Sweet Kisses

Sweet Kisses is Jessica Simpson's debut album. It was released on November 23, 1999 by Columbia Records.

Album Background
Jessica first developed and nurtured her talent in her local Baptist church where her father also worked as the congregation's youth minister.

When she was 12 years old, she unsuccessfully auditioned for "The Mickey Mouse Club." At the age of 13 (while attending a church camp), Jessica sang Whitney Houston's song "I Will Always Love You" & an arrangement of the song "Amazing Grace."

One of the camp's visitors was launching a gospel music record label and saw great promise and profits in her voice.

During the time she was attending J. J. Pearce High School, Jessica signed to a minor gospel music label, Proclaim Records & recorded an album called "Jessica."

The label went bankrupt and the album was never released except for a small pressing funded by her grandmother.

This small pressing gained Jessica minor attention which led her to performing at concerts with other gospel legendary acts such as Kirk Franklin, God's Property and CeCe Winans.

When Jessica was sixteen years old, Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola heard her & he was impressed with Jessica's musical talent and skill. Mottola instantly thought that Jessica sounded like Mariah Carey.

Jessica was immediately signed to the label. She dropped out of high school, but she later earned her GED.

Due to the mainstream success of teen pop artist Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, the label felt Jessica's debut album would perform just as well, if not better than Spears' and Aguilera's.

She immediately began working with producers such as Louis Biancaniello, Robbie Nevil, Evan Rogers, and Cory Rooney.

Louis worked with Jessica on three of the albums eleven tracks including "I Wanna Love You Forever", "Where You Are" and "Heart of Innocence."

She also worked with Cory Rooney (who had previously worked with the likes of Mariah Carey and Jennifer Lopez) among others.

Rooney produced the track "I Think I'm in Love with You" which was later released as the album's third single. He also co-wrote the song along with John Mellencamp, and Dan Shea.

Jessica also met up with her then-boyfriend (later first husband) Nick Lachey, who already had a growing fanbase due to his work with boy band 98 Degrees.

Together, the couple recorded a duet, titled "Where You Are", which later became the album's second single.

She also worked with Destiny's Child, who had already released two largely successful albums, with their previous album, The Writing's on the Wall, being certified 8x Platinum by the RIAA.

Jessica also collaborated with Sam Watters for the album, who produced the singles "I Wanna Love You Forever" and "Where You Are" as well as the song "Heart of Innocence." He also co-wrote the track "I Wanna Love You Forever" (along with Louis Biancaniello).

Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers also produced the tracks "I've Got My Eyes On You" and "Betcha She Don't Love You" together even though neither tracks were released as singles.

Jessica's label wanted the album to be different than that of Christina Aguilera & Britney Spears' debut albums (because the were sexually risque, especially their lead singles from the albums).

For "Sweet Kisses," Columbia Records decided that they wanted Jessica to be the "anti-sex appeal" to which she would sing about love & romance rather than sexual themes.

Jessica's "virgin" image was though as a great idea by the label, who felt that it would draw in listeners by making a girl whom they could relate to.

She also announced in an interview that should would be abstinent until marriage which helped listeners give her the appearance the label was hoping for.

Jessica's "non-sexual" image was also carried over to her music videos, which featured simple themes (such as the "I Wanna Love You Forever" video) which consist of her in a simple photo shoot.

Album Composition
The album deals mainly with themes of love, romance, and life from a teenage perspective.

The first track "I Wanna Love You Forever" was written, composed and produced by Louis Biancaniello and Sam Watters.

The track is a darkly bittersweet love ballad, showing off Jessica's powerful vocals.

Even though Biancaniello and Watters are credited jointly for writing and composing the song, at present, it is not known exactly which of the two wrote its lyrics and which composed its music.

According to the sheet music book published by Hal Leonard Corporation in Musicnotes.com, "I Wanna Love You Forever" is a common time signature song with a beat rate of 132 beats per minute.

It is set in the key of B minor with Jessica's voice ranging from the tonal nodes of B3 to F5#. The song follows a basic sequence of I–II–IV–II–VV progression.

The second track "I Think I'm in Love with You" was written and produced by Cory Rooney and Dan Shea in 1998.

The track was recorded at Lobo Recording Studios, Deer Park, Long Island and Hit Factory, NY and was mixed by Mick Guzauski. The background vocals were provided by Jennifer Karr and Chevis Harrell.

The track is a dance pop song with a teen pop style for the era. It was considered by many critics to be a very catchy, nice and summery song.

The song "Where You Are" was written by Louis Biancaniello and Sam Watters (the two also produced the track) with writing assistance from Adamantia Stamatopoulou and Jessica's then-boyfriend (now ex-husband) Nick Lachey.

Due to the sentimental lyrics of the single, it was also included on the soundtrack of the 2000 teen film "Here on Earth."

The song "Final Heartbreak" musically is an uptempo dance-pop track which uses heavy auto-tune on certain parts to change Jessica's vocal performance.

Lyrically, the song deals with her getting over heartbreak and breaking it off with a boyfriend who was no good for her.

The song "Woman In Me" is an R&B influenced track which is most notable for featuring girl group Destiny's Child on guest vocals.

Lyrically, the song deals with Jessica becoming the "woman that she wants to be" and growing to love herself for exactly who she is.

The song "I've Got My Eyes On You" is an uptempo dance-pop track that sees Jessica singing at a moderately low tone through the song.

Lyrically, the song speaks of her being interested in a boy. The song is more risque than the rest of the album and is seen as a track similar to that of Britney Spears.

The song "Betcha She Don't Love You" is an uptempo pop-rock track which also features influences of Hip-Hop and R&B.

The song's lyrics see Jessica trying to convince a boy that she could love him more than his current girlfriend as she feels that nobody could love him the way she does.

The song "My Wonderful" is a love ballad, which is moderately paced through the verses, while slow at the chorus. The song speaks of Jessica talking about how much she loves her boyfriend and how he must have been "sent from above just for [her]."

The title track is a love ballad similar to the previous single. It features an acoustic guitar playing over a soft R&B inspired beat.

The song lyrically deals with how Jessica loves her boyfriend's "sweet kisses" and how he does not even need to say he loves her because his kisses "move her."

The song "Your Faith In Me" is another pop ballad which plays with many instruments such as a violin and piano. Lyrically, the song sees Jessica stating she doesn't need love, but she just needs her lover's "faith in her."

The closing track "Heart of Innocence" is a ballad that portrays Jessica's virginity as a gift she is waiting, patiently to give "the one" (e.g. her soulmate) whenever she is destined to meet him.

Singles
"I Wanna Love You Forever" was the first single of the album and was released in 15 April 1999

The song became Jessica's highest charting single in the United States, peaking at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Its commercial sales were particularly strong, and landed the single atop the Hot 100 Singles Sales for six weeks. This in turn earned the song a platinum certification.

Worldwide, the single was successful as it peaked within the top ten in most European nations and Australia which reached the Top-ten in Norway, Sweden, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Belgium, Canada and Australia.

"Where You Are" was released January 2, 2000   as the second single from the album.

The single failed to reach even the top fifty of the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at sixty-two, however, it did become a relative Adult Contemporary hit.

Strangely enough though, dance fans reacted strongly to the physical single of the song and the song became a hit on the Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales reaching number four.

Internationally, the song was not released in major music markets excluding Canada.

"I Think I'm In Love With You" was the third and final single released   February 6, 2000   from her debut album.

It was more up tempo than Jessica's previous singles and became a moderate hit, reaching number twenty-one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, largely on the strength of its radio airplay.

It reached the top five on Billboard's Top 40 Mainstream and achieved success on the Adult Contemporary and Rhythmic Top 40 charts.

Worldwide, it peaked at number 10 on Australia and reached the Top-twenty in Canada, United Kingdom and New Zealand.

Tracklisting

 * 1) I Wanna Love You Forever (4:24) (written & produced by Sam Watters & Louis Biancaniello)
 * 2) I Think I'm in Love With You (3:18) (written by Cory Rooney, Dan Shea & John Mellencamp; produced by Cory Rooney & Dan Shea)
 * 3) Where You Are (feat. Nick Lachey) (4:32) (written by Louis Biancaniello, A. Stamapoulou & Nick Lachey; produced by Louis Biancaniello & Sam Watters)
 * 4) Final Heartbreak (3:40) (written & produced by Eric Foster White)
 * 5) Woman in Me (feat. Destiny's Child) (written by M. Beckman & A. Bagge; produced by Robbie Nevil)
 * 6) I Got My Eyes on You (3:34) (written by P. Reins & J. Aberg; produced by Carl Sturken & Evan Rogers)
 * 7) Betcha She Don't Love You (4:13) (written & produced by Evan Rogers & Carl Sturken)
 * 8) My Wonderful (4:13) (written by London Jones & D. Sills; produced by London Jones)
 * 9) Sweet Kisses (3:23) (written by Andy Goldmark, Jamie Houston & J.D. Hicks; produced by Andy Goldmark & Jamie Houston)
 * 10) Your Faith in Me (4:24) (written by Dane DeViller, Sean Hosein & T. Lacy; produced by D. DeViller & Sean Hosein)
 * 11) Heart of Innocence (4:55) (written by Jessica Simpson, G. Baker, J. Meyers & P. Carpenter; produced by Sam Watters & Louis Biancaniello)

Japanese Bonus Album Track

 * 1) Did You Ever Love Somebody (3:54) (written by Marsha Malamet & Liz Vidal)

United Kingdom Bonus Album Tracks

 * 1) I Can, I Will (4:28) (written & produced by Jamie Houston & Robbie Nevil)
 * 2) You Don't Know What Love Is (4:21) (written & produced by Carl Sturken & Evan Rogers)

Chart Performance
"Sweet Kisses" debuted at number 65 on the Billboard 200, selling 65,000 copies in its first week, significantly lower than expected by Columbia Records as the first single from the album was a hit, peaking at #3 on the Hot 100.

The following week, the album had dropped to number 70, and continuing down the following weeks.

In order to boost record sales, the label released the second single "Where You Are," but could not reach the success of its predecessor "I Wanna Love You Forever."

While the album was kept in the top 60 for several weeks, the label decided to make one last attempt to launch the third single from the album.

The song "I Think I'm in Love With You" was released in May 2000, instantly became a hit on radio stations that helped to rise from posts and album reached the peak 25 in August 2000.

In total, the album stayed on the chart for 62 weeks and was certified 2× Platinum by the RIAA.

The album has sold about 1.9 million copies in the US. In territories outside of the US, the album had a similar chart effect.

In Canada, 'Sweet Kisses' reached a peak of 34 on the Billboard 200 chart and was certified Platinum by the CRIA. In Europe the album had a better performance on the charts, peaking at number 4 in Norway which was certified Gold for sales 15,000 copies. and number 5 in Switzerland.

In Sweden, the album debuted at number 5 on the Swiss Albums Chart, where it peaked. This makes it Jessica' only album to chart within the Top 5 in Sweden.

In Japan, the album debuted at number 16 on the albums chart, making it her only album to date to chart within the Top 20 in Japan.

In the United Kingdom, where the singles were met with a great commercial performance, the album debuted at number 36, making "Sweet Kisses" Jessica highest charting album in the country, tied with her 2003 album "In This Skin."

In Australia, it debuted at number 52, surprising the label as the album had spawned two Top 10 hits in the country.

In total, the album has sold 4 million copies worldwide.

Critical Reception
The album received mostly mixed reviews.

Allmusic gave the album three out of five stars, quoting:

"She delves into the frothy dance-pop that's teen pop's stock-in-trade, but the heart of her album lies in adult contemporary ballads like her breakout hit "I Wanna Love You Forever," which gives her a chance to show off the richness of her voice. She doesn't over-sing, like Aguilera occasionally does, even if she has moments where she pushes the envelope slightly — just like her idol Dion. However, there are already indications that she's developing her own voice, since she is equally capable of delivering danceable urban R&B ("Final Heartbreak," "I've Got My Eyes on You," the Destiny's Child duet "Woman in Me") as she is mature balladry ("Faith in Me," the Nick Lachey duet "Where You Are"). Like most teen-pop albums, Sweet Kisses suffers from inconsistent material, yet the filler is well-produced and performed, making the record every bit as listenable as Aguilera's fine debut."

Entertainment Weekly gave the album a C-, stating:

"Jessica Simpson, a melodramatic 19, chirps cheeky Mariah Carey-isms on Sweet Kisses, a subpar portfolio, missing the soulful target almost every time. 'Do you wanna see the woman in me?/Let me show you,' she lasciviously hisses in one laughable instance, backed by a doo-wopping Destiny's Child. Uh, thanks, but no, kid. Been there, done that. Mom's waiting for you outside in the station wagon."

People Magazine was less critical of the album, quoting:

"''Blonde, pouty-lipped and impossibly cute, Jessica Simpson is as tough to pick out of a lineup of lookalike teenage songbirds as her breathless hit "I Wanna Love You Forever" is difficult to differentiate from the rest of Top 40 radio. So far, Simpson's debut album hasn't scored the same success as those of Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. But rest assured there are more cookies like "I Wanna" in Simpson's cutter. One ditty, titled "Where Are You," is a duet with 98° boy-toy Nick Lachey, Simpson's real-life squeeze. Unlike her peers the 19-year-old Simpson is not a former member of Disney's Mickey Mouse Club. She auditioned for the show at age 12 but didn't make the cut. Also setting her apart from the teen pop pack is Simpson's track record as a performer on the Christian music circuit. Here, she sounds downright worldly singing "Heart of Innocence"—a devotional tune she wrote extolling the virtues of premarital abstinence—in a low, sexy croon. Bottom Line: Teen yearnings set to a watery R&B beat.''"

Robert Christgau gave the album a D, exclaiming:

"Simpson is a blonde who got out of cheerleading early to prepare herself for whatever show business offered--game-show sidekick, R-rated remake of Debbie Does Dallas, bond trader seeking trophy wife. What she got was a John Cougar [Mellencamp] sample and the hard-earned ability to carry a tune. We know teenpop is rarely as vapid, prefab, and faux-wholesome as gatekeepers who've barely listened to it claim. So let's not tell them about this 'refreshing blend of pop, R&B and [note copywriter getting desperate] gospel-flavored sounds."

Album Personnel

 * Jessica Simpson - vocals, background vocals
 * Anas Allaf - guitar
 * Louis Biancaniello - keyboard
 * Chris Camozzi - guitar
 * Graeme Coleman - piano, conductor
 * Destiny's Child - background vocals
 * Dave Deviller - acoustic guitar
 * Sherree Ford-Payne - background vocals
 * Andy Goldmark - keyboard
 * Tania Hancheroff - background vocals
 * Tim Hientz - keyboard
 * Simon Isherwood - conductor
 * London Jones - keyboard, background vocals
 * Nick Lachey - vocals
 * Gordon Maxwell - background vocals
 * Robbie Nevil - guitar
 * Notre Dame Gospel Choir
 * Dan Petty - acoustic guitar, electric guitar
 * Evan Rogers - background vocals
 * Jill Seifers - background vocals
 * Dwight Sills - guitar
 * Beverley Staunton - background vocals
 * Carl Sturken - multiple instruments
 * Michael Thompson - guitar
 * Sam Watters - background vocals
 * Eric Foster White - keyboard
 * Producers: Louis Biancaniello, Dave Deviller, Andy Goldmark, Dan Shea, Jamie Houston, London Jones, Robbie Nevil, Evan Rogers, Corey Rooney, Carl Sturken, Sam Watters, Eric Foster White
 * Engineers: Steve George, Andy Goldmark, Scott Gutierrez, Al Hemberger, Ben Holt, Martin Horenburg, Hank Linderman, Glen Marchese, Tim "Flash" Mariner, Michael "Wolf" Reaves, Steve Smith, Paul Wagner, Eric Foster White, Rob Williams
 * Assistant engineers: Jeff Gregory, Matt Martiensson, Ronnie Rivera, Jose Sanchez, Manelich Sotolong
 * Mixing: Mick Guzauski, Tony Maserati
 * Mixing assistants: Tom Bender, Jeff Gregory, Ben Holt, Ethan Schofer
 * Editing: Jack Kugell
 * Production coordination: Kim Gorham, Collen Reynolds
 * Production coordination assistant: Andrea Derby
 * Programming: Louis Biancaniello, Dan Shea, Dave Deviller, London Jones, Eric Foster White
 * Drum programming: Iki Levy
 * Arranger: Dave Deviller
 * String arrangements: Graeme Coleman
 * Art direction: Ron Jaramillo
 * Design: Ron Jaramillo
 * Photography: Alberto Tolot
 * Stylist: Rachel Zoe
 * Hair stylist: Ken Paves
 * Make-up: Francesca Tolot