the frequency responses and dynamics within each song with optimum equalizer at every pitch and level." For the Afanasieff tracks, the
background vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are used ...
and
overdubs Overdubbing (also known as layering) is a technique used in audio recording in which audio tracks that have been pre-recorded are then played back and monitored, while simultaneously recording new, doubled, or augmented tracks onto one or more av ...
were accomplished on the Oxford console at his Wally World Studio B, at
San Rafael, California San Rafael ( ; Spanish language, Spanish for "Raphael (archangel), St. Raphael", ) is a city and the county seat of Marin County, California, Marin County, California, United States. The city is located in the North Bay (San Francisco Bay Area), ...
. Simpson's label-mate and Latin singer
Marc Anthony Marco Antonio Muñiz Rivera (born September 16, 1968), known professionally as Marc Anthony, is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He is the top selling tropical salsa artist of all time. A three-time Grammy Award and six-time Latin Gra ...
is featured as a guest vocalist on the ballad "There You Were". Simpson met Anthony at the taping of the TV special ''A Christmas in Washington'' in 2000. They talked to each other, and proposed recording a song on both of their next albums. They sang the song side by side in the studio and the whole song was completed within six hours. "Forever in Your Eyes" was one of the first songs to be recorded for the album, and was produced by Rhett Lawrence. It was recorded at Sony Music Studios within two hours. Rodney Jerkins, who was acquainted with Mottola, produced two cuts on ''Irresistible''. In an interview with Sony Music Japan, Simpson said that she never met Jerkins in person. He produced and recorded the songs' music and sent the tape to Columbia, from which "Imagination" and "I Never" were selected. Cory Rooney produced Simpson's vocals and Tony Maserati mixed the vocals. Initially, Simpson did not want to record "What's It Gonna Be" as she felt the line "Are you gonna be a dog or a gentleman" was a little awkward. However, due to her record label's persuasion, she recorded the song and ultimately became fond of it. In order to record the title track, Simpson traveled to Murlyn Music Studios, in Sweden. "A Little Bit" was produced by Ric Wake; although he produced many songs for the album, only "A Little Bit" made the final cut. The Japanese version of the album contains a bonus track—the
Hex Hector Hex Hector (born Héctor Ortiz on April 15, 1965) is an American music producer and remixer. He won a Grammy Award in 2001 for Best Remixer. He was born in Manhattan, New York, of a Puerto Rican mother and Cuban Cuban may refer to: * Something ...
remix of "Irresistible"—for which Simpson re-recorded her vocals.


Music and lyrics

Simpson described ''Irresistible''s material as "Mariah Carey meets Britney Spears ... very mature but accessible to teens." She said that she wanted to blend
house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...
, R&B, pop genres into the record. The opening track, "Irresistible", is an R&B song with
dance-pop Dance-pop is a popular music subgenre that originated in the late 1970s to early 1980s. It is generally uptempo music intended for nightclubs with the intention of being danceable but also suitable for contemporary hit radio. Developing from a ...
influences. It also exhibits elements of
pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, earl ...
and
funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...
genres, while incorporating latin rhythms. Aside from including a string section, the track features Simpson's breathy vocals, spoken passages and a mid-section
breakdown Breakdown may refer to: Breaking down *Breakdown (vehicle), failure of a motor vehicle in such a way that it cannot be operated *Chemical decomposition, also called chemical breakdown, the breakdown of a substance into simpler components *Decompo ...
, where her vocals are "funk-fortified". According to author Ben Graham, the lyrics of the song see Simpson stripping her famous virginity image down. Bob Waliszewski of ''
Plugged In Focus on the Family (FOTF or FotF) is a fundamentalist Protestant organization founded in 1977 in Southern California by James Dobson, based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The group is one of a number of evangelical parachurch organizations t ...
'' gave a similar observation of the lyrics, writing that they point to an imminent sexual compromise. "A Little Bit" is a dance-pop song following the same beat-oriented pattern as "Irresistible". It features piano instrumentation and Simpson sings the lyrics as rapid-fire verses and with start-and-stop hooks. Simpson again adopts breathy vocals, and the lyrics talk about what she expects from her partner: "A little more time, a little less wait / A little more heart, a little less break". The lyrics also demand healthy changes in her relationship. "Forever In Your Eyes" explores elements of
Latin music Latin music (Portuguese language, Portuguese and es, música latina) is a term used by the music industry as a catch-all category for various styles of music from Ibero-America (including Music of Spain, Spain and Portuguese music, Portugal) ...
, as the song is backed by Spanish guitar and infused with hip-hop beats. The lyrics describe a couple in love lying together "all through the night". "There You Were" is a torchy power ballad which drew comparisons to Simpson's previous song " Where You Are" (2000). The lyrics of the song are a homage to the protagonist's partner, who changed her life. The song received negative response from critics, with some calling it "sappy" and "unnecessary". "What's It Gonna Be" is a
bubblegum pop Bubblegum (also called bubblegum pop) is pop music in a catchy and upbeat style that is considered disposable, contrived, or marketed for children and adolescents. The term also refers to a rock and pop subgenre, originating in the United States i ...
song influenced by '80s funk music, which was compared to outtakes from Spears' '' Oops!... I Did It Again'' (2000). The lyrics deal with Simpson expecting a reply from her lover regarding his fear of commitment. "When You Told Me You Loved Me" is another power ballad about love, this time utilizing a spanish guitar. Backed by a full 60 piece orchestra, the song and Simpson's vocals were compared to that of Mariah Carey and
Celine Dion Céline Marie Claudette Dion ( ; born 30 March 1968) is a Canadian singer. Noted for her powerful and technically skilled vocals, Dion is the best-selling Canadian recording artist, and the best-selling French-language artist of all time. Her ...
. "Hot Like Fire", which received positive reviews from critics, is a funky mid-tempo number. Compared to the likes of
Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
and
Destiny's Child Destiny's Child was an American girl group whose final line-up comprised Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams. The group began their musical career as Girl's Tyme, formed in 1990 in Houston, Texas. After years of limited ...
, the song begins with a "faux" telephone call between Simpson and her friend; the latter explains that Simpson's boyfriend has been cheating on her. The lyrics, sung with "hard edge vocals" over synth horns, hip-hop beats, and electronica rhythms, demonstrate Simpson's annoyance at being cheated on by her boyfriend. "Imagination" is a song with
electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic co ...
and R&B influences. Rick de Yampert of ''
The Daytona Beach News-Journal ''The Daytona Beach News-Journal'' is a Florida daily newspaper serving Volusia and Flagler Counties. It grew from the ''Halifax Journal'', which was started in 1883. The Davidson family purchased the newspaper in 1928 and retained control unti ...
'' commented that the song contained
Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, Pop musi ...
-styled
funk music Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...
. "To Fall in Love Again" and "For Your Love" are ballads; the former is backed by a 60 piece orchestra, and Peter Marsh of
BBC Music BBC Music is responsible for the music played across the BBC. The current director of music is Bob Shennan, who is also the controller of BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 6 Music, and the BBC Asian Network. Officially it is a part of the BBC's Radio o ...
noted it "morphs ..into an R'n'B tinged slow jam." It also contains a jazz
breakdown Breakdown may refer to: Breaking down *Breakdown (vehicle), failure of a motor vehicle in such a way that it cannot be operated *Chemical decomposition, also called chemical breakdown, the breakdown of a substance into simpler components *Decompo ...
, towards its end. Bob Waliszewski wrote that through the latter, "Simpson pledges devotion to a partner". "I Never", produced by Darkchild, infuses Spanish guitars, and has an "urban" tinge. The song portrays the theme of self-respect, and has Simpson getting rid of her cheating partner. The closing track, the cover of the hymn "His Eye Is on the Sparrow", is backed by a gospel choir and "praises God for watching over His children". Reviewers called it one of the standout tracks from the album. According to Kirsten Koba of
PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...
, Simpson sings it "with a depth and passion that is lacking on the rest of the album."


Artwork, title and release

The album artwork for ''Irresistible'' was shot by Alberto Tolot in April 2001. The front sleeve cover shows Simpson, wearing heavy makeup and with blond hair, dressed in a semi-transparent shirt, raising it a bit to expose her navel. Simpson said "God gave me my body, you know. I'm just doing what I can to make it look good." Later in an interview with the ''
Orlando Sentinel The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is the primary newspaper of Orlando, Florida, and the Central Florida region. It was founded in 1876 and is currently owned by Tribune Publishing Company. The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is owned by parent company, '' Tribune P ...
'', she said that the album art was "a sign of confidence". However, the cover received negative attention from many critics, including the conservative Christian publication ''
Plugged In Focus on the Family (FOTF or FotF) is a fundamentalist Protestant organization founded in 1977 in Southern California by James Dobson, based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The group is one of a number of evangelical parachurch organizations t ...
'', which was a strong supporter of Simpson and her virgin image, and ''Sweet Kisses''. They stated, "If anything, ''Irresistible'' copes with temptation by yielding to it which, in conjunction with Simpson's general immodesty, models a dubious sexual ethic." Canadian music magazine ''
Chart A chart (sometimes known as a graph) is a graphical representation for data visualization, in which "the data is represented by symbols, such as bars in a bar chart, lines in a line chart, or slices in a pie chart". A chart can represent tabu ...
'' also gave a negative response, writing "it takes more than wearing see-through clothes, with airbrushed, non-existent nipples, to show that you have matured." A few critics criticized the art for being digitally edited, while others commented on Simpson's similarity to Spears. The Japanese version of the album has the same front sleeve artwork as that of "Irresistible" single. The title of the album was tentatively set to be ''Hot Like Fire'', later changed to ''Imagination'', before being confirmed to be ''Irresistible'' on March 16, 2001. In the United States, ''Irresistible'' was initially slated for release on March 20, 2001. However, due to undisclosed reasons, the release was pushed to June 5, 2001. A listening party was arranged by AOL on June 4, 2001, a day before the album's release date. The album's release was celebrated with a release party at the New York Water Club. Simpson rode down Manhattan's
East River The East River is a saltwater tidal estuary in New York City. The waterway, which is actually not a river despite its name, connects Upper New York Bay on its south end to Long Island Sound on its north end. It separates the borough of Queens ...
on a yacht decorated with banners for the celebration, which included a water ski show, a
fireboat A fireboat or fire-float is a specialized watercraft with pumps and nozzles designed for fighting shoreline and shipboard fires. The first fireboats, dating to the late 18th century, were tugboats, retrofitted with firefighting equipmen ...
spraying water, and fireworks. Simpson said the album's release was a critical moment in her career, one "which could send her to stardom or obscurity." In an interview, she said "I'm right there ready to explode." "Or I could go pfft . No one could ever hear from me again," she added. In the United Kingdom, ''Irresistible'' was released on July 16, 2001, and in Japan on May 25, 2001.


Critical reception

Upon release, ''Irresistible'' received mixed reviews by music critics who said the album sounded generic and over-produced. Chuck Campbell of ''Daily News'' gave the album a rating of 2.5 out of 5. He said the album was "nothing but a footnote", and remarked that the songs sounded too similar to works by Spears and Aguilera. He concluded by commenting on Simpson's version of "His Eye Is on the Sparrow": "So if her pop fortunes fail, perhaps she'll find some contemporary Christian singers to imitate." Teresa Gubbins of ''The Dallas Morning News'' wrote that it "doesn't do much to set her apart. It's likable but definitely not distinctive – just another formulaic entry into the already saturated teen-pop field." She gave the album a grade of C. David Browne of ''Entertainment Weekly'' gave the album a D and said that it "should have been called 'Relentless'. Exploiting every cliché in the pop 2001 handbook – florid ballads seemingly formulated for movie soundtracks ..it quite literally hits you baby, and more than one time." Although he gave Simpson credit for being able to sing, he said that she did it in a "talent show manner". Kirsten Koba of Popmatters commented that "''Irresistible'' is more reminiscent of trips to the dentist's office, or any equally oppressive place that only plays adult contemporary schlock." Barry Walters of ''Rolling Stone'' wrote that except "Hot Like Fire", every other track on ''Irresistible'' needed remixing. He concluded by saying, "With so many teen-pop choices, this prom-queen cyborg remains redundant and reactionary." Sal Cinquemani of Slant called the album a "lackluster sophomore" effort. He commented that there was no "original note" on the album and compared the tracks to those by Spears. AllMusic critic
Stephen Thomas Erlewine Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance writer, occ ...
graded the album 2.5 stars out of 5, and commented that the album was "filled with frothy, sugary pop tunes." He said that, apart from the title track and "A Little Bit", none of the songs "register as songs – they're just stylish background music." He concluded by commenting, "it's a bit of the inverse of ''Sweet Kisses'', which was too heavy on ballads, and, like that record, this is the work of pros, so it sounds fine as it plays but it lacks a song as strong as '
I Think I'm in Love With You "I Think I'm in Love with You" is a song written and produced by Cory Rooney and Dan Shea for Jessica Simpson's 1999 debut album, '' Sweet Kisses''. It contains a sample of singer-songwriter John Mellencamp's "Jack & Diane" (1982) and was rele ...
' to anchor it – so it floats away from memory." Peter Marsh of the BBC said the album sounded like a mixture of Spears, Aguilera, Carey and Dion, and wrote that it covered all the "bases". Larry Printz of ''The Morning Call'' called the album "pleasant, palatable modern pop." He wrote that the album was "clearly the best of the lot", and commended Simpson's vocals. Chuck Taylor of ''Billboard'' described "What's It Gonna Be" like "another bid for chart domination". He viewed the album as "a great step forward for youth pop and sure footing for
his His or HIS may refer to: Computing * Hightech Information System, a Hong Kong graphics card company * Honeywell Information Systems * Hybrid intelligent system * Microsoft Host Integration Server Education * Hangzhou International School, in ...
glamorous talent."


Accolades


Commercial performance

In the United States, ''Irresistible'' debuted at number six on the ''Billboard'' 200, the week dated June 23, 2001. It sold 120,000 copies in its first week, a major improvement over ''Sweet Kisses'', which sold just 65,000 copies in its first week. However, the album dropped to number twelve the following week, before falling to number twenty-five the week after. The album stayed on the charts for just sixteen weeks, and was ranked at number 171 on the ''Billboard'' 200-year-end albums chart. It was certified
gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile met ...
by the
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA) for shipments of 500,000 copies in the country, and as of February 2009, ''Irresistible'' has sold 755,000 copies in the US. In Canada, ''Irresistible'' debuted at number fifteen on the
Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocea ...
for the week dated June 23, 2001. It ascended to its peak of number thirteen the following week before dropping out of the top twenty the week after. The album stayed on the chart for 17 weeks.''Irresistible'' was certified gold by the
Canadian Recording Industry Association Music Canada (formerly Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA)) is a non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, manufacture, produce, and distribute music in Canada. It a ...
(CRIA) in April 2005, for shipments of 50,000 units. Overseas, in Australia, the album debuted at number eighty-one on the
ARIA Albums Chart The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offici ...
, in the issue dated September 17, 2001. It dropped out of the chart the next week. Similarly, ''Irresistible'' debuted at number seventy-five on the Austrian Albums Chart, the week of August 5, 2001. It rose to its peak position of number fifty-eight the next week. In Switzerland, the album debuted at number twenty, the week dated July 8, 2001. After attaining its peak position of number fifteen, it dropped to number sixteen. The album stayed on the charts for a total of ten weeks, including one re-entry at number ninety-five on September 16, 2001. In Japan, ''Irresistible'' debuted at number twenty-five on the
Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan and Western music. It started as, which was founded by Sōkō Koike in Nov ...
Albums Chart, with sales of 9,560 copies. The following week, it ascended to number twenty-four with additional sales of 12,430 units. The album stayed in the top 100 for six weeks, and according to Oricon, has sold 44,580 copies in Japan. In the United Kingdom, ''Irresistible'' peaked at a position of number 103. The album saw moderate success in Germany, where it peaked at number thirty-four, and stayed on the chart for three weeks. As the date, the album has sold 2 million copies worldwide.


Promotion

As a part of promotion, Simpson performed tracks from the album on several televised appearances and occasions, including '' Macy's 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular'', in celebration of
Independence Day An independence day is an annual event commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or more rarely after the end of a military occupation. Man ...
, and the 2001 ''
Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve ''Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve'' (''NYRE'') is an annual New Year's Eve television special broadcast by ABC. The special broadcasts primarily from New York City's Times Square and prominently features coverage of its annual ball drop ev ...
''. In July 2001, she performed the tracks, including "Irresistible" at Wango Tango, an annual all-day concert organized by
KIIS-FM KIIS-FM (102.7 MHz) is a commercial radio station licensed to Los Angeles, California, United States, and broadcasts to the Greater Los Angeles area. The station airs a top 40 format. Owned by iHeartMedia, KIIS-FM is the origin of the conglomer ...
, in California. She also toured with
Destiny's Child Destiny's Child was an American girl group whose final line-up comprised Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams. The group began their musical career as Girl's Tyme, formed in 1990 in Houston, Texas. After years of limited ...
,
Nelly Cornell Iral Haynes Jr. (born November 2, 1974), better known by his stage name Nelly, is an American rapper, singer, actor and entrepreneur. He embarked on his music career with the hip hop group St. Lunatics in 1993 and signed to Universal ...
, and
Eve Eve (; ; ar, حَوَّاء, Ḥawwāʾ; el, Εὕα, Heúa; la, Eva, Heva; Syriac: romanized: ) is a figure in the Book of Genesis in the Hebrew Bible. According to the origin story, "Creation myths are symbolic stories describing how the ...
on MTV's first ''
Total Request Live ''Total Request Live'' (known commonly as ''TRL'') was an American television program broadcast on MTV that premiered on September 14, 1998. TRL featured popular music videos played during its countdown, and was also used as a promotion tool by ...
'' (TRL) Tour, which spanned thirty dates in the US. In November, she joined the lineup of
United Service Organizations The United Service Organizations Inc. (USO) is an American nonprofit-charitable corporation that provides live entertainment, such as comedians, actors and musicians, social facilities, and other programs to members of the United States Armed F ...
' (USO) Tour, to entertain the US troops fighting in
Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) was the official name used synonymously by the U.S. government for both the War in Afghanistan (2001–2014) and the larger-scale Global War on Terrorism. On 7 October 2001, in response to the September 11 at ...
. The tour, which started in
Arlington, Virginia Arlington County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The county is situated in Northern Virginia on the southwestern bank of the Potomac River directly across from the District of Columbia, of which it was once a part. The county is ...
, ventured through the Middle East, including
Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
. The next month, she joined the cast of
KBKS-FM KBKS-FM (106.1 FM) – branded as ''Hits 106-1'' – is a commercial radio station licensed to Tacoma, Washington, and serving the Seattle metropolitan area. Owned by iHeartMedia, it broadcasts a Top 40/CHR format. The studios and offices are ...
's Jingle Bell Bash in
Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
. At the event, she performed "Irresistible", "A Little Bit", "
I Wanna Love You Forever "I Wanna Love You Forever" is the debut single of American recording artist Jessica Simpson. The song was released on August 30, 1999, by Columbia Records as the lead single from Simpson's debut studio album, '' Sweet Kisses'' (1999). Written and ...
", and "
I Think I'm in Love with You "I Think I'm in Love with You" is a song written and produced by Cory Rooney and Dan Shea for Jessica Simpson's 1999 debut album, '' Sweet Kisses''. It contains a sample of singer-songwriter John Mellencamp's "Jack & Diane" (1982) and was rele ...
". Simpson also promoted the album through performance at
MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
's ''Spring Break'' program, held in
Cancún Cancún ( ), often Cancun in English (without the accent; or ) is a city in southeast Mexico on the northeast coast of the Yucatán Peninsula in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. It is a significant tourist destination in Mexico and the seat ...
, Mexico.


DreamChaser Tour

Apart from the live performances, Simpson went out on a North America only headlining tour titled the DreamChaser Tour. In contrast to her previous co-headlining tour with
98 Degrees 98 Degrees (stylized as 98°) is an American pop and R&B vocal group consisting of four vocalists: the group's founding member Jeff Timmons, brothers Nick and Drew Lachey, and Justin Jeffre. The group was formed by Timmons in Los Angeles, Cali ...
, Simpson wanted "DreamChaser" to present her as a singer and a performer, in the mold of Spears. Simpson decided to make the tour risque by adding more backup dancers and wearing skimpier clothing. She took dance lessons for the tour, as she felt that she had to transform herself into a performer. The tour was set up on a portable stage called the "Extreme Mobile Venue", with a capacity to hold 10,000 people, and ran in mall parking lots. The arena featured a stadium stage, complete with a sound system and lights. Arrangements for concertgoers to
bungee jump Bungee jumping (), also spelled bungy jumping, is an activity that involves a person jumping from a great height while connected to a large elastic cord. The launching pad is usually erected on a tall structure such as a building or crane, a ...
, climb a rock wall, and go mechanical surfing while the singer was not performing were also provided. The venue featured interactive games and exhibits, and was supported by a -high ramp for extreme motorcycle riders. The tour openers included
Eden's Crush Eden's Crush was an American girl group who were created on the American television series ''Popstars'' which aired on the now defunct WB. The group was formed in late 2000 and released the hit song "Get Over Yourself" in 2001, following the f ...
,
Youngstown Youngstown is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio, and the largest city and county seat of Mahoning County. At the 2020 census, Youngstown had a city population of 60,068. It is a principal city of the Youngstown–Warren metropolitan area, which ...
,
Toya Toya may refer to: Places *Tōya, Hokkaidō, a former village in Abuta District, Iburi, Hokkaidō, Japan *Tōyako, Hokkaidō, a town incorporating Tōya, Hokkaidō **Tōya Station (Tōyako), a railway station in Tōyako *Lake Tōya, a volcanic lak ...
, and Plus One. It was choreographed by
Dan Karaty Daniel Quinn Karaty (born October 1, 1976) is an American TV personality, actor, producer, dancer and choreographer. He has performed with and/or created routines for pop superstars such as Jessica Simpson, Britney Spears, Kylie Minogue and *N ...
. The tour launched on August 7, 2001, at
Corpus Christi, Texas Corpus Christi (; Ecclesiastical Latin: "'' Body of Christ"'') is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat and largest city of Nueces County, it also extends into Aransas, Kleberg, and San Patrici ...
, and ran twenty-five dates through mid-September. Tickets price ranged between $29.99 and $39.99. In an interview with ''
Deseret News The ''Deseret News'' () is the oldest continuously operating publication in the American west. Its multi-platform products feature journalism and commentary across the fields of politics, culture, family life, faith, sports, and entertainment. Th ...
'', Simpson said that it "was a fun tour. That was like a preparation for me. It was one of those things where I just wanted to go out and meet all my fans." A video tape, titled ''Dream Chaser'', was released on January 22, 2002, which included Simpson's biography, music videos, behind-the-scenes looks at "Irresistible" and "A Little Bit", and footage from the tour. The tape reached number twenty-five on ''Billboard''
Top Music Videos The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in '' Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ''Billboard'' charts, p ...
chart, for the issue dated February 9, 2002.


Singles

The
lead single A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. Release s ...
from the album, "Irresistible", was released on April 12, 2001, as a
CD single A CD single (sometimes abbreviated to CDS) is a music single in the form of a compact disc. The standard in the Red Book for the term ''CD single'' is an 8 cm (3-inch) CD (or Mini CD). It now refers to any single recorded onto a CD of any si ...
. The
Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...
called it "unimaginative". In 2003, the song won a
Broadcast Music Incorporated Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) is a performance rights organization in the United States. It collects blanket license fees from businesses that use music, entitling those businesses to play or sync any songs from BMI's repertoire of over 20.6 milli ...
(BMI) "Pop Music Award". "Irresistible" became a moderate commercial success, peaking within the top twenty hit in the United States and the United Kingdom. The song was certified gold by the
Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing th ...
(ARIA). The accompanying music video was directed by
Simon Brand Simon may refer to: People * Simon (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name Simon * Simon (surname), including a list of people with the surname Simon * Eugène Simon, French naturalist and the genus ...
, and features Simpson dressed as a spy, trying to compromise some evidence in a laboratory. "
A Little Bit "A Little Bit" is a song recorded by American recording artist Jessica Simpson. It was written by Kara DioGuardi, Steve Morales and David Siegel, and was produced by Morales along with Ric Wake. The song was released as the second and final s ...
" was released as the second single, on August 28, 2001. The song was used to promote
Bally Total Fitness Bally Total Fitness Holding Corporation was an American fitness club chain. At its 2007 peak, prior to the filing of the first of two Chapter 11 bankruptcies, Bally operated nearly 440 facilities located in 29 U.S. states, Mexico, Canada, South K ...
and thus, a limited CD single pressing was made available to people who joined the club. The song only managed to reach number sixty-two on the Australian Singles Chart. A music video, directed by
Hype Williams Harold Williams (born August 1, 1970) is an American music video director, film director, film producer, and screenwriter. Early life Williams was born in Queens, New York. He is of mixed African-American and Honduran descent. He attended Adel ...
, features Simpson dancing in a futuristic spaceship-like setting, with her backup dancers. A third single was planned to be released, but after
September 11 terrorist attacks The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial ...
, Sony refused to promote a third single, which Joe Simpson believed critical for Jessica's prospects. In an interview in 2004 he said:"When those planes crashed into those buildings, it nearly demolished our career." Later, in an interview in 2003, Simpson said after the title track peaked at number 15 on Billboard Hot 100, "they just dropped the whole thing." "When You Told Me You Loved Me" was released as a promotional single in Brazil. The single however charted and peaked at number 192 on the South Korean Download Chart.


Track listing


Personnel

Credits adapted from ''Irresistible'' liner notes. ;Musicians *
Walter Afanasieff Walter Afanasieff (born Vladimir Nikitich Afanasyev; February 10, 1958), formerly nicknamed Baby Love in the 1980s, is an American record producer and songwriter of Russian-Chinese descent. He was a collaborator with Mariah Carey on her first ...
– Drums, Keyboards * Janie Barnett –
Background vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are used ...
*
Bernard Belle Bernard Belle (November 12, 1964 – June 23, 2022) was an American composer, producer, and musician. After starting his career as an R&B guitarist, Belle became known as a songwriter for Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston and a producer of g ...
– Bass guitar * Marcelo Berestovoy – Guitar * Mats Berntoft – Guitar *
Louis Biancaniello Louis John Biancaniello is an American songwriter and record producer. Career Biancaniello's skills were developed while working alongside producer Narada Michael Walden with whom he produced hits for Shanice '' I Love Your Smile'', Whitney ...
– Keyboards * Greg Bieck – Keyboards * Melonie Daniels – Background vocals * Loren Dawson – Keyboards * Margaret Dorn – Background vocals * Sharlotte Gibson – Background vocals * Richie Jones – Drums, Percussion * Kandice Love – Background vocals *
Chieli Minucci Chieli Minucci (born April 17, 1958) is an American guitarist who co-founded the band Special EFX. Career His father, Ulpio Minucci, was a concert pianist and composer who wrote the music to the 1955 song " Domani." Chieli Minucci started Spe ...
– Guitar *
Troy Oliver Troy Oliver is an American multi-instrumentalist, record producer and songwriter born in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. He wrote and produced "Jenny from the Block" and " I’m Real" for Jennifer Lopez, and " Differences" for Ginuwine E ...
– Keyboards * RL – Guitar * Corey Rooney – Keyboards * Ira Segal – Guitar * Stockholm Session Orchestra – Strings *
Sam Watters Samuel Joshua Watters (born July 23, 1970) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and record executive. Watters was a member of the multi-platinum selling 1990s R&B group Color Me Badd and co-authored many of their hits including "I ...
– Background vocals ;Production *
Walter Afanasieff Walter Afanasieff (born Vladimir Nikitich Afanasyev; February 10, 1958), formerly nicknamed Baby Love in the 1980s, is an American record producer and songwriter of Russian-Chinese descent. He was a collaborator with Mariah Carey on her first ...
– Arranger, producer, Programming *
Anders Bagge Sven Anders Bagge (; born 16 January 1968) is a Swedish composer, lyricist, musician and record producer and partner with Peer Åström. The two songwriters / producers are known as Bagge & Peer. Bagge is also one of jury members for the TV4 sin ...
– Writer, producer, mixer * Jeff Bender – Photography * Tom Bender – Mixing *
Louis Biancaniello Louis John Biancaniello is an American songwriter and record producer. Career Biancaniello's skills were developed while working alongside producer Narada Michael Walden with whom he produced hits for Shanice '' I Love Your Smile'', Whitney ...
– Arranger,
Engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the l ...
, producer, Programming * Greg Bieck –
Drum programming Programming is a form of music production and performance using electronic devices and computer software, such as sequencers and workstations or hardware synthesizers, sampler and sequencers, to generate sounds of musical instruments. These mus ...
, Engineer, Programming *
Arnthor Birgisson Arnthor Birgisson (Icelandic: Arnþór Birgisson, born 12 February 1976 in Reykjavík, Iceland) is an Icelandic-Swedish songwriter and producer. Arnþór moved to Sweden in 1978 at age two and lives in Stockholm. Information As young Arn ...
– Writer, producer * Jason Bonilla – Engineer, Programming * Larry Brooks – Assistant engineer, Engineer * Jim Caruana – Engineer * Will Catterson – Engineer *
LaShawn Daniels LaShawn Ameen Daniels (December 28, 1977 – September 3, 2019) was an American songwriter, vocal producer and arranger known for his songwriting credits on songs by artists such as Brandy, Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, Destiny’s Child, Michael Jacks ...
– Engineer * Loren Dawson – Arranger * Matthew Dellapolla – Scoring consultant * Paul Foley – Engineer * David Gleeson – Engineer *
Mick Guzauski Nathan "Mick" Guzauski is an American multi-platinum mixing engineer and sound engineer. His work spans a wide range of styles, including jazz, R&B, Latin, rock, pop, easy listening, funk and hip hop. He won a 2002 Latin Grammy for Thalía's ...
– Mixing * Dan Hetzel – Engineer, Mixing, Mixing engineer * Jim Janick – Engineer * Ron Jaramillo – Art direction, Design *
Ted Jensen Ted Jensen (born September 19, 1954) is an American mastering engineer, known for having mastered many recordings, including the Eagles' ''Hotel California'', Green Day's '' American Idiot'' and Norah Jones' ''Come Away with Me''. Biography Ted ...
– Mastering * Fred Jerkins – Writer *
Rodney Jerkins Rodney Roy Jerkins (born July 29, 1977), also known by his stage name Darkchild, is an American record producer, rapper, and songwriter. He has collaborated with a broad range of popular artists. Jerkins has won multiple Grammy Awards. Among hi ...
– Writer, Compositor, arranger, Engineer, producer * Richie Jones – Arranger, Mixing, Programming * Matt Kormondy – Production assistant * Pete Krawiec – Engineer *
Eric Kupper Eric Kupper is an American keyboardist, arranger, songwriter, remix artist, DJ, and record producer of French descent. Biography Eric Kupper began playing in bands in his formative years, and got his real start in the mid-1980s working as a keybo ...
– Keyboard programming *
Nick Lachey Nicholas Scott Lachey ( ; born November 9, 1973) is an American singer, actor, television personality, and host. He rose to fame as the lead singer of the multi-platinum-selling boyband 98 Degrees, and later starred in the reality series '' Newl ...
– Writer *
Rhett Lawrence James Everett "Rhett" Lawrence is an American record producer and songwriter. He has produced, mentored, and helped launch the career of 5 artists amongst the top 200 artists to be featured on Billboard magazine's top charts from 1955-2012, who ...
– Arranger, producer *
Bob Ludwig Robert C. Ludwig (born c. 1945) is an American mastering engineer. He has mastered recordings on all the major recording formats for all the major record labels, and on projects by more than 1,300 artists including Led Zeppelin, Lou Reed, Qu ...
– Mastering *
Michael McCoy Michael McCoy (born September 16, 1944, in Eaton Rapids, Michigan) is an American industrial designer and educator who has made significant contributions to American design and design education in the latter half of the 20th century. McCoy is b ...
– Assistant engineer * Steve MacMillan – Engineer * Glen Marchese – Engineer * Nick Marshall – Assistant engineer * Ron Martinez – Vocal engineer *
Tony Maserati Tony Maserati is an American record producer and audio engineer specializing in mixing. He was involved in the development of the New York R&B and hip-hop scene in the 1990s, working with Mary J. Blige, Notorious B.I.G., Puff Daddy, and Queen ...
– Mixing * Mischke – Writer * Joanie Morris – Production coordination *
Troy Oliver Troy Oliver is an American multi-instrumentalist, record producer and songwriter born in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. He wrote and produced "Jenny from the Block" and " I’m Real" for Jennifer Lopez, and " Differences" for Ginuwine E ...
– Keyboard programming * Adam Olmsted – Assistant engineer, Engineer *
Ken Pavés Ken Pavés is an American hairdresser. He has worked as hair stylist for many celebrities including Jennifer Lopez and Carmen Electra. As an entrepreneur he has collaborated with Jessica Simpson and Karen Marie Shelton, and markets his own line ...
– Hair stylist * Debbie Datz-Pyle – Consultant * Dave Reitzas – Engineer * RL – Drum programming, Engineer, Mixing, Programming * Corey Rooney – Arranger, Drum programming, executive producer, producer, Vocal producer * William Ross – Arranger, Conductor * Mark Russell – Assistant, Production coordination * Pamela Sheyne – Writer * David Swope – Assistant engineer, Engineer * Alberto Tolot – Photography * Francesca Tolot – Make-Up *
Ric Wake Ric Wake is an American record producer who has won four Grammy Awards and two Oscar Awards. During his tenure as staff producer with Sony Music Entertainment he has worked with vocalists such as Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, Lucero, Taylor D ...
– Arranger, producer *
Sam Watters Samuel Joshua Watters (born July 23, 1970) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and record executive. Watters was a member of the multi-platinum selling 1990s R&B group Color Me Badd and co-authored many of their hits including "I ...
– Arranger, Engineer, producer


Recording locations

Adapted from ''Irresistible'' liner notes. * Cove City Sound Studios (
Glen Cove, New York Glen Cove is a Political subdivisions of New York State#City, city in Nassau County, New York, United States, on the North Shore (Long Island), North Shore of Long Island. At the 2020 United States Census, the city population was 28,365 as of th ...
) *
The Hit Factory The Hit Factory is a recording studio in New York City owned and operated by Troy Germano. History On March 6, 1975, Edward Germano, a singer, record producer, and one of the principal owners of the Record Plant Studios New York, purchased the ...
(New York City) * Homesite 13 (
Novato, California Novato (Spanish for "Novatus") is a city in Marin County, California, in the North Bay region of the Bay Area. At the 2020 census, Novato had a population of 53,225. History What is now Novato was originally the site of several Coast Miwok ...
) * Lobo Recording Studios (
Deer Park, New York Deer Park is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in the Town of Babylon, in Suffolk County, on Long Island, in New York, United States. The population was 27,745 at the 2010 census. History Deer Park is located in the pine barrens in th ...
) *
Murlyn Studios Murlyn Music Group AB or just Murlyn Music (MMG) is Stockholm-based international music production company founded in 1997 by Anders Bagge. The company includes a great number of successful songwriters, producers and musicians and has produced a ...
(
Stockholm, Sweden Stockholm () is the capital and largest city of Sweden as well as the largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people live in the municipality, with 1.6 million in the urban area, and 2.4 million in the metropoli ...
) *
The Record Plant The Record Plant is a recording studio established in New York City in 1968 and currently operating in Los Angeles, California. Known for innovations in the recording artists' workspace, it has produced highly influential albums, including Blon ...
(Los Angeles) *
Sony Music Studios Sony Music Studios was an American music recording and mastering facility in New York City. The five-story building was a music and broadcasting complex located at 460 W. 54th Street, at 10th Avenue, in the Hell's Kitchen section of Manhattan. I ...
(New York City) * Sony Scoring Stage (
Culver City, California Culver City is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,779. Founded in 1917 as a "whites only" sundown town, it is now an ethnically diverse city with what was called the "third-most d ...
) * Sound Gallery Studios (Los Angeles) * Cello Studios (Hollywood) * WallyWorld Studios (California)


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Certifications


References


Bibliography

*


External links


''Irresistible'' lyrics
at Rhapsody.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Irresistible (Jessica Simpson Album) 2001 albums Jessica Simpson albums Columbia Records albums Albums produced by Ric Wake Albums produced by Rodney Jerkins Albums produced by Sam Watters Albums produced by Walter Afanasieff Albums produced by Cory Rooney