Irresistible (album)

Irresistible is Jessica Simpson's sophomore album. The album was released on May 25, 2001 by Columbia Records.

Album Background
In 1998, Jessica signed a record deal with Columbia Records 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 and Christina Aguilera.

Unlike her peers, Jessica stayed true to her Christian beliefs and dressed conservatively.

The album only managed a peak of number twenty-five on the US Billboard 200, far from the success of her contemporaries.

This led Jessica 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, Jessica adopted a sexier image and newer sound at the suggestion of the Columbia Records executives.

She moved into the teen-pop genre as she felt that restyling herself to match the image of Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera would help remake her career.

Jessica separated from her then-boyfriend Nick Lachey in March of 2001, feeling the need to concentrate on her career.

Jessica's new image was promoted through appearances on many events where she wore revealing outfits.

The development of this image coincided with the production and release of her second studio effort "Irresistible."

Jessica said that she wanted to portray a "sexier, more mature style" in her new album.

In a July 2001 interview with Coventry Newspapers, Jessica said:

"I recorded Sweet Kisses when I was 17 years old and I'm 21 [this month] so there is four years of growth involved."

In a June 2001 interview with Cosmopolitan magazine, 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," Jessica hoped that her new image would bring more attention to the power of her voice.

According to Jessica (to Entertainment Weekly):

"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 [on] this album, because we spent a lot of money on it."

Album Production\Development
Jessica 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 the "Irresistible" album, Jessica decided to let Tommy Mottola (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, Jessica does not share songwriting credits on any of the tracks.

On being asked why, Jessica 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 Jessica, 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 Jessica, the opening title track was written by the Swedish duo Anders Bagge and Arnthor Birgisson in collaboration with English singer-songwriter Pamela Sheyne.

Birgisson told music technology magazine Sound on Sound 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" was written by Kara DioGuardi (along with Steve Morales and David Siegal).

Although she had the written songs for other artists including Kylie Minogue and Martine McCutcheon, the song became DioGuardi's first writing credit for an artist from her native country.

Jessica 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).

Walter Afanasieff (who is a long-time Mariah Carey collaborator) worked with Jessica on three cuts from the album

One of the songs, "When You Told Me You Loved Me" was written by Afanasieff in collaboration with Billy Mann.

In an interview with Allpop, Jessica 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 wrote "Hot Like Fire" solely which Jessica described as "certainly not kid stuff" and 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 Jessica) is reminiscent of "I Wanna Love You Forever."

Jessica covered the gospel hymn "His Eye is on the Sparrow" 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."

Motolla selected Cory Rooney as the executive producer of "Irresistible."

Most of the recording and mixing works were done at Sony Music Studios, 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's 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 Jessica'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 Jessica'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 explained to 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 and overdubs were accomplished on the Oxford console at his Wally World Studio B, at San Rafael, California.

Jessica's label-mate and Latin singer Marc Anthony is featured as a guest vocalist on the ballad "There You Were."

Jessica 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 the album. In an interview with Sony Music Japan, Jessica said that she never met him 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 Jessica's vocals and Tony Maserati mixed the vocals.

Initially, Jessica 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, but due to her record label's persuasion, she recorded the song and ultimately became fond of it.

In order to record the title track, Jessica 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 remix of "Irresistible" for which Jessica re-recorded her vocals.

Album Composition
Jessica described the album's material as "Mariah Carey meets Britney Spears ... very mature but accessible to teens." She said that she wanted to blend house, R&B, pop genres into the record.

The opening track, "Irresistible" is an R&B song with dance-pop influences. It also exhibits elements of pop rock and funk genres while incorporating latin rhythms.

Aside from including a string section, the track features breathy vocals from Jessica and it features "Irresistible" features spoken passages by her and a mid-section breakdown where her vocals are "funk-fortified."

According to author Ben Graham, the lyrics of the song see Jessica stripping her famous virginity image down.

Bob Waliszewski of Plugged In gave a similar observation of the lyrics, writing that they point to an imminent sexual compromise.

The track "A Little Bit" is a dance-pop song following the same beat-oriented pattern as "Irresistible."

It features piano instrumentation and Jessica sings the lyrics as rapid-fire verses and with start-and-stop hooks.

Jessica 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.

The track "Forever In Your Eyes" explores elements of latin music 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."

The track "There You Were" is a torchy power ballad which drew comparisons to Jessica's previous song "Where You Are."

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."

The track "What's It Gonna Be" is a bubblegum pop song influenced by '80s funk music, which was compared to outtakes from Britney Spears' "Oops!... I Did It Again" album.

The lyrics deal with Jessica expecting a reply from her lover regarding his fear of commitment

The track "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 Jessica's vocals were compared to that of Mariah Carey and Celine Dion.

The track "Hot Like Fire" (which received positive reviews from critics) is a funky mid-tempo number.

Compared to the likes of Michael Jackson and Destiny's Child, the song begins with a "faux" telephone call between Jessica and her friend; the latter explains that Jessica's boyfriend has been cheating on her.

The lyrics, sung with "hard edge vocals" over synth horns, hip-hop beats and electronica rhythms, demonstrate Jessica's annoyance at being cheated on by her boyfriend.

The track "Imagination" is a song with electronic and R&B influences. Rick de Yampert of The Daytona Beach News-Journal commented that the song contained Stevie Wonder-styled funk music.

The tracks "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 noted it "morphs [...] into an R'n'B tinged slow jam."

It also contains a jazz breakdown, towards its end.

Bob Waliszewski wrote that through the latter: "Simpson pledges devotion to a partner."

The track "I Never" (produced by Darkchild) infuses Spanish guitars and has an "urban" tinge.

The song portrays the theme of self-respect and has Jessica 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, Jessica sings it "with a depth and passion that is lacking on the rest of the album."

Album Artwork
The album artwork for "Irresistible" was shot by Alberto Tolot in April 2001.

The front sleeve cover shows Jessica wearing heavy makeup and with blond hair, dressed in a semi-transparent shirt, raising it a bit to expose her navel.

Jessica 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, 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 which was a strong supporter of Jessica, 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 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 Jessica's similarity to Britney Spears.

The Japanese version of the album has the same front sleeve artwork as that of "Irresistible" single.

Album Title
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

Album Release
In the United States, "Irresistible" was initially slated for release on March 20, 2001, but due to undisclosed reasons, the release was pushed to June 5, 2001.

Album Promotion
On June 4, 2001, a listening party was arranged by AOL, a day before the album's release date.

The album's release was celebrated with a release party at the New York Water Club.

Jessica rode down Manhattan's East River on a yacht decorated with banners for the celebration which included a water ski show, a fireboat spraying water, and fireworks.

She said the album's release was a critical moment in her career, one "which could send her to stardom or obscurity."

In an interview, Jessica said:

"I'm right there ready to explode Or I could go pfft [sic]. No one could ever hear from me again."

Tracklisting

 * 1) Irresistible (3:13) (written by Anders Bagge, Arnthor Birgisson & Pamela Sheyne; produced by Anders Bagge & Arnthor Birgisson)
 * 2) A Little Bit (3:47) (written by Kara DioGuardi, Steve Morales & David Siegel; produced by Steve Morales & Ric Wake)
 * 3) Forever in Your Eyes (3:38) (written by Nick Lachey & Rhett Lawrence; produced by Rhett Lawrence)
 * 4) There You Were (feat. Marc Anthony) (4:25) (written by Louis Biancaniello, Sam Watters & Ty Lacy; produced by Louis Biancaniello & Sam Watters)
 * 5) What's It Gonna Be (4:41) (written by Kandice Love & Troy Oliver; produced by Cory Rooney, Troy Oliver & Ric Wake)
 * 6) When You Told Me You Loved Me (3:48) (written by Walter Afanasieff & Billy Mann; produced by Walter Afanasieff)
 * 7) Hot Like Fire (4:17) (written & produced by Cory Rooney)
 * 8) Imagination (4:25) (written by Fred Jerkins III, LaShawn Daniels, Mischke & Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins; produced by Darkchild)
 * 9) To Fall in Love Again (4:57) (written by Nick Lachey & Walter Afanasieff; produced by Walter Afanasieff)
 * 10) [[For Your Love (4:20) (written & produced by Louis Biancaniello and Sam Watters)
 * 11) I Never (4:34) (written by Fred Jerkins II, LaShawn Daniels & Rodney Jerkins; produced by Darkchild)
 * 12) His Eye is On the Sparrow (4:37) (written by Lari Goss, Charles Hutchison Gabriel & Civilla Durfree Martin; produced by Cory Rooney)

Japanese Album Bonus Track

 * 1) Irresistible (Hex Hector Club Mix) (8:53)

Chart 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 (which was 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.

It 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 by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipments of 500,000 copies in the country.

As of February 2009, the album had sold 755,000 copies in the US.

In Canada, the album debuted at number fifteen on the Canadian Albums Chart 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.

"Irresistible" was certified gold by the Canadian Recording Industry Association (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, in the issue dated September 17, 2001. It dropped out of the chart the next week.

Similarly, the album 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, the album debuted at number twenty-five on the Oricon 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, it has sold 44,580 copies in Japan.

In the United Kingdom, the album 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.

According to The Daytona Beach News-Journal, the album has achieved multiplatinum sales worldwide.

Critical Reception
Upon release, "Irresistible" received mostly negative reviews from critics. Most of them pointed out that the album sounded generic and over-produced.

Chuck Campbell of Daily News gave the album a rating of 2.5 out of 5.

He dismissed the album as "nothing but a footnote" and remarked that the songs sounded too similar to works by Britney Spears & Christina Aguilera.

He concluded by commenting on Jessica's version of "His Eye Is on the Sparrow", stating:

"So if her pop fortunes fail, perhaps she'll find some contemporary Christian singers to imitate."

Teresa Gubbins of The Dallas Morning News gave a similar review and 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 cliche 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 Jessica 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 Britney Spears.

Allmusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine graded the album 2.5 stars out of 5 and commented that the album was "filled with frothy, sugary pop tunes."

He noted 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' to anchor it – so it floats away from memory."

Peter Marsh of the BBC gave a mixed review.

Although noting that the album sounded like a mixture of Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Mariah Carey Celine and Dion, he also wrote that it covered all the "bases."

Larry Printz of The Morning Call praised the album, calling it "pleasant, palatable modern pop."

He wrote that the album was "clearly the best of the lot" and commended Jessica's vocals.

Chuck Taylor of Billboard gave a positive review, viewing the album as "a great step forward for youth pop and sure footing for [this] glamorous talent."

Album Personnel

 * Walter Afanasieff – Arranger, Drums, Keyboards, Producer, Programming
 * Janie Barnett – Background vocals
 * Anders Bagge – writer, producer, mixer
 * Arnthor Birgisson – writer, producer
 * Pamela Sheyne – writer
 * Bernard Belle – Bass guitar
 * Jeff Bender – Photography
 * Tom Bender – Mixing
 * Marcelo Berestovoy – Guitar
 * Mats Berntoft – Guitar
 * Louis Biancaniello – Arranger, Engineer, Keyboards, Producer, Programming
 * Greg Bieck – Drum programming, Engineer, Keyboards, Programming
 * Jason Bonilla – Engineer, Programming
 * Larry Brooks – Assistant engineer, Engineer
 * Jim Caruana – Engineer
 * Will Catterson – Engineer
 * LaShawn Daniels – Engineer
 * Debbie Datz-Pyle – Consultant
 * Loren Dawson – Arranger, Keyboards
 * Melonie Daniels – Background vocals
 * Matthew Dellapolla – Scoring consultant
 * Margaret Dorn – Background vocals
 * Paul Foley – Engineer
 * Sharlotte Gibson – Background vocals
 * David Gleeson – Engineer
 * Mick Guzauski – Mixing
 * Dan Hetzel – Engineer, Mixing, Mixing engineer
 * Jim Janick – Engineer
 * Ron Jaramillo – Art direction, Design
 * Ted Jensen – Mastering
 * Richie Jones – Arranger, Drums, Mixing, Percussion, Programming
 * Matt Kormondy – Production assistant
 * Pete Krawiec – Engineer
 * Eric Kupper – Keyboard programming
 * Rhett Lawrence – Arranger, Producer
 * Kandice Love – Background vocals
 * Bob Ludwig – Mastering
 * Steve MacMillan – Engineer
 * Glen Marchese – Engineer
 * Nick Marshall – Assistant engineer
 * Ron Martinez – Vocal Engineer
 * Tony Maserati – Mixing
 * Michael McCoy – Assistant engineer
 * Chieli Minucci – Guitar
 * Joanie Morris – Production coordination
 * Troy Oliver – Keyboard programming, Keyboards
 * Adam Olmsted – Assistant engineer, Engineer
 * Ken Paves – Hair stylist
 * Dave Reitzas – Engineer
 * RL – Drum programming, Engineer, Guitar, Mixing, Programming
 * Cory Rooney – Arranger, Drum programming, Executive producer, Keyboards, Producer, Vocal producer
 * William Ross – Arranger, Conductor
 * Mark Russell – Assistant, Production coordination
 * Ira Segal – Guitar
 * Stockholm Session Orchestra – Strings
 * David Swope – Assistant engineer, Engineer
 * Alberto Tolot – Photography
 * Francesca Tolot – Make-Up
 * Ric Wake – Arranger, Producer
 * Sam Watters – Arranger, Engineer, Producer, Background vocals
 * Nick Lachey – Writer
 * Rodney Jerkins – Writer, Compositor, Arranger, engineer, Producer
 * Fred Jerkins - Writer
 * Mischke - Writer

Recording Locations

 * Murlyn Studios (Stockholm, Sweden)
 * Sony Music Studios (New York City)
 * Sound Gallery Studios (Los Angeles, California)
 * The Record Plant (Los Angeles)
 * Cove City Sound Studios (Glen Cove, New York)
 * WallyWorld Studios (California)
 * Cello Studios (Hollywood, California)
 * Sony Scoring Stage (Culver City, California)
 * Lobo Recording Studios (Deer Park, New York)
 * The Hit Factory (New York City)
 * Homesite 13 (Novato, California)