Jessica Simpson is getting candid about how sobriety has changed her approach to songwriting.
In a heartfelt cover story for The Cut with her sister Ashlee Simpson, the “With You” singer shared how alcohol once hindered her creative process. Reflecting on her time writing in Los Angeles in 2016-2017, Jessica revealed, “I was writing with some of the biggest hitmakers. I have songs from those years that never saw the light of day because they just didn’t feel like me. Every time I would write, I was a little afraid of myself. It was almost too much, especially because I was drinking at the time.”
But everything shifted once Jessica, 44, gave up alcohol. “Once I gave up the alcohol, the fears just diminished. They went away,” she said, explaining that sobriety made it “so much easier” to connect with her true artistic self.
The mother-of-three added that she once thought drinking would help her come up with cooler lyrics and more creative rhymes. “I’d thought the more I drank, the more cool I could be. I’d overthink it when I drank,” she admitted. But without alcohol, she found a new sense of empowerment. “I started pulling out my old journals, which eventually became Open Book. I now realize the power of words put to music.”
Having been sober since 2017, Jessica marked her seven-year anniversary of sobriety last November. After her life-changing decision, she began writing music in Nashville, where she felt more at peace with herself and her craft.
The singer is set to release a new EP titled Nashville Canyon Part 1 on March 21, with the single “Use My Heart Against Me” dropping on February 21. Jessica shared with PEOPLE exclusively that she would wake up and write poetry, “lucid dreaming style,” which she would then bring to her songwriting sessions.
For her upcoming single, “Use My Heart Against Me,” Jessica explained, “I woke up with that lyric in my head. It’s about craving someone that you want again and not caring if your heart gets used against you—just for one night. Like, give it over, just for the experience again.”
Jessica’s sister, Ashlee Simpson, 40, recently spoke to PEOPLE about Jessica’s new music, calling her upcoming EP “delicious and yummy and honest.” She praised her sister’s growth, saying, “She’s doing that and I’m very proud of her. Her music is great, and I think everybody will love it.”
With her new EP just around the corner, Jessica’s fans can expect a fresh, empowering sound that reflects her journey of self-discovery and artistic freedom.
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