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''A Public Affair'' is the fifth
studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...
by American pop singer
Jessica Simpson Jessica Ann Johnson (née Simpson; born July 10, 1980) is an American singer, actress, and fashion designer. After performing in church choirs as a child, Simpson signed with Columbia Records in 1997, aged seventeen. Her debut studio album, '' ...
. The album was released on August 26, 2006 in the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
by
Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony is a Japanese multinational conglomerate (company), cong ...
. The album is Simpson's first studio album following her divorce from
Nick Lachey Nicholas Scott Lachey ( ; born November 9, 1973) is an American actor, singer-songwriter, producer, TV personality and host. He rose to fame as the lead singer of the multi-platinum-selling boyband 98 Degrees and later starred in the reality ser ...
and her first release under
Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony is a Japanese multinational conglomerate (company), cong ...
, following her departure from
Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...
. The album was produced by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis,
Cory Rooney Mark Cory Rooney (born 1968) is an American record producer. He has been credited on releases for high-profile music industry artists including Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, Jessica Simpson, Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony, Thalia, Michael Jackson ...
, Scott Storch,
Stargate ''Stargate'' is a military science fiction media franchise owned by Amazon MGM Studios. It is based on Stargate (film), the film directed by Roland Emmerich, which he co-wrote with producer Dean Devlin; production company StudioCanal owns the ...
and Lester Mendez. Simpson co-wrote nine of the thirteen songs on the album. It received generally mixed reviews from music critics, who complimented its musical diversity from Simpson's previous albums, while criticizing its individuality. Two singles were released from ''A Public Affair''. The lead single and title track, " A Public Affair", became Simpson's sixth top-twenty single in the United States and her third song to reach number fourteen, after " With You" (2003) and " These Boots Are Made for Walkin" (2005). The song also saw success in the United Kingdom, reaching the top ten in Scotland and Ireland while charting at number twenty on the UK Singles Chart. The second and final single, " I Belong to Me", failed to achieve the success of "A Public Affair", only peaking at number ten on the US
Bubbling Under Hot 100 Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (also known as Bubbling Under the Hot 100) is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. The chart lists the top songs that have not yet charted on the main ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Chart ...
. The album debuted at number five on the US ''Billboard'' 200 with first-week sales of 101,000 copies and was certified Gold by the RIAA. It peaked at number six in Canada, where it was also certified Gold. Worldwide, the album generally underperformed, peaking in the top 40 in Australia and Ireland. ''A Public Affair'' has sold 500,000 units in the United States and over one million copies worldwide to date.


Background

Following the release of her fourth studio album '' ReJoyce: The Christmas Album'' (2004), Simpson began working on the album in late 2004, saying that she was listening to
Björk Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( , ; born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct voice, three-octave vocal range, and eccentric public per ...
for inspiration. Simpson first announced the album on July 29, 2005 in an interview with MTV. The album was initially reported to be titled ''And the Band Played On'', with a release set for November 2005. Simpson said that the record would be her first that she would executive produce. In October 2005, it was reported that the album had been delayed to spring of the following year. On March 28, 2006, Simpson announced that she had signed a new record agreement with
Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony is a Japanese multinational conglomerate (company), cong ...
and would be departing from
Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...
after having been with the label for seven years. In April 2006, a rep for Simpson confirmed that the album had been delayed again, but was to be released by the end of the year. It was reportedly delayed due to her divorce from
Nick Lachey Nicholas Scott Lachey ( ; born November 9, 1973) is an American actor, singer-songwriter, producer, TV personality and host. He rose to fame as the lead singer of the multi-platinum-selling boyband 98 Degrees and later starred in the reality ser ...
, as the pair announced their split in November 2005. Simpson continued to work on recording music following their split, and wanted her perspective to reflect in the album, saying: "When you persevere through so much, when you go through so much, you want to show that in your music". Simpson found it difficult to write songs specifically about Lachey, however, and decided to write a "fun" album instead. Simpson worked with
Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreogr ...
's extensive producers
Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis James Samuel "Jimmy Jam" Harris III (born June 6, 1959) and Terry Steven Lewis (born November 24, 1956) are an American R&B/ pop songwriting and record production team. Their productions have received commercial success since the 1980s with var ...
on several songs on ''A Public Affair''. The duo had previously produced Simpson's country-pop cover version of "
These Boots Are Made for Walkin' "These Boots Are Made for Walkin' is a hit song written by Lee Hazlewood and recorded by American singer Nancy Sinatra. It charted on January 22, 1966, and reached No.1 in the United States ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and in the UK Singles Chart. ...
" for the soundtrack to ''
The Dukes of Hazzard ''The Dukes of Hazzard'' is an American action comedy television series created by Gy Waldron that aired on CBS from January 26, 1979, to February 8, 1985, with a total of seven seasons consisting of List of The Dukes of Hazzard episodes, 147 ...
''; the song was a hit single in 2005, reaching the top 15 in the United States while charting in the top five in Australia and the United Kingdom. The song was included as a bonus track on international releases of the album. Simpson noted Jackson as an influence on the album, who at the time was also recording at the same studio as Simpson. Simpson said that she took "a Janet Jackson approach" with the ballads on the album, and singled out "Back to You" as a track that reminded her of works by Jackson. ''
Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New Yor ...
'''s Sal Cinquemani regarded Simpson's work with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis as unexpected, saying their contributions are "surprisingly, country-inspired." Simpson said that the duo wanted to focus on country influences, but described the influence as inconspicuous and "like an accent". Producer Scott Storch worked on producing two songs for the album. The first track, "Fired Up", was reportedly being considered as the album's first single. The second track that Simpson worked on with Storch was titled "Mr. Operator", but the track was ultimately not included on the album. In July 2006, the artwork for ''A Public Affair'' surfaced. The initial cover art for the album showed a "sultry" image of Simpson wearing a strapless dress with her hair down. However, this cover was ultimately switched to a more "casual" image of Simpson wearing a green T-shirt, wearing a ring on her right index finger, and with her hair pulled back. Simpson's representative Rob Shuter explained to
TMZ ''TMZ'' is an American entertainment-focused tabloid news organization owned by Fox Corporation. It made its debut on November 8, 2005, as a collaboration between AOL and Telepictures, a division of Warner Bros., until Time Warner divested ...
that the original cover was provided to the record label because the final decision on the album's artwork had not yet been made at that time.


Music

Simpson described ''A Public Affair'' as "a fun album, an eighties radio throwback that was an ode to freedom" and an album that she "genuinely loved". The album opens with the lead single, " A Public Affair", which was compared to Madonna's "
Holiday A holiday is a day or other period of time set aside for festivals or recreation. ''Public holidays'' are set by public authorities and vary by state or region. Religious holidays are set by religious organisations for their members and are often ...
". The next song, "
You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)" is a song by the English pop band Dead or Alive, featured on their second studio album, '' Youthquake'' (1985). Released as a single in November 1984 by Epic Records, it reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart ...
" interpolates the chorus from
Dead or Alive A wanted poster (or wanted sign) is a poster distributed to let the public know of a person whom authorities wish to apprehend. They generally include a picture of the person, either a photograph when one is available or of a facial composite ...
's 1984 song of the same name. Simpson compared the song to " Waiting for Tonight" by
Jennifer Lopez Jennifer Lynn Lopez (born July 24, 1969), also known by her nickname J.Lo, is an American singer, songwriter, actress, dancer and businesswoman. Lopez is regarded as one of the most influential entertainers of her time, credited with breaking ...
, while MTV compared the song to
Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, businesswoman, and actress. One of the List of music artists by net worth, wealthiest musicians in the world, List of awards and nominations received by Rihanna, her vario ...
's "
SOS SOS is a Morse code distress signal (), used internationally, originally established for maritime use. In formal notation SOS is written with an overscore line (), to indicate that the Morse code equivalents for the individual letters of "SOS" a ...
", the latter of which samples
Soft Cell Soft Cell are an English synth-pop duo who came to prominence in the early 1980s. The duo consists of vocalist Marc Almond and instrumentalist David Ball (electronic musician), David Ball. The band are primarily known for their 1981 hit versio ...
's " Tainted Love". Simpson and producer Cory Rooney wrote the song's verse lyrics, but were uncredited on the release. The fourth song, "If You Were Mine" was compared to
Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreogr ...
's " If" and " When I Think of You". "Walkin' 'Round in a Circle" samples "
Dreams A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around 5–20 minutes, althou ...
" by
Fleetwood Mac Fleetwood Mac are a British-American Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1967 by the singer and guitarist Peter Green (musician), Peter Green. Green named the band by combining the surnames of the drummer, Mick Fleetwood, and the bassis ...
. Simpson said that the "familiar tight rhythm allowed erto be a little loser" when structuring the song. She explained: "I wrote about the patterns I fell into, and how fear often keeps me stuck in a circle, where I can't tell the beginning from the end". "Push Your Tush", a song with country influences, heavily samples the
Ohio Players Ohio Players are an American funk band, most popular in the 1970s. They are best known for their songs "Fire" and " Love Rollercoaster", and for their erotic album covers that featured nude or nearly nude women. Many of the women were models f ...
1976 song, " Who'd She Coo?". The ninth track, "Back to You", is about Simpson's first boyfriend in high school, which was inspired by her old journal entries. The penultimate track, "Fired Up", was inspired by a quote from one of Simpson's close friends. Producer Scott Storch compared the track to "
Dirrty "Dirrty" is a song by American singer Christina Aguilera featuring American rapper Redman, released as the lead single from her fourth studio album '' Stripped''. Despite Aguilera's first three years of commercial success, she was displeased w ...
", the 2002 single by
Christina Aguilera Christina María Aguilera ( , ; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter, actress and television personality. Recognized as Cultural impact of Christina Aguilera, an influential figure in music and having received Public imag ...
. " Let Him Fly" is a cover of the song originally recorded by
Patty Griffin Patricia Jean Griffin (born March 16, 1964) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician.Griffin, Patricia She is a vocalist and plays guitar and piano. She is known for her stripped-down songwriting style in the folk music genre. Her songs ...
. Some music critics believed the cover was in reference to Simpson's divorce from Nick Lachey. Simpson's sister,
Ashlee Simpson Ashley Nicolle Ross-Næss ( Simpson; born October 3, 1984), also known as Ashlee Simpson, is an American singer, songwriter, actress and television personality. The younger sister of singer and actress Jessica Simpson, she began her career as ...
, had introduced her to the song in late 2005.
"We laid there listening to the song and just cried and cried like babies," Jessica recalled. "In a lot of ways, my sister really gave me the strength to pull through this really hard time. And it was just lying there and being with her that got me through it. I knew everything would be OK. The song is about how sometimes you just have to know when to let something go. And that was that moment. And I had to sing it."
Simpson later said "not a single song" on the album was about Lachey, and that the cover was not directed at him. While filming her role in ''
The Dukes of Hazzard ''The Dukes of Hazzard'' is an American action comedy television series created by Gy Waldron that aired on CBS from January 26, 1979, to February 8, 1985, with a total of seven seasons consisting of List of The Dukes of Hazzard episodes, 147 ...
'' (2005), she had developed feelings for her co-star
Johnny Knoxville Philip John Clapp (born March 11, 1971), known professionally as Johnny Knoxville, is an American stunt performer, actor, producer, and screenwriter. He is best known as a co-creator and star of the MTV reality stunt show ''Jackass (franchise), ...
, and she said that her recording of the song was her way of assuring herself that she needed to let go of these feelings. The bonus track and second single " I Belong to Me" was written by
Diane Warren Diane Eve Warren (born September 7, 1956) is an American songwriter. She has won an Academy Honorary Award, Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, two Golden Globe Awards and three consecutive ''Billboard'' Music Awards for Songwriter of the Year from 19 ...
, who had previously written Simpson's 2003 single " Sweetest Sin". Warren described the song as "one of the closer songs to me, because I feel that. I don't need someone to complete me. I complete myself."


Promotion


Live performances

Following the album's release, Simpson embarked on a promotional tour and appeared on several television shows to publicize ''A Public Affair''. However, Simpson suffered from a broken blood vessel in her throat prior to several scheduled live performances. She was scheduled to perform on the ''
Late Show With David Letterman ''Late Show with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS, the first iteration of the ''Late Show'' franchise. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and was produced by Letterman's production com ...
'' on August 29, 2006, but canceled the appearance. The following day, she made an appearance on
MTV MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...
's ''
Total Request Live ''Total Request Live'' (commonly abbreviated as ''TRL'') is an American television program that premiered on MTV on September 14, 1998. The early version of ''TRL'' featured popular music videos played during its countdown and was also used as ...
'' where she did not perform but introduced music videos. The same day,
Yahoo! Yahoo (, styled yahoo''!'' in its logo) is an American web portal that provides the search engine Yahoo Search and related services including My Yahoo, Yahoo Mail, Yahoo News, Yahoo Finance, Yahoo Sports, y!entertainment, yahoo!life, and its a ...
held a release party for the album at The Roxy in
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
, where Simpson told reporters "My voice is completely gone. The album is all part of who I am right now. I wish I could sing it for them right now, but there's no way." Her condition improved by the following morning, when she appeared on
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
's ''
Today Today (archaically to-day) may refer to: * The current day and calendar date ** Today is between and , subject to the local time zone * Now, the time that is perceived directly, present * The current, present era Arts, entertainment and m ...
'' show, performing " I Belong to Me" and " With You". After her voice cracked during a high note in the latter song, she paused and said, "All right, I tried that one," before finishing the performance. She explained: "I couldn’t even count on my voice, but y fansgot me through. 'I’m sorry,' I told them over and over again. I was apologizing about my voice, but so much more. I was so sorry that I had let them down." On September 4, 2006, MTV aired the television special ''Jessica Simpson: A Public Affair'', which included performances of "I Belong to Me", "Let Him Fly", "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)", and "A Public Affair". The following day, Simpson appeared on ''The View'', performing "Let Him Fly" and "I Belong to Me". On September 6, 2006, Simpson performed "A Public Affair" and "Fired Up" on ''
The Early Show ''The Early Show'' is an American morning television show that aired on CBS from November 1, 1999, to January 7, 2012, replacing the original incarnation of '' CBS This Morning'', and the ninth attempt at a morning news-talk program by the n ...
''.


Singles

" A Public Affair" was released as the album's lead single on 29 June 2006. The song was favorably likened to
Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreogr ...
for its "breathy vocals" and "sweet melody". The music video features appearances by
Christina Applegate Christina Applegate (born November 25, 1971) is an American actress. With a career spanning five decades, her accolades include a Primetime Emmy Award, along with nominations for four Golden Globe Awards and a Tony Award. After appearing in se ...
,
Christina Milian Christina Milian ( , Flores; born September 26, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Following a number of minor television and film roles in the late nineties, Milian made her recording debut on American rapper Ja Rule's 20 ...
,
Eva Longoria Eva Jacqueline Longoria Bastón ( Longoria; born March 15, 1975) is an American actress, producer, director, and businesswoman. After several guest roles on television, she became recognized for her portrayal of Isabella Braña on the CBS day ...
, Maria Menounos, Andy Dick and
Ryan Seacrest Ryan John Seacrest (born December 24, 1974) is an American television presenter and producer. Seacrest is the host of '' Wheel of Fortune'', having hosted since replacing long-time host Pat Sajak in September 2024. Seacrest co-hosted and ser ...
. In the United States, the single debuted at number 39 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, on the issue dated July 15, 2006. On August 12, 2006, it peaked at number 14 on the chart. The single became Simpson's sixth top 20 single in the US and her third song to reach number, 14 tied with " With You" (2004) and " These Boots Are Made for Walkin" (2005). The single was certified Gold by the
RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
for selling 500,000 copies on July 20, 2007. On August 9, 2006, Simpson announced on her official website that she wanted her fans to choose the second single from ''A Public Affair''. She provided six choices alongside samples of each song: "If You Were Mine", "The Lover in Me", "B.O.Y.", "I Don't Want to Care", "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)" and " I Belong to Me". "I Belong to Me" was released as the album's second and final single on September 26, 2006. The song was initially only included on the
Walmart Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores in the United States and 23 other ...
release of ''A Public Affair'' as a bonus track, a decision which Sal Cinquemani of ''Slant'' called "a coup for the retail giant and a big fuck-you to competitors and unknowing fans who pick up the album anywhere else." The song was amended to future releases of the album, and those who had already purchased the album were offered the track as a free download. The single peaked at number ten on the ''Billboard''
Bubbling Under Hot 100 Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (also known as Bubbling Under the Hot 100) is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. The chart lists the top songs that have not yet charted on the main ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Chart ...
chart. Prior to the release of ''A Public Affair'', Simpson expressed that she wanted "
You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)" is a song by the English pop band Dead or Alive, featured on their second studio album, '' Youthquake'' (1985). Released as a single in November 1984 by Epic Records, it reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart ...
" chosen as its second single, but her management was concerned that it was "too much of a club track". Despite not being released as a single, the song peaked at number 95 on the ''Billboard''
Pop 100 The Pop 100 was a songs chart that debuted in February 2005 and was released weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States until its discontinuation in 2009. It ranked songs based on airplay on Mainstream Top 40 radio stations, singles ...
chart and at 21 on the ''Billboard''
Bubbling Under Hot 100 Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (also known as Bubbling Under the Hot 100) is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. The chart lists the top songs that have not yet charted on the main ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Chart ...
chart on the issue dated September 23, 2006. Following the release of ''A Public Affair'', Simpson worked with singer and then-boyfriend
John Mayer John Clayton Mayer ( ; born October 16, 1977) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, but he left for Atlanta in 1997 with fellow guitarist Clay Cook, with whom he formed the short-liv ...
on a reworking of "Walkin' Round in a Circle" for a potential single release, but Simpson was uncomfortable with the recording process and it was never completed.


Critical reception

''A Public Affair'' received mixed reviews from music critics. The album was both praised and criticized for similarities to previous hits from the
1970s File:1970s decade montage.jpg, Clockwise from top left: U.S. President Richard Nixon doing the V for Victory sign after his resignation from office following the Watergate scandal in 1974; The United States was still involved in the Vietnam War ...
and
1980s File:1980s replacement montage02.PNG, 335px, From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, ''Space Shuttle Columbia, Columbia'', lifts off in 1981; US president Ronald Reagan and Soviet Union, Soviet General Secretary of the Communist Party of ...
; several songs on the album were compared to works by
Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreogr ...
. A number of critics regarded the album as her best work. In a positive review,
Stephen Thomas Erlewine Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and former senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of multiple artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance ...
from
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
described ''A Public Affair'' as a "party album, pure and simple". Although Erlewine felt the album was inconsistent, he noted that "a good portion of he albumis indeed pure cheerful fun" and called it her strongest and most entertaining album. Bill Lamb from
About.com Dotdash Meredith (formerly The Mining Company, About.com and Dotdash) is an American digital media company based in New York City. The company publishes online articles and videos about various subjects across categories including health, hom ...
also felt the album was inconsistent, but described its final five songs as "genuine songs that are worth hearing". Sal Cinquemani of ''
Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New Yor ...
'' categorized ''A Public Affair'' as "shallow", but also named it her "best lbumto date" with themes of "underrated nostalgia". Spence D. from ''
IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...
'' felt that the album failed to establish Simpson as having a unique identity, saying she "seems to be spending all of her time trying to sound like other people". Lizzie Ennever from the
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
was critical of Simpson's vocal performance on the album, saying "you get the feeling that she might not even make it through the initial rounds of ''
American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American Music competition, singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle (company), Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It a ...
''". Erlewine felt that Simpson's voice was "suspiciously buried in the mix throughout" the album. Dan Aquilante from the ''
New York Post The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is an American Conservatism in the United States, conservative daily Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates three online sites: NYPost. ...
'' praised the production on the album, saying that the variety in the album's "upbeat and propulsive songs" was utilized to showcase Simpson's voice. He felt that her vocal delivery was "generic" with a "lack of a clear-cut vocal trademark", but concluded that "Simpson sounds excited to be singing again". Spence D. from ''IGN'' praised Simpson's vocal delivery on "Let Him Fly", saying the song showcased Simpson "crooning in a twangy resonance that shows that she can actually sing".


Commercial performance

The album debuted at number five on the US ''Billboard'' 200, selling 101,000 copies in its first week. By February 2009, the album had sold 300,000 copies in the United States. On September 29, 2006, ''A Public Affair'' was certified
Gold Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...
by the
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA), denoting 500,000 in shipments. In Canada, the album debuted at number six, marking Simpson's highest position on the
Canadian Albums Chart The ''Billboard'' Canadian Albums is the official record chart A record chart, in the music industry, also called a music chart, is a ranking of Sound recording and reproduction, recorded music according to certain criteria during a given ...
and was later certified Gold for 50,000 copies sold. ''A Public Affair'' also reached the top forty in Ireland and Australia. To date, the album has sold one million copies worldwide.


Track listing

Notes * signifies a remixer * signifies an additional producer Additional tracks * The
Circuit City Circuit City Corporation, Inc., formerly Circuit City Stores, Inc., is an American consumer electronics retail company, which was founded in 1949 by Samuel Wurtzel as the Wards Company, operated stores across the United States, and pioneered th ...
edition includes the extended mix of "A Public Affair" as a bonus track. * The United States iTunes and European CD editions include the music video for "A Public Affair" (4:06). Sample credits *"A Public Affair" contains an interpolation of
Diana Ross Diana Ross (born Diane Ernestine Earle Ross March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. Known as the "Queen of Motown Records", she was the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown#Major divisions, Motown's most suc ...
's "
Ain't No Mountain High Enough "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" is a song written by Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson in 1966 for the Tamla label, a division of Motown. The composition was first successful as a 1967 hit single recorded by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, and ...
". *"B.O.Y." contains a sample of
The Cars The Cars were an American Rock music, rock band formed in Boston in 1976. Emerging from the New wave music, new wave Subculture, scene in the late 1970s, they consisted of Ric Ocasek (rhythm guitar), Benjamin Orr (bass guitar), Elliot Easton (l ...
' "
Just What I Needed "Just What I Needed" is a song by American rock band the Cars from their self-titled debut album (1978). The song, which first achieved radio success as a demo, took inspiration from the Ohio Express and the Velvet Underground. The song was wri ...
". *"Walkin' 'Round in a Circle" contains an interpolation of
Fleetwood Mac Fleetwood Mac are a British-American Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1967 by the singer and guitarist Peter Green (musician), Peter Green. Green named the band by combining the surnames of the drummer, Mick Fleetwood, and the bassis ...
's "
Dreams A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around 5–20 minutes, althou ...
". *"Swing with Me" is an adaptation of
Louis Prima Louis Leo Prima (; December 7, 1910 – August 24, 1978) was an American trumpeter, singer, entertainer, and bandleader. While rooted in New Orleans jazz, swing music, and jump blues, Prima touched on various genres throughout his career: he ...
's "
Sing, Sing, Sing (With a Swing) "Sing, Sing, Sing (With a Swing)" is a 1936 song, with music and lyrics by Louis Prima, who first recorded it with his New Orleans Gang. Brunswick Records released it on February 28, 1936 on the 78rpm record format, with "It's Been So Long" a ...
". *"Push Your Tush" contains a sample of the
Ohio Players Ohio Players are an American funk band, most popular in the 1970s. They are best known for their songs "Fire" and " Love Rollercoaster", and for their erotic album covers that featured nude or nearly nude women. Many of the women were models f ...
' " Who'd She Coo?".


Personnel

Credits for ''A Public Affair'' adapted from
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
. * Ron Allaire – engineer * Chris August – backing vocals * Xandy Barry – producer * Magnus Beite – keyboards * Louis Biancaniello – keyboards, mixing, producer, programming * Jerry Brown – drums * Ravaughn Brown – backing vocals * Sherree Ford Brown – backing vocals * Orlando Calzada – engineer * Vince Cherico – drums * Cacee Cobb – backing vocals * Ian Cross – engineer, mixing * Barry Danielian – trumpet * Mikkel S. Eriksen – engineer, instrumentation, vocal producer *
Wally Gagel Wally Gagel is an American record producer, audio engineer, mixer, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter. Credits include: Family of the Year, Elliphant, Blondfire, Zella Day, Best Coast, Cold War Kids, Miley Cyrus, Billie Eilish, New Order ...
– engineer, instrumentation, mixing, producer *
Siedah Garrett Deborah Christine "Siedah" Garrett (born June 24, 1960) is an American singer and songwriter who has written songs and performed backing vocals for many recording artists in the music industry, such as Michael Jackson, the Pointer Sisters, Brand ...
– backing vocals, vocal arrangement * Steve Geuting – assistant engineer * Serban Ghenea – mixing * Sharlotte Gibson – backing vocals * Conrad Golding – engineer * Tamyra Gray – backing vocals * Keith Gretlein – assistant engineer *
Niki Haris Niki Haris (born April 17, 1962) is an American singer and dancer of pop, R&B, jazz and dance music. She was one of Madonna's backing vocalists from 1987 to 2001, and the guest lead vocalist on various Snap! singles in the early 1990s. Early ...
– backing vocals * Dorian Holly – backing vocals * Paul Jackson, Jr. – guitar * Jimmy Jam – keyboards, producer * Justin King – guitar * Greg Kurstin – guitar, keyboards, producer, programming * Dan Kurtz – bass * Abe Laboriel Jr. – drums * Evan Lamberg – A&R * Terry Lewis – producer * Espen Lind – keyboards * David Andrew Mann – tenor saxophone * Matt Marrin – engineer, mixing * Farra Mathews – A&R * Chris Megert – vocal arrangement * Ozzie Melendez – trombone * Vlado Meller – mastering * Lester Mendez – arranger, beats, Moog synthesizer, piano, producer * Jessica Paster – wardrobe * Ken Paves – hair stylist * Dave Pensado – mixing * Rafael Padilla – percussion * Brett Ratner – photography * Eric Rennaker – assistant engineer * Makeba Riddick – backing vocals * Tim Roberts – mixing assistant * Reuben Rodriguez – bass * Cory Rooney – drum programming, keyboards, producer, vocal producer * Laurie Rosenwald – cover typeset * Bobby Ross Avila – bass * Andrew Rugg – engineer * Dan Shea – keyboards, producer * Jessica Simpson – vocals, executive producer * Joe Simpson – executive producer, management * Scott Storch – producer * Phil Tan – mixing * Mike Terry – engineer * Tony Tolbert – backing vocals * Valente Torrez – assistant engineer * David LeVita – guitar *
Peter Wade Peter Wade is a British anthropologist who specializes in issues of race and ethnicity in Latin America. Peter Wade is a Professor of Social Anthropology at the University of Manchester The University of Manchester is a public university, ...
– engineer * Brian Warwick – assistant engineer * Sam Watters – mixing, producer * David E. Williams – guitar * Joe Wohlmuth – engineer * Lyle Workman – guitar * James "Big Jim" Wright – keyboards * Joe Zook – mixing


Charts


Certifications


Release history


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Public Affair, A 2006 albums Albums produced by Greg Kurstin Albums produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis Albums produced by Scott Storch Albums produced by Stargate Epic Records albums Jessica Simpson albums Albums produced by Cory Rooney