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Jessica Simpson returned to television after a 15-year absence on Sunday, May 18. She performed a couple of tracks at the American Idol finale, much to the delight of the audience and judges at the filming.
Simpson hadn't performed on a TV show since 2010 after her record label dropped her. She released an album, titled Do You Know, in 2008, which was a huge hit. However, her label still dropped her, and she recently revealed that she was mad at music after that.
Jessica Simpson released an EP, Nashville Canyon Pt. 1, in March this year and also returned to the stage the same month after 15 years. She then returned to television this month, performing at the American Idol finale.
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Reasons behind Jessica Simpson's long break from music
Jessica Simpson released her debut album, named Sweet Kisses, in 1999. She released seven studio albums before her break in 2010. Her 2008 album Do You Know reached No. 1 on Billboard's Top Country Albums and No. 4 on Top Album Sales.
In an episode of Trailblazers Radio with Fancy Hagood in April 2025, Simpson spoke about her disappointment and hurt because of her label dropping her. She said (via PEOPLE):
"I took a long break. I was mad at music a bit. After being dropped with a number one country album, I was dropped and I just never understood it. They just said I would never recoup if I didn't give them part of the brand, but my brand was already successful."
She added that she was told by many to not pursue music as a career at all.
"They told me not to do it," Simpson added. "They thought it would ruin my career just like they thought reality TV would ruin my career, and it didn't."
Simpson further explained that she wanted to be in a good mental headspace before releasing another piece of music. She added that she has been writing for a long time, but only decided recently to release her new EP.
Jessica Simpson on her EP, Nashville Canyon Pt. 1
Simpson released Nashville Canyon Pt. 1 in March this year. It is available on all major music streaming platforms. In the aforementioned interview, she revealed that she wrote the EP in Nashville due to an incident with her eldest daughter.
She said:
"Instead of singing 'Happy Birthday,' she wanted us to sing 'I Saw the Light' and play Hank Williams that morning we were in Nashville because that's where she wanted to go… And she'd never been. And I woke her up with that song and it just hit me. The light. It was like the light's here."
"This is where I discover myself. This is where I'm born free… I did a gospel record at 14 here. I got to write my first songs here. I wrote my whole country record here, and I was always so safe."
After releasing the EP, Jessica Simpson performed during the Recording Academy's Austin Chapter Block Party at SXSW in Austin, Texas, on March 12.
