Jessica Simpson is gearing up for the release of her highly anticipated music. The “I Belong to Me” singer, 43, stepped out in New York City on November 28, one night before she receives the Icon Award at the 2023 Footwear News Achievement Awards in the Big Apple on November 29. While speaking with Footwear News, Jessica defined an icon as “someone who is not afraid to take risks.”
“And often, their choices don’t make sense in the immediate, but they’re part of an enlightened understanding of the big picture,” Jessica elaborated. “It’s someone who transcends a particular time or place and defines a moment. … There are little successes that we celebrate along the way. It’s not just one grandiose moment. Just staying in the process, instead of feeling as if something’s completely accomplished, is almost more important.”
As for making music, the “A Public Affair” artist reflected on the “retreat” she gets when she can record new songs in Nashville.
“It’s like a retreat for me. I get to just crawl up inside my head and embrace my heart,” the Dukes of Hazzard actress noted. “I feel so enlightened there. Writing music has become a beautiful therapeutic thing for me that I didn’t know was so natural, but it’s because I haven’t done it in so long. It’s just nice to know that I’m meeting myself back in this place, as a woman, and after going through everything that I’ve been through in my life. There’s a sense of freedom and empowerment.”
This past summer, Jessica described her upcoming work as “really powerful” during an interview with Extra in August. While writing new songs, she had “chills thinking about it because I know that whenever I open this big old trap of mine, a lot is going to come out and it’s going to be really powerful.”
“I finally feel connected enough to my purpose in music, and I know exactly what it is I want to do. It’s very exciting,” Jessica concluded at the time.
It’s been more than 10 years since Jessica has released an album, but her new work is reportedly set to come out in early 2024 along with an accompanying tour.