There are basically two ways to deal with a divorce in pop music: dig deep into your soul and pour it all out on the page (à la Blood on the Tracks), or treat it as sheer liberation (à la Back in the High Life).
Perhaps it's only appropriate that the dissolution of the Jessica Simpson/Nick Lachey marriage -- one of the biggest tabloid stories of the 2000s, or at least 2006 -- produced two wildly different records that nevertheless follow these blueprints to a tee.
First, Nick delivered the mopey What's Left of Me, whose title pretty much gives away the game; he paints himself as the man wronged, unaware that he's coming across a bit like a simpering cuckold but clearly aware that he's placing all the blame on Jessica's shoulders, and even if she doesn't explicitly embrace that burden on her post-divorce platter, A Public Affair -- whose title also nods at the hysterical gossip surrounding their separation -- its devil-may-care vibe suggests that everything that's been said about her is indeed true.
At the very least, she's put her marriage far, far behind her -- according to the liner notes, some sister-bonding with Ashlee, where they cried and listened to Patty Griffin, did the trick (if only they were watching Kathy Griffin instead!) -- and is out to have nothing but a good time.
And that's what A Public Affair is: a party record, pure and simple.
A full eight songs are finished by the time Jessica switches the tempo down a notch or two, and even then it's only for a few songs; of the 13 songs here, ten are designed either for the dancefloor or carefree sunny afternoons.
Of those three slower songs, there are a few allusions to her breakup with Nick -- on "I Don't Want to Care" she sings that she doesn't want to care about him and herself, and her version of Patty Griffin's "Let Him Fly" carries a certain meeting given the context -- but they don't stick, since they're overwhelmed by the bright, gaudy retro-dance that dominates this album.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A Public AffairJessica Simpson | Jessica Simpson | Play | 03:21 | 7 MB | 25 MB |
| 2 | You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) | Jessica Simpson | Play | 03:49 | 8 MB | 28 MB |
| 3 | B.O.Y. | Jessica Simpson | Play | 03:22 | 7 MB | 23 MB |
| 4 | If You Were MineT. Gray, J.W. Sewell | Jessica Simpson | Play | 03:17 | 7 MB | 24 MB |
| 5 | Walkin' 'Round in a CircleJessica Simpson | Jessica Simpson | Play | 04:40 | 10 MB | 33 MB |
| 6 | The Lover in MeT. Gray, Jessica Simpson | Jessica Simpson | Play | 03:41 | 8 MB | 27 MB |
| 7 | Swing with MeJessica Simpson | Jessica Simpson | Play | 03:25 | 7 MB | 21 MB |
| 8 | Push Your TushM. Pierce, Jessica Simpson | Jessica Simpson | Play | 04:48 | 11 MB | 35 MB |
| 9 | Back to YouJessica Simpson | Jessica Simpson | Play | 04:11 | 9 MB | 27 MB |
| 10 | I Don't Want to CareJessica Simpson | Jessica Simpson | Play | 03:57 | 9 MB | 25 MB |
| 11 | Fired UpJessica Simpson, Scott Storch | Jessica Simpson | Play | 03:59 | 9 MB | 26 MB |
| 12 | Let Him FlyPatty Griffin | Jessica Simpson | Play | 03:16 | 7 MB | 15 MB |
| 13 | Between You & I | Jessica Simpson | Play | 04:58 | 11 MB | 32 MB |
| 14 | I Belong To Me | Jessica Simpson | Play | 03:42 | 8 MB | 24 MB |
| 15 | These Boots Are Made For Walkin' | Jessica Simpson | Play | 03:59 | 9 MB | 26 MB |
| 58 mins | 134 MB | |||||
| 58 mins | 398 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Siedah Garrett | Guest Artist, Main Personnel, Vocals (Background) |
| 2 | T. Gray | Composer |
| 3 | Tamyra Gray | Guest Artist, Main Personnel, Vocals (Background) |
| 4 | Patty Griffin | Composer |
| 5 | Paul Jackson, Jr. | Guest Artist, Guitar, Main Personnel |
| 6 | Abe Laboriel, Jr. | Drums, Main Personnel |
| 7 | David Mann | Main Personnel, Sax (Tenor) |
| 8 | M. Pierce | Composer |
| 9 | J.W. Sewell | Composer |
| 10 | Jessica Simpson | Composer, Main Personnel, Primary Artist, Vocals |
| 11 | Scott Storch | Composer |
| 12 | Lyle Workman | Guitar, Main Personnel |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |