Bittersweet World

Ashlee Simpson | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 22, 2008)
• Original Release Date: 2008
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Geffen Records
• ASIN: B000Y9OOV8
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (56 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #88,863 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

About the Artist

Ashlee Simpson is in a good place. She has two multi-platinum records that debuted back to back at the top of the charts, and collectively sold more than four million copies in the U.S. alone. She has two sold-out tours under her belt, a tight-knit family, a loyal fan base, and a burgeoning second career as an actress. So when it came time to create her third album, she wanted the music to represent where she was at in life.

"Life is really good right now. I'm young. I love my life and I enjoy my time off too. I wanted to celebrate all that on my next record," says Ashlee, who has been tinkering with BITTERSWEET WORLD on and off since summer 2007. "I wanted to make music people could shake their booties to and use beats for the first time. I wanted to sing fun songs. Basically, I wanted to make a party record."

And when an artist wants to get the party started, who better to call than Timbaland? The producing powerhouse, who helped shape recent smash hits by Justin Timberlake and Nelly Furtado, toiled on half of the tracks (including "Murder," "Out of My Head (Ay Ya Ya)," "Ragdoll," and "Rule Breaker") while the rest were guided by the Neptunes' Chad Hugo and critically acclaimed Ethiopian synth-hop savant Kenna.

"The room was so blessed with talent. I was very lucky to work with people who are at the top of their game. I was nervous the first time I walked into their studios, but they quickly became like protective big brothers to me and encouraged me to just go with the flow and do whatever my heart felt was right in the booth. They'd come up with beats and I'd come up with a melody. Everyone worked together and if you had an idea, you would just spit it out and see if it stuck. I knew they wouldn't let me sound stupid and that made me go for it even more. They create an easygoing, fun vibe everywhere they go."

She quickly learned that hip-hop heroes move at a different pace than pop stars. "I have never worked until 4 a.m. before. I wouldn't go in until late in the afternoon and then we'd work until the wee hours of morning if we had it in us. I started bringing a blanket with me. I got a little loopy and punchy late at night, which affected some of the songs. It was so cool for me to be able to step outside of the way I had always done it before and try new things."

The album's lead single, "Little Miss Obsessive," returns the artist to her pop/rock roots and features guest vocals from the Plain White T's Tom Higgenson. With another track on the album, "Murder," don't let the somber title fool you. The 23-year-old has not gone gangsta.

"No, it isn't serious, based on a true story or a threat," she explains laughing. "It's a metaphor about a girl who can get away with murder because of who she is. The lyrics should be followed by an exaggerated evil laugh." She also touches on the cattiness of girls on "Hot Stuff," a coquette-ish sassiness on "Boys" and how fun it is to sometimes do the wrong thing on "Rule Breaker." She was trying "to capture that badass feeling you get sometimes after watching a movie like True Romance. You think you can take on the world and you want to color outside the lines and get a tattoo or mouth off to someone way bigger than you."

Her personal favorite is the slow jam "Never Dream Alone," because "it is a sweet emotional song that has been stripped down to piano, strings and vocals."

The old saying, "The more things change, the more they stay the same," also applies despite the fresh techniques and talent. For instance, she still lights tons of candles and brings in a few dolls to make the space more comfortable. She also wrote or co-wrote every track and the final product is a mix of ballads, radio-friendly anthems and dance floor ditties per usual.

"I never want to be handed a song to sing. I don't work that way. This is my art and it's personal. If someone else writes the song without my input, it doesn't feel honest."

Ashlee continues to cull from her own experiences or things she witnesses those around her weathering for lyrical subject matter, but says most verses aren't as literal as they have been on past singles. "Lyrically this album is a bit more abstract and quirky than my past stuff was although I'm still singing about things I've gone through or friends went through. The topics are diverse and universal so I think people will be able to fit the songs into their own lives too."

Her favorite collaborative partner is still her childhood friend/band guitarist Ray Brady. "I trust him completely. He plays on every track and is my sounding board. We sit in a corner writing and working out alternative versions to play live. He's always introducing me to new music that helps me evolve as an artist."

One such act Brady brought into her life was Missing Persons and Ashlee's never been the same. "I love those strong women from the late `70s and `80s. They are strong and vulnerable simultaneously, yet they still make you want to dance. Women like Chrissie Hynde, Debbie Harry and Pat Benatar have really inspired my music for the last two years and you will definitely be reminded of that era when you listen to the new album."

The veteran of two sold-out tours can't wait to get back on the road again. "That's my favorite part of the job. I love playing live and seeing up close and personal how your music affects other people. I love seeing the reactions on fan faces and hearing them sing along. I want them to go on this journey with me."

Now with accolades such as Billboard Artist of the Year (2004), two Teen Choice Awards, countless magazine covers and appearances and performances on shows as varied as MTV Video Music Awards, Teen Choice Awards, and the American Music Awards to her credit, and an exciting new album to look forward to, no doubt the future will continue to be bright for Ashlee Simpson. "The most important thing is that this is something I really enjoy doing," she says. "I love creating and participating in projects people can connect to."

Product Description

Bittersweet World is the third studio album by singer Ashlee Simpson. She worked on the album with producers Timbaland, Chad Hugo, and Kenna. It has been described by Simpson as a "fun party album" with a "silly and quirky" side and some influence from 1980s music. She describes it as having a more beat-oriented sound than her first two albums, Autobiography and I Am Me, although still retaining some of those albums' guitar-based sound. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Ashlee's Revenge!, April 22, 2008

By 

Josephll "Reformed Music Addict" (CET) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bittersweet World (Audio CD)

Ashlee Simpson is a typical product of pop culture, she' not a particularly talented vocalist nor trendsetting artist (rather trend searching), but she's Jessica Simpsons little sister and if you ever watch MTV or read celebrity tabloids you'll know who she is, atleast by name. But apart from her older sister who's actually a good singer sticking to catchy pop songs and classic ballads, Ashlee is a rebel. She always did the opposite of her sister to not end up in her shadow, on her 2004 debut album Autobiography we found her doing a pop/rock take closer to Pink and Avril Lavigne then anything. The end result was positive reviews and big hit single with "Pieces of Me" that actually was more succesful then the singles her sister came out with that year. But then at a saturday night live performence disaster stroke when Ashlee was found lipsynching. Critics were fast to question her vocal capacity and she ended up feeling humiliated. Therefor her sophmore album I Am Me was a U-turn with much harder, more rock oriented themes but less hooky or entertaining. While the album still went platinum and a couple of singles went fine on the charts, it was a dissapointing and it didn't recieve alot of good words from critics. Considering Ashlee is known for switching trends as often as Liz Taylor switched husbands it ain't too surprising that her third album "Bittersweet World" is as diffrent as her sophmore was from her debut. This time around she hooks up with superproducers Timbaland and Chad Hugo (The other part of the Neptunes) and their proteges Jim Beanz and Kenna and she adapts a sound that settles between Avril Lavigne and Gwen Stefani. It actually isn't a bad pairing this time since the sound is both fresh and modern and it suits her much better then what we heard on the dissapointhing "I Am Me" album.


On "Bittersweet World" the good moments are many and the bad one's few, it doesn't neccessary mean that Ashlee suddenly became an improved singer but she's in an enviroment that she's more comfortable with and it's also more fun and memorable songs during this album. First single and song, the Timbaland assisted "Outta My Head (Ay Ya Ya)" is an excellent number. It's trendy, funny, cathcy and crazy at the same time but thus far it failed to become a hit. Hugo isn't worse with the next song "Boys", not to be mistaken with the Britney Spears song. This is a midtempo pop/rock song with Ashlee singing in seductive style. Infact she sounds alot like Gwen Stefani here but this one is really good on it's own merit. "Rule Breaker" could've been for Gwen aswell but the production is harder, with guitars instead of synths and feels more rock then pop, but catchy just the same. "No Time For Tears" is Hugo's second song and it's noted for brilliant spacy production with a touch of new wave rock. Second single "Little Miss Obsessive", another intensive pop/rock song with sing-a-long hook is one of only two songs not from Timbo or Hugo. "Ragdoll" sounds a little like "Outta My Head" but it got chinesesque beats, once again it's catchy and hooky pop/rock. The title track is good cause it feature some social commentary and another good hook while "What I've Become" follows the trend of good material. "Hot Stuff" sound almost exactlly like No Doubt's "Hella Good", not too surprising that Neptunes produced both. "Murder" feature good sound and hook aswell and a verse from some guy that sounds like Timbaland. The closer "Never Dream Alone" on the other hand is a slow ballad, that doesn't fit in here, but her last album also ended with a simular song.


Overall, This almost feels like a rebirth or atleast a revenge cause this album got anything that fits Ashlee's rebelish personality and it couldn't be more suitable that a person that is just as famous for being a tabloid celebrity then she is for being a regular pop/rock singer. Most songs are fun and trendy and the album is cohesive like a train track. Once and for all, Ashlee's music should be un-pretentious, easygoing and playful and that's what it is here. This is her best album so far and I can only give my compliments to anyone involved in this project. Recommended.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Firing on both octaves, May 3, 2008

By 

Amanda Richards (Georgetown, Guyana) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Bittersweet World (Audio CD)

Ashlee Simpson's third album is a collection of pop/dance tracks sleekly produced by the "popular guys" like Timbaland and Chad Hugo. To her credit, Simpson co-wrote all the songs on the album, and barring any lip-syncing accidents, it should do just fine.

Not the strongest of vocalists, Simpson relies on dance beats and catchy choruses, a prime example being first single "Outta My Head (Ay Ya Ya)" which has both. A better song that's a little more Avril Lavigne pop/rock-y is the second single "Little Miss Obsessive", which is about a break-up for which reconciliation isn't quite out of the question.

"Boys" is a funny upbeat track, while "Rule Breaker" sounds like something intended for Gwen Stefani, as does "Ragdoll". "Hot Stuff" is another funny dance track, and you won't be able to resist the disco beat. "Murder" has an interesting Eastern vibe which partially makes up for lyrics. The album ends with the simple and unimpressive ballad "Never Dream Alone", but the weakest track in every way is the title track, sorry to say.

Completely and thoroughly mainstream pop, get this one just for the fun of it.



Amanda Richards, May 3, 2008

14 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Detailed review - 1 and a half stars, April 29, 2008

By 

Lauren Magnussen - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Bittersweet World (Audio CD)

Let me preface this by stating that I like Ashlee Simpson's music. I am not a reviewer that dislikes her just because she is Ashlee Simpson. I like her music because it is fun; I take it at face value and don't give her any more credit other than the fact that she is a neat entertainer that churns out some pretty good pop songs.

In that vein, this album was a huge disappointment. I now understand why this project had been pushed back and so many different release dates were given until its arrival. Let's start from the outside and then in. The cover art, while promising, was a letdown. The inside is nothing to brag about - mediocre photography that has no artistic value coupled with the lyrics made for a very banal and boring booklet. It felt uninspired and rushed. But that is just superficial, right? No. Album artwork is crucial to the overall design and feel of music. It isn't called "art" for nothing.

Still, I had my hopes up that the music would satisfy. Unfortunately, the two best tracks were themselves the singles. "Outta My Head" and "Little Miss Obsessive" have a good vibe, and they are easy to listen to, and, yes, catchy. "Ragdoll" is annoyingly similar to a song on a previous album, entitled "La La." The concept is very much the same, although the melody is different. Three songs on this album are also alike (and not in a good way) - they can be missed. They are "Boys", "Rule Breaker", and "Hot Stuff." The current that runs through them is, essentially, the fact that Ashlee Simpson loves to talk about Ashlee Simpson's other-worldly hotness. One of these types of songs would be nice. Three is overkill and grating to the listener, who quickly gets tired of hearing how Simpson is so hot. Not only is she attractive, she is also hardcore. According to Simpson, she is a "black sleep because [I] like to sleep late." This is just one of many examples of how shallow and puzzling many of the lyrics are. The rest of the tracks are also missable - bits such as "No Time for Tears", "Never Dream Alone", and "Bittersweet World" all sound alike and don't have much to make them interesting or listenable.

All in all, I wish I could go back and time and not pay $15 for this CD. I would much rather have bought the two singles off of iTunes - it would have been cheaper and more satisfying. I recommend readers of this review do the same. I know I am not the only one of her fans that thinks this album was lackluster and trite. One would hope that some of the aspects would make up for another - for instance, the lyrics would make up for the cover art or the melodies would make up for the lyrics. None of this occurs. Major disappointment.