''I Am Me'' is the second studio album by American recording artist
Ashlee Simpson
Ashley Nicolle Ross ( Simpson; born October 3, 1984), known professionally as Ashlee Simpson, is an American singer and actress. The younger sister of singer and actress Jessica Simpson, she began her career as a back-up dancer for her sister ...
. It was released in the United States on October 18, 2005 (see
2005 in music
5 (five) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number, and cardinal number, following 4 and preceding 6, and is a prime number. It has attained significance throughout history in part because typical humans have five digits on eac ...
) and debuted at number one in sales. The album produced two top 25 hits on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, "
Boyfriend
A boyfriend is a male friend or acquaintance, often specifying a regular male companion with whom a person is romantically or sexually involved.
A boyfriend can also be called an admirer, beau, suitor and sweetheart. The analogous female te ...
" and "
L.O.V.E." Simpson worked with
John Shanks
John Matthew Shanks (born December 18, 1964) is an American songwriter, record producer and guitarist.
Early life and education
John Matthew Shanks was born in New York City. Shanks moved to Los Angeles when he was 17 years old. He was in a ban ...
and
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 ...
on this album, as she did on her first album, 2004's ''
Autobiography
An autobiography, sometimes informally called an autobio, is a self-written account of one's own life.
It is a form of biography.
Definition
The word "autobiography" was first used deprecatingly by William Taylor in 1797 in the English peri ...
''. Shanks produced the album, and Simpson co-wrote all the songs with Shanks and DioGuardi.
[Geffen press release]
"Ashlee Simpson's New Single 'Boyfriend' Now Radio's Best Friend Makes Fast Rise on U.S. Playlists"
, PRNewswire, October 11, 2005. On December 15, ''I Am Me'' was
certified Platinum
Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...
by the
RIAA
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 ...
for its shipments of over one million copies in the U.S. (as of April 2008, it had sold 987,000 copies
). A new single from Simpson, "
Invisible
Invisibility is the state of an object that cannot be seen. An object in this state is said to be ''invisible'' (literally, "not visible"). The phenomenon is studied by physics and perceptual psychology.
Since objects can be seen by light in ...
", was reportedly going to be included on a re-release of ''I Am Me'' in mid-2006, but was canceled. The song was later included as an international bonus track on Simpson's next album, ''
Bittersweet World
''Bittersweet World'' is the third studio album by American recording artist Ashlee Simpson. It was released in the United States on April 22, 2008. The project is Simpson's final release through Geffen Records.
The album marked a departure for ...
''.
Background and production
''I Am Me'' was released about fifteen months after ''Autobiography'', which was released in July 2004. According to Simpson, following her concert tour from February to April 2005, she was supposed to take a month off, but began working on the album early;
[Alisha Davis]
"Ashlee Simpson: Everybody Has Moments"
, MTV.com. as she said, "I got home and got bored, so I called John Shanks and was like, 'Can I come in the studio? Let's get a
head start so the record company's not asking for the record right away or anything."
Gary Graff
Gary Graff (born 1960) is an American music journalist and author.
Biography
Originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Graff attended Taylor Allderdice High School where he wrote for school newspaper ''The Taylor Allderdice Foreword''.
He receiv ...
, "Ashlee Simpson puts woes of 'SNL' mishap on record", ''The Plain Dealer'', October 20, 2005. She also said that she wanted to "get the pre-jitters or anything that was going wrong out of my system. And when I went in everything started going smooth. It was fun." According to Simpson, she felt less pressure when recording ''I Am Me'' than she did when recording ''Autobiography''.
''I Am Me'' is, like its predecessor, a mixture of
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
and
pop; it has been described as similar to Simpson's first album, and Simpson herself has said that she wanted it to be "familiar" to ''Autobiography''.
Some differences have also been noted. ''I Am Me'' has been said to be influenced by '80s music,
[Talia Kraines]
BBC.co.uk review of ''I Am Me''.
/ref> and Simpson herself said "I just love '80s music" and "It's just so light and fun, and that was a lot of what I wanted to do on this record."["I 'Me' Mine"]
Billboard.com, October 16, 2005. Prior to recording ''I Am Me'', Simpson had said she wanted to incorporate more of the feel of 17th century music into her next album, as some of her favorite music is from that time.[Jennifer Vineyard]
"Ashlee Simpson Going '80s, Getting Personal On Next Album"
MTV News, March 25, 2005.
''I Am Me'' has been called more musically "aggressive" than ''Autobiography''[ and incorporates a range of musical styles; it has been called "dynamic" and "ambitious". Simpson's father and manager ]Joe
Joe or JOE may refer to:
Arts
Film and television
* ''Joe'' (1970 film), starring Peter Boyle
* ''Joe'' (2013 film), starring Nicolas Cage
* ''Joe'' (TV series), a British TV series airing from 1966 to 1971
* ''Joe'', a 2002 Canadian animated ...
said that his daughter had to be held back from "the places she wanted to go" as an artist, because, he said, if she changed too quickly her fans would be left behind. Simpson has mentioned how she tried "new sounds" when working on the album, citing in particular the song "Burnin Up",[''Larry King Live'' transcript](_blank)
October 22, 2005. which was described by one reviewer as "a fairly credible stab at Clash-style dub".[Mike Usinger]
''I Am Me'' review
Straight.com, November 10, 2005. This song is not a cover
Cover or covers may refer to:
Packaging
* Another name for a lid
* Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package
* Album cover, the front of the packaging
* Book cover or magazine cover
** Book design
** Back cover copy, part of co ...
of the early Madonna
Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...
song (" Burning Up") that Simpson covered live during her February–April 2005 tour.[Josh Timmermann]
review of ''I Am Me''
, ''Stylus'', October 26, 2005.
Lyrically, the album reflects Simpson's different life experiences since her last album; in particular, two songs deal with Simpson's emotions following her failed performance on ''Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves a ...
'' in October 2004, in which she used a backing track due to illness, only to have the wrong track played, thus making the presence of the backing track obvious and embarrassing her on live television. This incident left Simpson the target of a great deal of criticism and humor at her expense. The first song on the album that deals with the incident is "Beautifully Broken", which strikes a positive tone of overcoming as Simpson finds beauty in failure—"the song is kind of about when you're in bed and you're crying and you don't want to get up the next day ... it's about finding that inner strength and finding that part in yourself that's like, 'Yes, I can put my head up and I can continue.'" "Catch Me When I Fall
''Catch Me When I Fall'' (2005 in literature, 2005) is a psychological thriller novel by Nicci French, about a woman unknowingly afflicted with bipolar disorder, and how this sets her life on a spiral of self-destruction, as well as pitting her ...
", the second song on the album dealing with the incident, is a piano-driven ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...
which reflects weakness and sadness and deals with a feeling of loneliness. The theme of accepting imperfections is reflected in a hidden message that is included in the CD case.[MuchOnDemand transcript](_blank)
, November 1, 2005. Simpson has said of the album: "The record is dark meets light in a sense. I feel everyone has a dark side. This album is about finding the positive, finding the lighter side as well." Simpson mentioned in an AIM interview online that she chose the title ''I Am Me'' "because I've been through a lot of highs and lows this year, but no matter what happens to me I always stay true to who I am." Simpson has also mentioned how the lyrics on the album reflect her different feelings at different times, the ups and downs she experienced: "We all get sad sometimes, and we all want to dance and party, too."
Like ''Autobiography'', many of the songs deal with relationships. "Coming Back For More" is, as Simpson calls it, a "fun, dancey song about an ex-boyfriend" and their relationship that won't come to an end. "I Am Me" is an energetic song in which Simpson responds with hurt and anger to her boyfriend being with another girl, and insists: "I am me, and I won't change for anyone". "In Another Life" is, in Simpson's words, "a cute romantic song about when you meet a guy and it's kind of like he knows everything about you before you really get to know him, and you feel comfortable with him right away. And he makes you feel beautiful." "Say Goodbye", the melancholy album closer, deals with the ending of a relationship. Other songs cover a variety of topics: "Boyfriend" is a response to rumors or accusations that she stole another girl's boyfriend (although rumors suggest it is about her alleged affair with Lindsay Lohan
Lindsay Dee Lohan ( ; born July 2, 1986) is an American actress and singer. Born in New York City and raised on Long Island, Lohan was signed to Ford Models at the age of three. Having appeared as a regular on the television soap opera '' An ...
's ex-boyfriend, Wilmer Valderrama
Wilmer Eduardo Valderrama ( , ; born January 30, 1980) is an American actor, producer, and television personality. He is known for his role as Fez in the sitcom ''That '70s Show'' (1998–2006), Agustín Madrigal in ''Encanto'', and as Carlos ...
, Simpson has said it is not about "one person in particular", but is instead about a situation many girls can relate to[Corey Moss]
"Ashlee Says New Single Isn't Directed At Lindsay Lohan"
MTV News, August 15, 2005.); "L.O.V.E." is about girls going out and having fun without needing any guys; "Eyes Wide Open" is a "spooky song" about Simpson's feeling that there was a ghost living in her house.
In 2009, Miley Cyrus
Miley Ray Cyrus ( ; born Destiny Hope Cyrus on November 23, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her distinctive raspy voice, her music spans across varied styles and genres, including pop, country, rock, hip hop ...
covered the international bonus track "Kicking and Screaming" for her '' The Time of Our Lives'' EP. Although Simpson co-wrote the song with Shanks and DioGuardi, Simpson was not credited for her writing contribution on Cyrus' EP.
Promotion
Initially, the first single was planned to be "L.O.V.E.", and the album was going to be titled ''In Another Life''. Soon after these things were announced, however, the first single was changed to "Boyfriend" and the album title to ''I Am Me''.
"Boyfriend" officially hit radio on September 6 and its airplay rapidly increased afterward; it debuted on the Hot 100 in September at number 71, rose greatly the next week to number 24, and eventually reached a Hot 100 peak of number 19,[ Artist chart history for Ashlee Simpson Billboard.com.] making it Simpson's second most successful song on the Hot 100 to date. The song's music video
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...
premiered on 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 ''Making the Video
''Making the Video'' is an MTV show, consisting of half-hour episodes, which chronicles the process of filming various music videos. Usually the director outlines the concept of the video (or treatment) and the show often includes light-hearted ...
'' on September 12.
"L.O.V.E." was the second single, as Simpson first said in an MSN Internet chat on October 26. Prior to its release as a single, "L.O.V.E." debuted on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 at number 78 in late October, and re-entered at number 76 in December; it subsequently reached its peak at number 22. The "L.O.V.E." video also spent 10 total days at number one on MTV's video countdown show ''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 ...
''. "Catch Me When I Fall" charted on the ''Billboard'' Pop 100 at number 93 on the strength of its downloads, although it was not released as a single.
Simpson made several notable television appearances, including a return to ''Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves a ...
'' on the night of October 8–9 (during which she performed "Catch Me When I Fall" and "Boyfriend"), to promote ''I Am Me'' and its singles. On the album's release date, October 18, Simpson performed "Boyfriend" and "Coming Back For More" on ''Good Morning America
''Good Morning America'' (often abbreviated as ''GMA'') is an American morning television program that is broadcast on ABC. It debuted on November 3, 1975, and first expanded to weekends with the debut of a Sunday edition on January 3, 1993. Th ...
'', and she appeared for an interview on ''Live with Regis and Kelly
''Live with Kelly and Ryan'' (or simply ''Live'') is an American syndicated morning talk show hosted by Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest. Executive produced by Michael Gelman, the ''Live with...'' show formula has aired under various hosts since ...
'', although she did not perform. Later in the day she appeared on ''Total Request Live'', where she performed "Boyfriend". She also sang "Boyfriend" on the October 21 episode of ''The Tonight Show
''The Tonight Show'' is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. The show has been hosted by six comedians: Steve Allen (1954–1957), Jack Paar (1957–1962), Johnny Carson (1962–1992), Jay Leno (1992–2009 and 201 ...
'' and was on the October 22 episode of ''Larry King Live
''Larry King Live'' was an American television talk show hosted by Larry King on CNN from 1985 to 2010. It was the channel's most watched and longest-running program, with over one million viewers nightly.
Mainly aired from CNN's Los Angeles s ...
'' (guest-hosted by Ryan Seacrest
Ryan John Seacrest (born December 24, 1974) is an American media personality and producer. He is the co-host of ''Live with Kelly and Ryan'', as well as the host of multiple media shows including ''American Idol'', ''American Top 40'', and '' ...
) for an interview, along with her father/manager Joe
Joe or JOE may refer to:
Arts
Film and television
* ''Joe'' (1970 film), starring Peter Boyle
* ''Joe'' (2013 film), starring Nicolas Cage
* ''Joe'' (TV series), a British TV series airing from 1966 to 1971
* ''Joe'', a 2002 Canadian animated ...
. On the October 24 episode of ''The Ellen DeGeneres Show
''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'' (often shortened to ''Ellen'' or ''The Ellen Show'') is an American daytime television variety comedy talk show that was created and hosted by its namesake Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it was prod ...
'' she sang "Boyfriend" and was interviewed; on November 1 she was in Canada to promote the album and appeared on MuchMusic
Much (an abbreviation for its full name MuchMusic) is a Canadian English language specialty channel owned by BCE Inc. through its Bell Media subsidiary that airs programming aimed at teenagers and young adults.
MuchMusic launched on August 31 ...
's ''MuchOnDemand
''MuchOnDemand'' (also called MOD) is an hour-long per broadcast viewer interactive television program aired on MuchMusic, Monday through Friday at 5pm ET. It was broadcast live from 299 Queen Street West in Toronto, Ontario. ''The Best of M ...
'' for an interview.
Simpson began promoting "L.O.V.E." with a performance on the ''Late Show with David Letterman
The ''Late Show with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS, the first iteration of the The Late Show (franchise), ''Late Show'' franchise. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and was produced by ...
'' on November 21, followed by a performance of the song on the November 22 episode of '' The View''. On December 6, she sang "L.O.V.E." as part of a performance with Pretty Ricky
Pretty Ricky is an American R&B/ hip hop group originating from Miami, Florida. The group originally consisted of brothers Diamond Blue (Baby Blue) Smith and Spectacular Smith, plus Corey (Slick 'Em) Mathis and Marcus (Pleasure P) Cooper. Plea ...
at the ''Billboard'' Music Awards. Simpson sang "L.O.V.E." on the first episode of ''CD USA
''CD USA'', which debuted in 2006, was an American music television show which aired exclusively on DirecTV's Audience (then ''The 101'') network in the United States. The show was an American version of '' CD:UK'', a similarly themed music show o ...
'', which aired on January 21, 2006, and was also interviewed on the show.
Simpson went to the UK to promote ''I Am Me'' and "Boyfriend" in late January 2006; on February 5 she performed "Boyfriend" on ''Top of the Pops Reloaded
''Top of the Pops Reloaded'' (''TOTP Reloaded''), is a weekly children's music show broadcast as part of the Saturday morning CBBC schedule on BBC Two. It was based on the show, ''Top of the Pops'', and was originally known as ''Top of the Pops ...
''. Later in February, in the U.S., Simpson was awarded with a "Bounce Back Award" at the ''TRL TRL or trl may refer to:
Arts
* Temporary Residence Limited, a record label
* ''Total Request Live'', a former MTV show
* TRL Awards (''Total Request Live''), an Italian music award
Libraries
* Tampines Regional Library, a regional library in Ta ...
'' Awards, which aired on February 25, and performed "L.O.V.E." on the occasion. Simpson hosted the MTV Australia Video Music Awards
The MTV Australia Awards (previously known as the MTV Australia Video Music Awards or AVMA's) started in 2005 and were Australia's first awards show to celebrate both local and international acts. The last edition happened in 2009.
History
The M ...
on April 12, 2006, and performed both "Boyfriend" and "L.O.V.E."
Simpson performed the songs "Boyfriend", "L.O.V.E." and "I Am Me" for Sessions@AOL
AOL (stylized as Aol., formerly a company known as AOL Inc. and originally known as America Online) is an American web portal and online service provider based in New York City. It is a brand marketed by the current incarnation of Yahoo! Inc. ...
on the Internet prior to the album's release. The album was available for listening on MTV.com's "The Leak" in the week prior to its release, beginning October 11. Wal-Mart
Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores from the United States, headquarter ...
released an exclusive package which includes the ''I Am Me'' CD and a DVD.
According to a rumor initially reported in March 2006, there would be a re-release of ''I Am Me'' with at least one new song. It was subsequently stated in an article in the June/July 2006 issue of ''Teen People
''People'' is an American weekly magazine that specializes in celebrity news and human-interest stories. It is published by Dotdash Meredith, a subsidiary of IAC (company), IAC. With a readership of 46.6 million adults in 2009, ''People ...
'' that there would be a re-release of the album with the new song "Invisible"; Simpson also said this in interviews, but as of January 2007, no release date for the re-release had been announced and therefore the re-release plans were presumably dropped. Simpson filmed the music video for "Invisible" in May, and it premiered on June 19.
Touring
To promote the album and single, Simpson began touring on September 21 in Portland, Oregon
Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous co ...
, with another stage of the tour starting on November 9 in Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in the U.S. state of Maine and the seat of Cumberland County. Portland's population was 68,408 in April 2020. The Greater Portland metropolitan area is home to over half a million people, the 104th-largest metropol ...
with opening act October Fall
October Fall was an American pop punk band from Chicago, Illinois. They formed in the summer of 2003, with Pat D'Andrea (vocals/guitar) and Clark Harrison (guitar) as the original members. These two originally played together under the name "Silve ...
. During 2006 she performed on several dates in the spring; in early May she performed at SunFest
SunFest is a musical and art festival held annually in the first week of May in West Palm Beach, Florida. SunFest is the state's largest waterfront music and art festival in Florida and attracts more than 100,000 visitors. Main attractions of this ...
in West Palm Beach, Florida
West Palm Beach is a city in and the county seat of Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. It is located immediately to the west of the adjacent Palm Beach, which is situated on a barrier island across the Lake Worth Lagoon. The populati ...
. Subsequently, she embarked on a major summer tour, the L.O.V.E. Tour (with "L.O.V.E." being expanded to stand for "Love Others Value Everyday"), which began on June 5 in Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara ( es, Santa Bárbara, meaning "Saint Barbara") is a coastal city in Santa Barbara County, California, of which it is also the county seat. Situated on a south-facing section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coas ...
and at its outset was scheduled to run for 32 shows, concluding on July 29 in Clarkston, Michigan
Clarkston is a city in Oakland County, Michigan, United States. A northern suburb of Detroit, located about northwest of downtown Detroit, Clarkston is surrounded by Independence Township, but administered independently since its incorporation ...
. Ashley Parker Angel
Ashley Parker Angel is an American musician and actor who rose to prominence as a member of the boyband O-Town. After the band dissolved he had a brief solo music career, and was the only former band member who declined to go on a reunion tour ...
was an opening act for Simpson; The Veronicas
The Veronicas is an Australian pop duo from Brisbane. The group was formed in 2004 by identical twin sisters Lisa and Jessica Origliasso.
In 2005, the Veronicas released their debut studio album, titled '' The Secret Life of...'', which peak ...
also opened on the first few shows of the tour, but had to cancel their participation in the tour due to a problem with the vocal cords of one of the singers, Lisa Origliasso. During the concerts of this tour, Simpson had a number of costume changes, including a "risque" outfit for " La La", and performed a cover of the Eurythmics
Eurythmics were a British pop duo consisting of Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart. They were both previously in The Tourists, a band which broke up in 1980. The duo released their first studio album, '' In the Garden'', in 1981 to little succ ...
song "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)
"Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" is a song by British new wave music duo Eurythmics. It is the title track of their album of the same name (1983) and was released as the fourth and final single from the album in early 1983. The song became t ...
". She also performed a cover of "Why Don't You Do Right?
"Why Don't You Do Right?" (originally recorded as "Weed Smoker's Dream" in 1936) is an American blues and jazz-influenced pop song usually credited to Kansas Joe McCoy. A minor key twelve-bar blues with a few chord substitutions, it is considered ...
".
Critical reception
Initial critical response to ''I Am Me'' was mixed to negative. At Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has received an average
In ordinary language, an average is a single number taken as representative of a list of numbers, usually the sum of the numbers divided by how many numbers are in the list (the arithmetic mean). For example, the average of the numbers 2, 3, 4, 7, ...
score of 43, based on 13 reviews.
A BBC review of the album was positive, calling it "confident yet searching" and saying that it "flirts with 80s production throughout and produces a more mature, tighter sound than some of her peers."[ ''Stylus'' also gave it a favorable review; while saying that it "isn't as consistently strong a record as ''Autobiography''", it calls ''I Am Me'' "more-than-respectable" and "a very good record".] Another review called it "a solid pop/rock album" with strong songwriting that "should go far to re-establish Ashlee Simpson as a legitimate artist", giving it three-and-a-half stars (out of five).
''Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' gave it a negative review, rating it slightly lower than it had previously rated ''Autobiography'': ''I Am Me'' received one-and-a-half stars, while ''Autobiography'' received two (out of five). The ''Rolling Stone'' review called the album "a collection of eleven soulless tunes that fail to even qualify as guilty pleasures" and said that "in venturing to offer something for everyone, Simpson offers nothing for anyone."[ ]Allmusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
also gave the album a negative assessment (and a rating of two stars out of five), saying that "unlike ''Autobiography'', this simply is no rock & roll fun — the songs aren't catchy, the attitude is dour, the productions are cold and distant, all highlighting the deficiencies in Ashlee Simpson as a singer, while burying the likeable persona she had on both her debut and her MTV show."[Stephen Thomas Erlewine, ]Allmusic review
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
''Blender
A blender (sometimes called a mixer or liquidiser in British English) is a kitchen appliance, kitchen and laboratory appliance used to mix, crush, purée or emulsion, emulsify food and other substances. A stationary blender consists of a blender ...
'' said that, in comparison to ''Autobiography'', "the songs are soggier, the sentiments more banal", and calls ''I Am Me'' a "sophomore slump
A sophomore slump or sophomore jinx or sophomore jitters refers to an instance in which a second, or sophomore, effort fails to live up to the relatively high standards of the first effort.
It is commonly used to refer to the apathy of student ...
", giving it two out of five stars.[Dennis Lim, "Sync or Swim", ''Blender'', December 2005, page 154.]
Another review called the album "solid but unspectacular", crediting Simpson with going "in directions that Avril Lavigne
Avril Ramona Lavigne ( ; born September 27, 1984) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. At age 16, she signed a two-album recording contract with Arista Records. Her debut studio album, ''Let Go (Avril Lavigne album), Let Go'' (2002), is the ...
has never thought of" but wishing that Simpson displayed more "obnoxious grit" on the album.
Commercial performance
''I Am Me'' debuted at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200, as did its predecessor, ''Autobiography''; however, ''I Am Me'' did not achieve the same level of success as ''Autobiography''. Whereas Simpson's first album sold 398,000 copies its first week of release in the U.S., ''I Am Me'' sold only about 220,000, according to ''Billboard''; sales for the album declined 67% in its second week, when it sold about 73,000 copies and fell to number six on the ''Billboard'' 200. In its third week, the album sold about 54,000 copies, a sales drop of 25%, and it fell on the chart to number ten. ''Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' magazine grouped it among the numerous "heavily anticipated albums" of the season whose sales had "fizzled", such as Alicia Keys
Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. A classically trained pianist, Keys started composing songs when she was 12 and was signed at 15 years old by Col ...
' ''Unplugged
Unplugged may refer to:
*Acoustic music, music not produced through electronic means
*Unplugged (B.A.P song), "Unplugged" (B.A.P song), 2014
*Unplugged (Modern Family), "Unplugged" (''Modern Family''), a 2010 episode of ''Modern Family''
Albums a ...
'' and Rod Stewart
Sir Roderick David Stewart (born 10 January 1945) is a British rock and pop singer and songwriter. Born and raised in London, he is of Scottish and English ancestry. With his distinctive raspy singing voice, Stewart is among the best-selling ...
's '' Thanks for the Memory: The Great American Songbook 4'', which had been released the same week as ''I Am Me''. As of April 2008, ''I Am Me'' has sold 944,000 copies in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan
Luminate (formerly Nielsen SoundScan, Nielsen Music Products, and MRC Data) is a provider of music sales data. Established by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett in 1991, data is collected weekly and made available every Sunday (for albums sales) and eve ...
.[
In Australia, ''I Am Me'' debuted at number 35 without a single being lifted from it before its release. "Boyfriend" was released the week after ''I Am Me'' was released. However, ''I Am Me'' failed to chart again after its debut and dropped out completely.
In the United Kingdom, in the absence of any promotion, ''I Am Me'' debuted at #160, selling just 1,392 copies in its first week. However, in late January 2006, Simpson went to the UK to promote "Boyfriend", several months later than in the U.S.; the single was released in the UK on 30 January 2006, and hit #12 in its first week;][Paul Sexton]
"Monkeys, B.I.G. Remain Atop U.K. Charts"
Billboard.com, February 6, 2006. also, the album climbed to #50 in the UK in mid-February 2006.
Track listing
Personnel
Adapted from the ''I Am Me'' liner notes.[''I Am Me'' liner notes.]
Musicians
* Ashlee Simpson
Ashley Nicolle Ross ( Simpson; born October 3, 1984), known professionally as Ashlee Simpson, is an American singer and actress. The younger sister of singer and actress Jessica Simpson, she began her career as a back-up dancer for her sister ...
– vocals, background vocals (4, 7)
* John Shanks
John Matthew Shanks (born December 18, 1964) is an American songwriter, record producer and guitarist.
Early life and education
John Matthew Shanks was born in New York City. Shanks moved to Los Angeles when he was 17 years old. He was in a ban ...
– guitars (all tracks), bass (1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12, 13 and 14), keyboards (1, 2, 4-14), piano (3), background vocals (2, 3, 7, 9 and 11)
* 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 ...
– background vocals (4 and 7)
* Jeff Rothschild – drums (all tracks)
* Dan Chase – additional keyboards (1, 2, 5, 7, 12, 13 and 14)
* Patrick Warren
Patrick Warren (born March 26, 1957) is an American musician, composer, and record producer. He is known for his work on the films ''Magnolia'', ''Fifty Shades of Grey'', ''Boogie Nights'' and ''Red State'', as well as the television series '' ...
– keyboards (3 and 8)
* André Bowman – bass, keyboards (4)
* Mike Elizondo
Mike Elizondo (born October 22, 1972) is an American producer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. A protege of Dr. Dre, Elizondo has worked with 50 Cent, Eminem, Carrie Underwood, Fiona Apple, Mastodon, Ry Cooder, Skylar Grey, Twenty ...
– bass (4, 5 and 8)
* Paul Bushnell – bass (11)
Production
*John Shanks – producer, mixing
* Jordan Schur
Jordan Schur is an American entrepreneur, record executive and film producer. He is currently co-chairman and CEO of the film production company Mimran Schur Pictures. He is also the former President of Geffen Records, the founder of Flip Records ...
– executive producer, A&R
* Joe Simpson – executive producer
*Jeff Rothschild – mixing, engineering
* 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
* James White – photography
* Bubbles – design
* Jessica Paster – stylist
* Ken Paves
Ken or KEN may refer to:
Entertainment
* ''Ken'' (album), a 2017 album by Canadian indie rock band Destroyer.
* ''Ken'' (film), 1964 Japanese film.
* ''Ken'' (magazine), a large-format political magazine.
* Ken Masters, a main character in t ...
– hair
* AYAKO – make-up
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
Release history
References
External links
Ashlee Simpson's official website
Ashlee Simpson
at Geffen Records
Geffen Records is an American record label established by David Geffen and owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M Records imprint.
Founded in 1980, Geffen Records has been a part of Interscope Geffen A&M since 1999 and h ...
*
{{Authority control
2005 albums
Albums produced by John Shanks
Ashlee Simpson albums
Geffen Records albums