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Autobiography (Ashlee Simpson album)
Encyclopedia
Autobiography is the debut studio album
by American singer-songwriter Ashlee Simpson
. Released in the United States by Geffen Records
on July 20, 2004, the album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200
and was certified triple platinum in the U.S. Musically, it combines elements of rock and pop. The album's critical reception was mixed. Autobiography has sold more than 9 million copies worldwide.
Three singles from Autobiography were released: "Pieces of Me
"—the first and most successful single—which was a hit in several countries in mid to late 2004, as well as the follow-up singles "Shadow" and "La La
". MTV
highlighted the process of making the album in the reality series
The Ashlee Simpson Show
, which drew a large audience and served as an effective promotional vehicle for the album.
, and before the album's US release she said that "My inspiration came from what I have gone through in the past three years. Every single day I was thinking of what I was going through and would write songs about it." The lyrics primarily deal with love and heartbreak; in particular, much of the album's lyrical content was inspired by Simpson's breakup with her boyfriend at the time, Josh Henderson
. She has described the album as being "very honest" and "very true to my emotions"—"I wasn't afraid to say that I was hurting and how I got over it." Simpson worked closely with a number of experienced songwriters on the album. The album's producer, John Shanks
—who won a Grammy in February 2005, in part for his work as producer on Autobiography—receives songwriting credit alongside Simpson on all but two songs. Kara DioGuardi
also receives songwriting credit, together with Simpson and Shanks, on seven of the songs, including the three singles. (See the track listing.)
The album incorporates rock as well as pop elements, which contrasts with the more strongly pop-oriented music of Simpson's sister, Jessica Simpson
. One reviewer noted that, unlike Jessica's music, Autobiography "relies on glitzy guitars and big power-pop
riffs". On her reality show, Ashlee emphasized that she did not want to make her music like pop singers such as her sister or Hilary Duff
; instead, she has cited musicians such as Chrissie Hynde
and Joan Jett
as influences. However, some have suspected that Simpson's more rock-oriented sound and image represented a deliberate marketing attempt to distinguish the sisters.
In a 2004 interview, Simpson said that when she began seeking a recording contract record label
s would not meet with her because they thought she just wanted "to be like her sister". Simpson also said that she did not want to meet with Jessica's record label (Columbia
) because she wanted to be signed because of her music, rather than her sister. She eventually signed with Geffen in 2003. As for her role as co-writer of the songs, Simpson has said that she had a lot of input lyrically: "...I come up with the whole concept of the song. To me, writing is a very important thing. It's what I've always done and what I've always loved to do, and it was a big part of my wanting to do a record. So my label was amazing because they really let me have my hands in there. I got to write a lot." Simpson said of making the album: "It's a lot of work. From finding the right label to the actual recording, it took about nine months, then it was followed by the publicity work." In an extensive list of thank-yous in the album's liner notes
, Simpson includes Benji
and Joel Madden
of the band Good Charlotte
, with whom she worked on a song that did not make it onto the album.
", a song about the comfort and happiness Simpson found in her relationship with Ryan Cabrera
, has been characterised as a soft rock ballad with "stringy guitar riffs". "Shadow", described by People magazine as the "most personal song" on the album, is a slower tune in which Simpson recounts playing a lesser role to her sister when she was younger, but eventually finding her own identity.
The album continues with "La La
", a song with sexual lyrics that Simpson has described as "tongue-in-cheek". One reviewer described "La La" as a "punk inspired, fast beat, screaming anthem". "Love Makes the World Go Round", which epinions.com described as having a "Duff vibe", talks about the disappointment of an ending relationship. "Better Off", which has been described as a "bubbly" song and as a "chunk of pop/rock goodness", and "Love Me For Me", which has been called "Joan-Jett-esque" and which Simpson has said is about "self-appreciation" both deal with contradictory feelings about relationships. The synth-driven "Surrender" follows with Simpson consenting to a breakup, with lyrics such as "you make your misery my company"; epinions wrote that it is on this track that Simpson sounds "most loose and carefree".
"Unreachable" combines a piano line and vintage Chamberlin sounds with lyrics dealing with regrets about rushing into a relationship. Simpson has described "Nothing New" as being about her frustration with an ex-boyfriend's "dramas", until she is ultimately "finished with him", while "Giving It All Away" encourages the listener to stand on one's own feet: "hold on to your life and don't give that away", Simpson said of the song. The album's closing track, "Undiscovered" (which Simpson has described as a favorite of hers), was written after her breakup with Josh, and is described by epinions.com as a song with "haunting strings" and "mellow guitars"; in the song, Simpson ponders what might have been in a lost pairing. Non-U.S. pressings follow with "Harder Everyday", and the United Kingdom edition adds "Sorry". The U.S. Wal-Mart
edition of the album also included an access code to download a reduced-quality version of "Sorry" over the Internet.
considered it a "passable debut" and said that it showed Simpson was a "credible talent in her own right"; Allmusic called it "an unexpectedly strong debut". The Village Voice
compared Autobiography favorably to Courtney Love
's 2004 album America's Sweetheart, referring particularly to Autobiography' s "Fruit Stripe bubblegrunge guitars and insanely chewy melodies and an ear-tickling production job." It also praised Simpson's singing, saying that she "can pack so much contradictory emotion into a single line—a single word—that the music can barely contain it." According to Blender
, all of the album's songs "paint in huge strokes"; its review also regarded Simpson's vocals positively.
Other critics were more negative. Rolling Stone
called it "mundane...with a predictable script", and at one point described Simpson's singing as "wailing in lieu of hitting notes". In its review, the BBC said that "half the album ... feels self indulgent and lacks substance", but also said that "in between the formulaic, innocuous songs are a smattering of catchy pop-rock tracks." IGN.com called it "by-the-books, generic (and at times bland) pop/rock", although it did say Simpson's vocals showed maturity and promise. A writer for Stylus magazine
commented that "after spending more than forty minutes with Ashlee, I feel like I don’t know her any better than I did beforehand...[and] for a record with the name Autobiography, it seems like no bigger criticism could be leveled." The New York Times
said that Autobiography "is a thoroughly calculated package, aiming for the same audience that embraces Avril Lavigne
and Pink."
certification. Following its July 20 release, it debuted at number one on the Billboard 200
chart, selling about 398,000 copies; according to Nielsen Soundscan
figures Autobiography sold a total of 2,576,945 copies from the time of its release until early January 2005, making it the ninth best-selling album of 2004.
In Canada, where the album's release corresponded with the U.S., it sold about 3,000 copies in its first week (number 37 on the album chart); it rose on the chart to number eight at one point, and went double platinum in February 2005. The album was released in the UK on October 4, 2004, and debuted at number 31 on the album charts. However, it returned to the top 40 in January 2005, rising substantially from number 91 to number 33 in the week ending January 24, following Simpson's promotion of "La La" (the album's second single in the UK, released on January 24). In Ireland, the album peaked at number 22 on the chart in late January, at the same time as "La La" was released as a single chart. The album also reached number 36 in Switzerland and number 29 in Norway. Simpson's success in album sales with Autobiography outshines that of her sister Jessica, who despite having a singing career since 1999, failed to attain major success with record sales until she appeared on her 2003 reality television show. Geffen President Jordan Schur said of Ashlee's success: "It's unheard of in this business—even for a superstar—to sell this number of records," and emphasized her relative obscurity until not long before the album's release. Simpson expressed surprise at the degree of her album's success: "I just hoped my album charted. I didn't expect it to be number one in the country! It was a huge shock."
' s release, for Pizza Hut
and Ice Breakers Liquid Ice.
A key element of Simpson's promotion was The Ashlee Simpson Show, which debuted on June 16, 2004, and ran for eight episodes, achieving high ratings for cable television. Jessica's reality show, Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica, had debuted in 2003 and had proved highly successful, being credited with reviving her flagging music career; reality television proved similarly effective in helping launch Ashlee's music career. It has been said that Simpson's father and manager Joe Simpson "redefined how you sell records" through his use of reality television to promote his daughters. Simpson said that she initially did not want to do the reality show but that her father persuaded her to do it because it would be about the production of her album: "...I thought that was kind of cool. You're actually seeing a deeper look into how this album got made." She also thought the show, by showcasing her own personality, would help to distinguish her from Jessica.
Geoff Mayfield, Billboard' s director of charts, pointed to a combination of factors in explaining Simpson's success with Autobiography. He described Simpson as the "right thing at the right time" and said: "The MTV show is a huge catalyst, radio jumped all over the song, and her famous sister opened the door. If Jessica never happened, then Ashlee doesn't get her own show and this album doesn't happen." Zena Burns of Teen People, while noting the importance of effective promotion and Simpson's connection to Jessica, stressed the appeal of "Pieces of Me" in explaining her success: "Ashlee has an amazing promotional machine, and it doesn't hurt to have Jessica and MTV behind you, but she also came out with an insanely catchy pop single." From July 13 to July 20, the week prior to Autobiography' s release, MTV.com's "The Leak" featured the album for streaming on its website. Autobiography drew 2.66 million requested streams during the time period, breaking a record previously held by Britney Spears
' 2003 album In the Zone
.
Simpson's publicity suffered when a performance on the October 23–24 edition of Saturday Night Live
went awry. According to Simpson's publicists, her father and manager decided to use a vocal guide track because of problems she was having with her voice, beginning earlier in the day, that were caused by acid reflux. Although her first performance of the night—"Pieces of Me"—was successful, her second performance, which was supposed to be of "Autobiography" (at the time planned as her third single), went wrong: "Pieces of Me" mistakenly began playing, and Simpson's recorded vocals were heard when her microphone was not near her mouth. She subsequently walked off the stage and then apologized for the error during the show's closing. Some viewers accused Simpson of lip synching, and the incident received widespread coverage in the news. Simpson joked about the incident with a performance of "Autobiography" at the Radio Music Awards on October 25. Despite the low points of this period of the album's promotion, there were also significant successes. According to a Geffen press release, her December 6 AOL Music Live performance "had the biggest 1 week audience ever for AOL with 1.6 million plays."
article noted that radio stations were adding the song to their playlists faster than any other songs up to that point in the year. "Pieces of Me" debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 in June and reached a peak position of number five in September. The song "Shadow" was the album's second U.S. single; it reached a peak of number 57 on the Hot 100, failing to match the success of "Pieces of Me".
Shortly afterwards, "La La" replaced "Autobiography" as the album's planned third single. It reached a chart peak at number 86 on the Hot 100, falling considerably short of the positions reached by her two previous singles. Simpson suffered further negative publicity at the halftime show for the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida
on January 4, 2005, where she performed "La La" and was booed by the crowd. This may have represented backlash from the SNL debacle, as the Orange Bowl publicists said. "Shadow" was not released in Europe (although it was the second single in Australia), where "La La" was the second single. Shortly after the Orange Bowl incident, Simpson performed the song on several television shows in the UK in January 2005; "La La" debuted and peaked just outside the top ten, and sales of Autobiography also rose considerably during the same period.
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by American singer-songwriter Ashlee Simpson
Ashlee Simpson
Ashlee Nicole Simpson is an American singer and actress. In 2004, she rose to prominence with the success of her number-one debut album Autobiography and the reality series, The Ashlee Simpson Show. In October 2005, following a North American concert tour and a film appearance, Simpson released...
. Released in the United States by Geffen Records
Geffen Records
Geffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...
on July 20, 2004, the album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
and was certified triple platinum in the U.S. Musically, it combines elements of rock and pop. The album's critical reception was mixed. Autobiography has sold more than 9 million copies worldwide.
Three singles from Autobiography were released: "Pieces of Me
Pieces of Me
"Pieces of Me" is a song by American pop/rock singer Ashlee Simpson and the first single from her début album, Autobiography. The song, which was co-written by Simpson, Kara DioGuardi and John Shanks , is a blend of pop and rock with lyrics about finding comfort and happiness in a relationship with...
"—the first and most successful single—which was a hit in several countries in mid to late 2004, as well as the follow-up singles "Shadow" and "La La
La La (song)
"La La" is a song by the American singer Ashlee Simpson from her 2004 album Autobiography. In the U.S., it began its run as the album's third and final single on radio and television in November 2004; in the United Kingdom , a CD single was released in January 2005.-Song information:"La La", the...
". MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
highlighted the process of making the album in the reality series
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
The Ashlee Simpson Show
The Ashlee Simpson Show
The Ashlee Simpson Show is a television reality show about the life of Ashlee Simpson. The first season, taped from 2003 to mid-2004, focused on the beginnings of her career as a singer and the recording of her debut album, Autobiography...
, which drew a large audience and served as an effective promotional vehicle for the album.
Background
Simpson described the process of writing the album's twelve songs as being similar to keeping a diaryDiary
A diary is a record with discrete entries arranged by date reporting on what has happened over the course of a day or other period. A personal diary may include a person's experiences, and/or thoughts or feelings, including comment on current events outside the writer's direct experience. Someone...
, and before the album's US release she said that "My inspiration came from what I have gone through in the past three years. Every single day I was thinking of what I was going through and would write songs about it." The lyrics primarily deal with love and heartbreak; in particular, much of the album's lyrical content was inspired by Simpson's breakup with her boyfriend at the time, Josh Henderson
Josh Henderson
Joshua Baret "Josh" Henderson is an American actor and singer. He rose to fame as one of the male members of Scene 23, a pop singing group that were selected as the winners of The WB's singing competition Popstars 2. After the group disbanded, he began focusing on an acting career...
. She has described the album as being "very honest" and "very true to my emotions"—"I wasn't afraid to say that I was hurting and how I got over it." Simpson worked closely with a number of experienced songwriters on the album. The album's producer, John Shanks
John Shanks
John Matthew Shanks is a modern rock writer and Grammy Award–winning producer.Born in New York City, Shanks moved to Los Angeles when he was 17....
—who won a Grammy in February 2005, in part for his work as producer on Autobiography—receives songwriting credit alongside Simpson on all but two songs. Kara DioGuardi
Kara DioGuardi
Kara Elizabeth DioGuardi is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, music publisher, A&R executive, composer and TV personality. She writes music primarily in the light pop-rock, dance, and R&B genres. DioGuardi has worked with many popular artists; her songs have appeared on more than 159...
also receives songwriting credit, together with Simpson and Shanks, on seven of the songs, including the three singles. (See the track listing.)
The album incorporates rock as well as pop elements, which contrasts with the more strongly pop-oriented music of Simpson's sister, Jessica Simpson
Jessica Simpson
Jessica Ann Simpson is an American recording artist, actress, television personality, and fashion designer whose rise to fame began in 1999. Since that time, Simpson has achieved many recording milestones, starred in several television shows, movies, and commercials, launched a line of hair and...
. One reviewer noted that, unlike Jessica's music, Autobiography "relies on glitzy guitars and big power-pop
Power pop
Power pop is a popular musical genre that draws its inspiration from 1960s British and American pop and rock music. It typically incorporates a combination of musical devices such as strong melodies, crisp vocal harmonies, economical arrangements, and prominent guitar riffs. Instrumental solos are...
riffs". On her reality show, Ashlee emphasized that she did not want to make her music like pop singers such as her sister or Hilary Duff
Hilary Duff
Hilary Erhard Duff is an American actress, singer-songwriter, entrepreneur, and author. After working in local theater plays and television commercials in her childhood, she achieved fame playing the title role in the Disney Channel television series Lizzie McGuire. She also reprised her role in...
; instead, she has cited musicians such as Chrissie Hynde
Chrissie Hynde
Christine Ellen "Chrissie" Hynde is an US musician best known as the leader of the rock/new wave band the Pretenders. She is a singer, songwriter, and guitarist, and has been the only constant member of the band throughout its history.-Early life and career:Hynde is the daughter of a part-time...
and Joan Jett
Joan Jett
Joan Jett is an American rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer and actress.She is best known for her work with Joan Jett & the Blackhearts including their hit cover "I Love Rock 'n' Roll", which was #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 from March 20 to May 1, 1982, as well as for their other popular...
as influences. However, some have suspected that Simpson's more rock-oriented sound and image represented a deliberate marketing attempt to distinguish the sisters.
In a 2004 interview, Simpson said that when she began seeking a recording contract record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
s would not meet with her because they thought she just wanted "to be like her sister". Simpson also said that she did not want to meet with Jessica's record label (Columbia
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
) because she wanted to be signed because of her music, rather than her sister. She eventually signed with Geffen in 2003. As for her role as co-writer of the songs, Simpson has said that she had a lot of input lyrically: "...I come up with the whole concept of the song. To me, writing is a very important thing. It's what I've always done and what I've always loved to do, and it was a big part of my wanting to do a record. So my label was amazing because they really let me have my hands in there. I got to write a lot." Simpson said of making the album: "It's a lot of work. From finding the right label to the actual recording, it took about nine months, then it was followed by the publicity work." In an extensive list of thank-yous in the album's liner notes
Liner notes
Liner notes are the writings found in booklets which come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for vinyl records and cassettes.-Origin:...
, Simpson includes Benji
Benji Madden
Benji Madden is an American guitarist and backup vocalist for the band Good Charlotte, which he co-founded with his identical twin brother, Joel Madden.-Early life:...
and Joel Madden
Joel Madden
Joel Rueben Madden is an American singer, record producer, actor, DJ, and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, best known as the lead vocalist for the pop punk band Good Charlotte.-Early life:...
of the band Good Charlotte
Good Charlotte
Good Charlotte is an American rock band from Waldorf, Maryland that formed in 1996. Since 1998, the band's constant members have been lead vocalist Joel Madden, lead guitarist and back-up vocalist Benji Madden, bass guitarist Paul Thomas and rhythm guitarist and keyboardist Billy Martin...
, with whom she worked on a song that did not make it onto the album.
Composition
The title track, which was also the theme song to The Ashlee Simpson Show, opens the album by introducing Simpson, who sings "got stains on my t-shirt, and I'm the biggest flirt" and "if you want my auto, want my autobiography / baby, just ask me". The Village Voice review described the song as "wrist-pumping Joan Jett rock candy", but Stylus labelled the track "an age-old trope and a boring one at that". "Pieces of MePieces of Me
"Pieces of Me" is a song by American pop/rock singer Ashlee Simpson and the first single from her début album, Autobiography. The song, which was co-written by Simpson, Kara DioGuardi and John Shanks , is a blend of pop and rock with lyrics about finding comfort and happiness in a relationship with...
", a song about the comfort and happiness Simpson found in her relationship with Ryan Cabrera
Ryan Cabrera
Ryan Frank Cabrera is an American pop rock musician. In 2004, Cabrera debuted with his single "On the Way Down", a top ten hit in the U.S., and album Take It All Away...
, has been characterised as a soft rock ballad with "stringy guitar riffs". "Shadow", described by People magazine as the "most personal song" on the album, is a slower tune in which Simpson recounts playing a lesser role to her sister when she was younger, but eventually finding her own identity.
The album continues with "La La
La La (song)
"La La" is a song by the American singer Ashlee Simpson from her 2004 album Autobiography. In the U.S., it began its run as the album's third and final single on radio and television in November 2004; in the United Kingdom , a CD single was released in January 2005.-Song information:"La La", the...
", a song with sexual lyrics that Simpson has described as "tongue-in-cheek". One reviewer described "La La" as a "punk inspired, fast beat, screaming anthem". "Love Makes the World Go Round", which epinions.com described as having a "Duff vibe", talks about the disappointment of an ending relationship. "Better Off", which has been described as a "bubbly" song and as a "chunk of pop/rock goodness", and "Love Me For Me", which has been called "Joan-Jett-esque" and which Simpson has said is about "self-appreciation" both deal with contradictory feelings about relationships. The synth-driven "Surrender" follows with Simpson consenting to a breakup, with lyrics such as "you make your misery my company"; epinions wrote that it is on this track that Simpson sounds "most loose and carefree".
"Unreachable" combines a piano line and vintage Chamberlin sounds with lyrics dealing with regrets about rushing into a relationship. Simpson has described "Nothing New" as being about her frustration with an ex-boyfriend's "dramas", until she is ultimately "finished with him", while "Giving It All Away" encourages the listener to stand on one's own feet: "hold on to your life and don't give that away", Simpson said of the song. The album's closing track, "Undiscovered" (which Simpson has described as a favorite of hers), was written after her breakup with Josh, and is described by epinions.com as a song with "haunting strings" and "mellow guitars"; in the song, Simpson ponders what might have been in a lost pairing. Non-U.S. pressings follow with "Harder Everyday", and the United Kingdom edition adds "Sorry". The U.S. Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
edition of the album also included an access code to download a reduced-quality version of "Sorry" over the Internet.
Critical reception
Critical reviews of Autobiography were mixed. People magazinePeople (magazine)
In 1998, the magazine introduced a version targeted at teens called Teen People. However, on July 27, 2006, the company announced it would shut down publication of Teen People immediately. The last issue to be released was scheduled for September 2006. Subscribers to this magazine received...
considered it a "passable debut" and said that it showed Simpson was a "credible talent in her own right"; Allmusic called it "an unexpectedly strong debut". The Village Voice
The Village Voice
The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City...
compared Autobiography favorably to Courtney Love
Courtney Love
Courtney Michelle Love is an American rock musician. Love is the lead vocalist, lyricist, and rhythm guitarist for alternative rock band Hole, which she formed in 1989, and is an actress who has moved from bit parts in Alex Cox films to significant and acclaimed roles in The People vs...
's 2004 album America's Sweetheart, referring particularly to Autobiography
Blender (magazine)
Blender was an American music magazine that billed itself as "the ultimate guide to music and more". It was also known for sometimes steamy pictorials of celebrities....
, all of the album's songs "paint in huge strokes"; its review also regarded Simpson's vocals positively.
Other critics were more negative. Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
called it "mundane...with a predictable script", and at one point described Simpson's singing as "wailing in lieu of hitting notes". In its review, the BBC said that "half the album ... feels self indulgent and lacks substance", but also said that "in between the formulaic, innocuous songs are a smattering of catchy pop-rock tracks." IGN.com called it "by-the-books, generic (and at times bland) pop/rock", although it did say Simpson's vocals showed maturity and promise. A writer for Stylus magazine
Stylus Magazine
Stylus Magazine was an online music and film magazine launched in 2002. It featured long-form music journalism, four daily music reviews, movie reviews, a number of different podcasts, an MP3 blog, and a text blog....
commented that "after spending more than forty minutes with Ashlee, I feel like I don’t know her any better than I did beforehand...[and] for a record with the name Autobiography, it seems like no bigger criticism could be leveled." The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
said that Autobiography "is a thoroughly calculated package, aiming for the same audience that embraces Avril Lavigne
Avril Lavigne
Avril Ramona Lavigne is a Canadian singer-songwriter. She was born in Belleville, Ontario, but spent most of her youth in the small town of Napanee. By the age of 15, she had appeared on stage with Shania Twain; by 16, she had signed a two-album recording contract with Arista Records worth more...
and Pink."
Commercial reception
In the US, Autobiography was 2004's biggest debut album by a female artist, and in September the RIAA gave the album a triple platinumRIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
certification. Following its July 20 release, it debuted at number one on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
chart, selling about 398,000 copies; according to Nielsen Soundscan
Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan is an information and sales tracking system created by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett. Soundscan is the official method of tracking sales of music and music video products throughout the United States and Canada...
figures Autobiography sold a total of 2,576,945 copies from the time of its release until early January 2005, making it the ninth best-selling album of 2004.
In Canada, where the album's release corresponded with the U.S., it sold about 3,000 copies in its first week (number 37 on the album chart); it rose on the chart to number eight at one point, and went double platinum in February 2005. The album was released in the UK on October 4, 2004, and debuted at number 31 on the album charts. However, it returned to the top 40 in January 2005, rising substantially from number 91 to number 33 in the week ending January 24, following Simpson's promotion of "La La" (the album's second single in the UK, released on January 24). In Ireland, the album peaked at number 22 on the chart in late January, at the same time as "La La" was released as a single chart. The album also reached number 36 in Switzerland and number 29 in Norway. Simpson's success in album sales with Autobiography outshines that of her sister Jessica, who despite having a singing career since 1999, failed to attain major success with record sales until she appeared on her 2003 reality television show. Geffen President Jordan Schur said of Ashlee's success: "It's unheard of in this business—even for a superstar—to sell this number of records," and emphasized her relative obscurity until not long before the album's release. Simpson expressed surprise at the degree of her album's success: "I just hoped my album charted. I didn't expect it to be number one in the country! It was a huge shock."
Promotion and Saturday Night Live controversy
The album and singles received considerable promotion in the US—where they sold the most copies—and other countries, and much of this focused on contrasting her with Jessica by highlighting her more rock-oriented image. This image distinction from Jessica did not mean that the two were not associated in publicity, however; the sisters appeared together in television commercials at around the time of AutobiographyPizza Hut
Pizza Hut is an American restaurant chain and international franchise that offers different styles of pizza along with side dishes including pasta, buffalo wings, breadsticks, and garlic bread....
and Ice Breakers Liquid Ice.
A key element of Simpson's promotion was The Ashlee Simpson Show, which debuted on June 16, 2004, and ran for eight episodes, achieving high ratings for cable television. Jessica's reality show, Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica, had debuted in 2003 and had proved highly successful, being credited with reviving her flagging music career; reality television proved similarly effective in helping launch Ashlee's music career. It has been said that Simpson's father and manager Joe Simpson "redefined how you sell records" through his use of reality television to promote his daughters. Simpson said that she initially did not want to do the reality show but that her father persuaded her to do it because it would be about the production of her album: "...I thought that was kind of cool. You're actually seeing a deeper look into how this album got made." She also thought the show, by showcasing her own personality, would help to distinguish her from Jessica.
Geoff Mayfield, Billboard
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
' 2003 album In the Zone
In the Zone
In the Zone is the fourth studio album by American recording artist Britney Spears, released on November 16, 2003, by Jive Records. Following the end of the Dream Within a Dream Tour in July 2002 and her break-up with Justin Timberlake, Spears announced she would take a six-month break from her...
.
Simpson's publicity suffered when a performance on the October 23–24 edition of Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
went awry. According to Simpson's publicists, her father and manager decided to use a vocal guide track because of problems she was having with her voice, beginning earlier in the day, that were caused by acid reflux. Although her first performance of the night—"Pieces of Me"—was successful, her second performance, which was supposed to be of "Autobiography" (at the time planned as her third single), went wrong: "Pieces of Me" mistakenly began playing, and Simpson's recorded vocals were heard when her microphone was not near her mouth. She subsequently walked off the stage and then apologized for the error during the show's closing. Some viewers accused Simpson of lip synching, and the incident received widespread coverage in the news. Simpson joked about the incident with a performance of "Autobiography" at the Radio Music Awards on October 25. Despite the low points of this period of the album's promotion, there were also significant successes. According to a Geffen press release, her December 6 AOL Music Live performance "had the biggest 1 week audience ever for AOL with 1.6 million plays."
Singles
Before The Ashlee Simpson Show debuted, "Pieces of Me" began picking up substantial airplay on radio; in May 2004, a Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
article noted that radio stations were adding the song to their playlists faster than any other songs up to that point in the year. "Pieces of Me" debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 in June and reached a peak position of number five in September. The song "Shadow" was the album's second U.S. single; it reached a peak of number 57 on the Hot 100, failing to match the success of "Pieces of Me".
Shortly afterwards, "La La" replaced "Autobiography" as the album's planned third single. It reached a chart peak at number 86 on the Hot 100, falling considerably short of the positions reached by her two previous singles. Simpson suffered further negative publicity at the halftime show for the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
on January 4, 2005, where she performed "La La" and was booed by the crowd. This may have represented backlash from the SNL debacle, as the Orange Bowl publicists said. "Shadow" was not released in Europe (although it was the second single in Australia), where "La La" was the second single. Shortly after the Orange Bowl incident, Simpson performed the song on several television shows in the UK in January 2005; "La La" debuted and peaked just outside the top ten, and sales of Autobiography also rose considerably during the same period.
Track listing
Charts and certifications
| Chart (2004) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
12 |
| Austrian Albums Chart | 17 |
| Belgian Albums Chart Ultratop Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts... |
20 |
| Canadian Albums Chart Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
2 |
| European Top 100 Albums European Top 100 Albums The European Top 100 Albums chart is the European adaptation of the Billboard 200 albums chart. It was created in March 1984.The European Top 100 Albums, commonly referred to as Eurochart Top 100 Albums shows the sales of an act in 19 European countries based on IFPI data.The European Top 100... |
83 |
| French Albums Chart Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
11 |
| Germany Albums Chart | 9 |
| Irish Albums Chart | 12 |
| Japanese Albums Chart Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc... |
2 |
| Norwegian Albums Chart | 1 |
| Swedish Albums Chart | 21 |
| Swiss Albums Chart Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
16 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
2 |
| U.S. Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
1 |
Certifications
| Country | Providers | Certification |
|---|---|---|
| Canada | CRIA Canadian Recording Industry Association Music Canada is a Toronto-based, non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, artists, manufacture, production, promotion and distribution of music in Canada... |
2× Platinum |
| Japan | Oricon Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc... |
Gold |
| UK | BPI British Phonographic Industry The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies... |
Platinum |
| U.S. | RIAA Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States... |
3× Platinum |
| Mexico | AMPROFON | 2x Gold |
Credits
- Ashlee SimpsonAshlee SimpsonAshlee Nicole Simpson is an American singer and actress. In 2004, she rose to prominence with the success of her number-one debut album Autobiography and the reality series, The Ashlee Simpson Show. In October 2005, following a North American concert tour and a film appearance, Simpson released...
– vocals; background vocals (tracks 1–4, 10 and 12) - Kenny Aronoff – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
(tracks 1, 3, 5, 8 and 10) - John Shanks – guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s, bass; keyboards (tracks 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9 and 12); background vocals (tracks 1, 5, 7, 8 and 9) - Kara DioGuardiKara DioGuardiKara Elizabeth DioGuardi is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, music publisher, A&R executive, composer and TV personality. She writes music primarily in the light pop-rock, dance, and R&B genres. DioGuardi has worked with many popular artists; her songs have appeared on more than 159...
– background vocals (tracks 1–4, 6 and 10) - Jeff Rothschild – drums (tracks 2, 4, 11 and 12)
- Jamie MuhoberacJamie MuhoberacJamie Muhoberac is a session keyboardist with numerous credits, including The All-American Rejects, Fleetwood Mac, The Rolling Stones , Backstreet Boys, Aly & AJ, Bob Dylan, Goo Goo Dolls, Chris Cornell , My Chemical Romance, Paradise Lost, Girlfriend, Carmen Rizzo and Pet Shop Boys...
– pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, organOrgan (music)The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
(track 3) - Patrick Warren – ChamberlinChamberlinThe Chamberlin is an electro-mechanical keyboard instrument that was a precursor to the Mellotron. It was developed and patented by Iowa, Wisconsin inventor Harry Chamberlin from 1949 to 1956, when the first model was introduced. Various models and versions of these Chamberlin music instruments...
(tracks 3 and 12) - Abe Laboriel, Jr. – drums (tracks 6, 7 and 9)
- John Feldmann – original programming (track 11)
- David Campbell – string arrangement (tracks 3 and 12)
Production
- Producer: John Shanks
- Mixing: Jeff Rothschild, John Shanks
- Additional Engineering: Mark Valentine
- Mastering: Ted Jensen
- Executive Producer and A&R: Jordan Schur
- Photography: Mark Liddell
- Design: Soap Design Co.