For years, Jessie James Decker could not figure out why she never felt fully welcomed in the country music world. Over the summer, she finally got her answer — she simply wasn’t seen as a full-time country artist. “It just broke my heart,” she admitted to HollywoodLife.com EXCLUSIVELY. “I was like…man, I feel like I’ve worked so hard and I feel like…maybe I’m getting punished for being a mom and a dedicated wife and doing these other things. It almost upset me because, I feel like in country music right now, they’re really trying to get women up front and to support each other, but that’s not very supportive if you ask me. So I just felt very confused, but I took it as ammunition to keep doing my thing because I do have such a great fan base. So I just couldn’t really listen to that and let it get to me.”
It took ten years, but Jessie finally released her second album, Southern Girl City Lights, on Oct. 13, and proved that she was able to beat the criticism — she shot to the No. 1 spot on the iTunes Country Music charts within hours. “It feels good to feel at this place where I really know who I am as a person and then be able to put that to music to give out to my fans,” she told us. The release of Southern Girl City Lights came at a very busy time for the 29-year-old, though– she just announced that she’s pregnant with her third child, and her reality show with husband, Eric Decker, is currently airing its third season on E!
So, how does she balance it all and stay so grounded? “I love being an entertainer, I really do, but it’s not what drives me,” she explained. “Like, that’s not what keeps my motor going every day. Family is just in me. It’s not something I even try to do, and because I grew up so normal, [the spotlight] really hasn’t changed me. [Family] truly is my comfort zone, it’s what keeps me comfortable and happy and I’ve just got to keep it that way!”
Stay tuned for more of our interview with Jessie later this week!
HollywoodLifers, are you loving Jessie James Decker’s new album!?