I Am Me
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''I Am Me'' is the second studio album by American recording artist
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 ...
. It was released in the United States on October 18, 2005 (see
2005 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2005. Specific locations *2005 in British music *2005 in Irish music *2005 in Norwegian music *2005 in South Korean music *2005 in Swiss music Specific genres *2005 in cla ...
) and debuted at number one in sales. The album produced two top 25 hits on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, "
Boyfriend A boyfriend is a man who is a friend or acquaintance to the speaker, often specifying a regular male companion with whom a person is platonically, romantically or sexually involved. A boyfriend can also be called an admirer, beau, suito ...
" and " L.O.V.E." Simpson worked with
John Shanks John Matthew Shanks (born December 18, 1964) is an American songwriter, record producer and guitarist. He has been a longtime session and touring member of the rock band Bon Jovi. Early life and education Shanks was born in New York City and m ...
and
Kara DioGuardi Kara Elizabeth DioGuardi ( ; December 9, 1970) is an American songwriter, record producer, music publisher, A&R executive, and singer. She primarily writes music in the pop rock genre. She has worked with many popular artists; sales of albums ...
on this album, as she did on her first album, 2004's ''
Autobiography An autobiography, sometimes informally called an autobio, is a self-written account of one's own life, providing a personal narrative that reflects on the author's experiences, memories, and insights. This genre allows individuals to share thei ...
''. Shanks produced the album, and Simpson co-wrote all the songs with Shanks and DioGuardi.Geffen press release
"Ashlee Simpson's New Single 'Boyfriend' Now Radio's Best Friend Makes Fast Rise on U.S. Playlists"
, PRNewswire, October 11, 2005.
On December 15, ''I Am Me'' was
certified Platinum Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...
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 its shipments of over one million copies in the U.S. (as of April 2008, it had sold 987,000 copies). A new single from Simpson, "
Invisible Invisibility is the state of an object that cannot be seen. An object in this state is said to be ''invisible'' (literally, "not visible"). The phenomenon is studied by physics and perceptual psychology. Since objects can be seen by light fr ...
", was reportedly going to be included on a re-release of ''I Am Me'' in mid-2006, but was canceled. The song was later included as an international bonus track on Simpson's next album, '' Bittersweet World''.


Background and production

''I Am Me'' was released about fifteen months after ''Autobiography'', which was released in July 2004. According to Simpson, following her concert tour from February to April 2005, she was supposed to take a month off, but began working on the album early;Alisha Davis
"Ashlee Simpson: Everybody Has Moments"
, MTV.com.
as she said, "I got home and got bored, so I called John Shanks and was like, 'Can I come in the studio? Let's get a head start so the record company's not asking for the record right away or anything."
Gary Graff Gary Graff (born 1960) is an American music journalist and author. Biography Originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Graff attended Taylor Allderdice High School where he wrote for school newspaper ''The Taylor Allderdice Foreword''. He recei ...
, "Ashlee Simpson puts woes of 'SNL' mishap on record", ''The Plain Dealer'', October 20, 2005.
She also said that she wanted to "get the pre-jitters or anything that was going wrong out of my system. And when I went in everything started going smooth. It was fun." According to Simpson, she felt less pressure when recording ''I Am Me'' than she did when recording ''Autobiography''. ''I Am Me'' is, like its predecessor, a mixture of
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...
and
pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop! (British group), a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Album ...
; it has been described as similar to Simpson's first album, and Simpson herself has said that she wanted it to be "familiar" to ''Autobiography''. Some differences have also been noted. ''I Am Me'' has been said to be influenced by '80s music,Talia Kraines
BBC.co.uk review of ''I Am Me''.
/ref> and Simpson herself said "I just love '80s music" and "It's just so light and fun, and that was a lot of what I wanted to do on this record.""I 'Me' Mine"
Billboard.com, October 16, 2005.
Prior to recording ''I Am Me'', Simpson had said she wanted to incorporate more of the feel of 17th century music into her next album, as some of her favorite music is from that time.Jennifer Vineyard
"Ashlee Simpson Going '80s, Getting Personal On Next Album"
MTV News, March 25, 2005.
''I Am Me'' has been called more musically "aggressive" than ''Autobiography'' and incorporates a range of musical styles; it has been called "dynamic" and "ambitious". Simpson's father and manager Joe said that his daughter had to be held back from "the places she wanted to go" as an artist, because, he said, if she changed too quickly her fans would be left behind. Simpson has mentioned how she tried "new sounds" when working on the album, citing in particular the song "Burnin Up",''Larry King Live'' transcript
October 22, 2005.
which was described by one reviewer as "a fairly credible stab at Clash-style dub".Mike Usinger
''I Am Me'' review
, Straight.com, November 10, 2005.
This song is not a cover of the early
Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...
song (" Burning Up") that Simpson covered live during her February–April 2005 tour.Josh Timmermann
review of ''I Am Me''
, ''Stylus'', October 26, 2005.
Lyrically, the album reflects Simpson's different life experiences since her last album; in particular, two songs deal with Simpson's emotions following her failed performance on ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...
'' in October 2004, in which she used a backing track due to illness, only to have the wrong track played, thus making the presence of the backing track obvious and embarrassing her on live television. This incident left Simpson the target of a great deal of criticism and humor at her expense. The first song on the album that deals with the incident is "Beautifully Broken", which strikes a positive tone of overcoming as Simpson finds beauty in failure—"the song is kind of about when you're in bed and you're crying and you don't want to get up the next day ... it's about finding that inner strength and finding that part in yourself that's like, 'Yes, I can put my head up and I can continue.'" "
Catch Me When I Fall ''Catch Me When I Fall'' (2005) is a psychological thriller novel by Nicci French, about a woman unknowingly afflicted with bipolar disorder, and how this sets her life on a spiral of self-destruction, as well as pitting her against a shadowy a ...
", the second song on the album dealing with the incident, is a piano-driven
ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and song of Great Britain and Ireland from the Late Middle Ages until the 19th century. They were widely used across Eur ...
which reflects weakness and sadness and deals with a feeling of loneliness. The theme of accepting imperfections is reflected in a hidden message that is included in the CD case.MuchOnDemand transcript
, November 1, 2005.
Simpson has said of the album: "The record is dark meets light in a sense. I feel everyone has a dark side. This album is about finding the positive, finding the lighter side as well." Simpson mentioned in an
AIM AIM or Aim may refer to: Computing * AIM alliance, an Apple-IBM-Motorola alliance * AIM (software), AOL Instant Messenger * Fortyfive, a Japanese software development company previously known as AIM Military * Abrams Integrated Management, an ...
interview online that she chose the title ''I Am Me'' "because I've been through a lot of highs and lows this year, but no matter what happens to me I always stay true to who I am." Simpson has also mentioned how the lyrics on the album reflect her different feelings at different times, the ups and downs she experienced: "We all get sad sometimes, and we all want to dance and party, too." Like ''Autobiography'', many of the songs deal with relationships. "Coming Back For More" is, as Simpson calls it, a "fun, dancey song about an ex-boyfriend" and their relationship that won't come to an end. "I Am Me" is an energetic song in which Simpson responds with hurt and anger to her boyfriend being with another girl, and insists: "I am me, and I won't change for anyone". "In Another Life" is, in Simpson's words, "a cute romantic song about when you meet a guy and it's kind of like he knows everything about you before you really get to know him, and you feel comfortable with him right away. And he makes you feel beautiful." "Say Goodbye", the melancholy album closer, deals with the ending of a relationship. Other songs cover a variety of topics: "Boyfriend" is a response to rumors or accusations that she stole another girl's boyfriend (although rumors suggest it is about her alleged affair with
Lindsay Lohan Lindsay Dee Lohan ( ; born July 2, 1986) is an American actress, singer, producer, and businesswoman. Born in New York City and raised on Long Island, Lohan was signed to Ford Models at age three. She appeared as a regular on the soap opera ' ...
's ex-boyfriend,
Wilmer Valderrama Wilmer Eduardo Valderrama ( ; born January 30, 1980) is an American actor. He is known for his role as Fez in the sitcom '' That '70s Show'' (1998–2006), his current role as Special Agent Nick Torres in '' NCIS'' (2016–present), and Agu ...
, Simpson has said it is not about "one person in particular", but is instead about a situation many girls can relate toCorey Moss
"Ashlee Says New Single Isn't Directed At Lindsay Lohan"
MTV News, August 15, 2005.
); "L.O.V.E." is about girls going out and having fun without needing any guys; "Eyes Wide Open" is a "spooky song" about Simpson's feeling that there was a ghost living in her house. In 2009,
Miley Cyrus Miley Ray Cyrus ( , born Destiny Hope Cyrus, November 23, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, actress and director. Regarded as a contemporary pop icon, Cyrus has been recognized for her evolving artistry and image reinventions. She is ...
covered the international bonus track "Kicking and Screaming" for her '' The Time of Our Lives'' EP. Although Simpson co-wrote the song with Shanks and DioGuardi, Simpson was not credited for her writing contribution on Cyrus' EP.


Promotion

Initially, the first single was planned to be "L.O.V.E.", and the album was going to be titled ''In Another Life''. Soon after these things were announced, however, the first single was changed to "Boyfriend" and the album title to ''I Am Me''. "Boyfriend" officially hit radio on September 6 and its airplay rapidly increased afterward; it debuted on the Hot 100 in September at number 71, rose greatly the next week to number 24, and eventually reached a Hot 100 peak of number 19, Artist chart history for Ashlee Simpson Billboard.com. making it Simpson's second most successful song on the Hot 100 to date. The song's
music video A music video is a video that integrates a song or an album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device intended to ...
premiered 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 ''
Making the Video ''Making the Video'' is an MTV show consisting of half-hour episodes chronicling the process of filming various music videos. Usually the director outlines the concept of the video (or treatment) and the show often includes light-hearted and h ...
'' on September 12. "L.O.V.E." was the second single, as Simpson first said in an MSN Internet chat on October 26. Prior to its release as a single, "L.O.V.E." debuted on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 at number 78 in late October, and re-entered at number 76 in December; it subsequently reached its peak at number 22. The "L.O.V.E." video also spent 10 total days at number one on MTV's video countdown show ''
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 ...
''. "Catch Me When I Fall" charted on the ''Billboard'' Pop 100 at number 93 on the strength of its downloads, although it was not released as a single. Simpson made several notable television appearances, including a return to ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...
'' on the night of October 8–9 (during which she performed "Catch Me When I Fall" and "Boyfriend"), to promote ''I Am Me'' and its singles. On the album's release date, October 18, Simpson performed "Boyfriend" and "Coming Back For More" on ''
Good Morning America ''Good Morning America'', often abbreviated as ''GMA'', is an American breakfast television, morning television program that is broadcast on American Broadcasting Company, ABC. It debuted on November 3, 1975, and first expanded to weekends wit ...
'', and she appeared for an interview on ''
Live with Regis and Kelly ''Live with Kelly and Mark'' (or simply ''Live'') is an American Broadcast syndication, syndicated breakfast television, morning talk show hosted by Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos. Executive produced by Michael Gelman, the ''Live with...'' show ...
'', although she did not perform. Later in the day she appeared on ''Total Request Live'', where she performed "Boyfriend". She also sang "Boyfriend" on the October 21 episode of ''
The Tonight Show ''The Tonight Show'' is an American late-night talk show that has been broadcast on NBC since 1954. The program has been hosted by six comedians: Steve Allen (1954–1957), Jack Paar (1957–1962), Johnny Carson (1962–1992), Jay Leno (1992–2 ...
'' and was on the October 22 episode of ''
Larry King Live ''Larry King Live'' is an American television talk show broadcast by CNN from June 3, 1985 to December 16, 2010. Hosted by Larry King, it was the network's most watched and longest-running program, with over one million viewers nightly. Ma ...
'' (guest-hosted by
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 ...
) for an interview, along with her father/manager Joe. On the October 24 episode of ''
The Ellen DeGeneres Show ''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'' is an American first-run syndicated talk show that was hosted by Ellen DeGeneres. The show ran for nineteen seasons from September 8, 2003, to May 26, 2022, in which it broadcast 3,339 episodes. It was produced by ...
'' she sang "Boyfriend" and was interviewed; on November 1 she was in Canada to promote the album and appeared on
MuchMusic Much is a Canadian English language discretionary specialty channel owned by BCE Inc. through its Bell Media subsidiary that airs programming aimed at teenagers and young adults. It is headquartered at 299 Queen Street West in what was o ...
's ''
MuchOnDemand ''MuchOnDemand'' (also called MOD) is an hour-long per broadcast viewer interactive television program aired on MuchMusic, Monday through Friday at 5pm ET. It was broadcast live from 299 Queen Street West in Toronto, Ontario. ''The Best of Mu ...
'' for an interview. Simpson began promoting "L.O.V.E." with a performance 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 November 21, followed by a performance of the song on the November 22 episode of ''
The View ''The View'' is an American talk show created by broadcast journalist Barbara Walters. , in its 28th season, the show has aired on American Broadcasting Company, ABC as part of the network's ABC Daytime, daytime programming block since August ...
''. On December 6, she sang "L.O.V.E." as part of a performance with
Pretty Ricky Pretty Ricky is an American R&B/hip hop group originating from Miami, Florida. The group originally consisted of 3 brothers, Diamond (Baby Blue) Smith, Spectacular Smith, and Corey (Slick 'Em) Mathis, and Marcus ( Pleasure P) Cooper. Pleasu ...
at the ''Billboard'' Music Awards. Simpson sang "L.O.V.E." on the first episode of '' CD USA'', which aired on January 21, 2006, and was also interviewed on the show. Simpson went to the UK to promote ''I Am Me'' and "Boyfriend" in late January 2006; on February 5 she performed "Boyfriend" on ''
Top of the Pops Reloaded ''Top of the Pops Reloaded'' (''TOTP Reloaded''), originally known as ''Top of the Pops Saturday'' (2002–2005), is a weekly children's music show that was broadcast as part of the Saturday morning CBBC schedule on BBC One and later BBC Two. It ...
''. Later in February, in the U.S., Simpson was awarded with a "Bounce Back Award" at the '' TRL'' Awards, which aired on February 25, and performed "L.O.V.E." on the occasion. Simpson hosted the
MTV Australia Video Music Awards The MTV Australia Awards (previously known as the MTV Australia Video Music Awards or AVMA's) started in 2005 and were Australia's first awards show to celebrate both local and international acts. The last edition took place in 2009. History Th ...
on April 12, 2006, and performed both "Boyfriend" and "L.O.V.E." Simpson performed the songs "Boyfriend", "L.O.V.E." and "I Am Me" for
Sessions@AOL AOL (formerly a company known as AOL Inc. and originally known as America Online) is an American web portal and online service provider based in New York City, and a brand marketed by Yahoo! Inc. The service traces its history to an online ...
on the Internet prior to the album's release. The album was available for listening on MTV.com's "The Leak" in the week prior to its release, beginning October 11.
Wal-Mart 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 ...
released an exclusive package which includes the ''I Am Me'' CD and a DVD. According to a rumor initially reported in March 2006, there would be a re-release of ''I Am Me'' with at least one new song. It was subsequently stated in an article in the June/July 2006 issue of ''
Teen People ''People'' is an American weekly magazine that specializes in celebrity news and human-interest stories. It is published by Dotdash Meredith, a subsidiary of IAC. With a readership of 46.6 million adults in 2009, ''People'' had the la ...
'' that there would be a re-release of the album with the new song "Invisible"; Simpson also said this in interviews, but as of January 2007, no release date for the re-release had been announced and therefore the re-release plans were presumably dropped. Simpson filmed the music video for "Invisible" in May, and it premiered on June 19.


Touring

To promote the album and single, Simpson began touring on September 21 in
Portland, Oregon Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...
, with another stage of the tour starting on November 9 in
Portland, Maine Portland is the List of municipalities in Maine, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine and the county seat, seat of Cumberland County, Maine, Cumberland County. Portland's population was 68,408 at the 2020 census. The Portland metropolit ...
with opening act October Fall. During 2006 she performed on several dates in the spring; in early May she performed at SunFest in
West Palm Beach, Florida West Palm Beach is a city in and the county seat of Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. It is located immediately to the west of the adjacent Palm Beach, Florida, Palm Beach, which is situated on a barrier island across the Lake Worth Lag ...
. Subsequently, she embarked on a major summer tour, the L.O.V.E. Tour (with "L.O.V.E." being expanded to stand for "Love Others Value Everyday"), which began on June 5 in
Santa Barbara, California Santa Barbara (, meaning ) is a coastal city in Santa Barbara County, California, of which it is also the county seat. Situated on a south-facing section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States excepting A ...
and at its outset was scheduled to run for 32 shows, concluding on July 29 in
Clarkston, Michigan Clarkston is a city in Oakland County, Michigan, United States. A northern suburb of Metro Detroit, Detroit, located about northwest of downtown Detroit, Clarkston is surrounded by Independence Township, Michigan, Independence Township, but admin ...
.
Ashley Parker Angel Ashley Parker Angel is an American musician and actor who rose to prominence as a member of the boy band O-Town. After the band dissolved, he had a brief solo music career, and was the only former band member who declined to go on a reunion tour ...
was an opening act for Simpson;
The Veronicas The Veronicas are an Australian pop music, pop duo from Brisbane. The group was formed in 2004 by identical twin sisters Lisa Origliasso, Lisa and Jessica Origliasso. In 2005, the Veronicas released their debut studio album, titled ''The Secr ...
also opened on the first few shows of the tour, but had to cancel their participation in the tour due to a problem with the vocal cords of one of the singers, Lisa Origliasso. During the concerts of this tour, Simpson had a number of costume changes, including a "risque" outfit for " La La", and performed a cover of the
Eurythmics Eurythmics were a British New wave music, new wave duo formed in 1980, consisting of Scottish vocalist Annie Lennox and English musician and producer Dave Stewart (Eurythmics), Dave Stewart. They were both previously in the Tourists, a band t ...
song "
Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" is a song by British synth-pop duo Eurythmics. It was released as the fourth and final single from their second album of the same name in January 1983. It was their breakthrough hit, establishing the duo wor ...
". She also performed a cover of "
Why Don't You Do Right? "Why Don't You Do Right?" (originally recorded as "Weed Smoker's Dream" in 1936) is an American blues and jazz-influenced pop song usually credited to Kansas Joe McCoy. A minor key twelve-bar blues with a few chord substitutions, it is considered ...
".


Critical reception

Initial critical response to ''I Am Me'' was mixed to negative. At
Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...
, which assigns a
normalized Normalization or normalisation refers to a process that makes something more normal or regular. Science * Normalization process theory, a sociological theory of the implementation of new technologies or innovations * Normalization model, used in ...
rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has received an
average In colloquial, ordinary language, an average is a single number or value that best represents a set of data. The type of average taken as most typically representative of a list of numbers is the arithmetic mean the sum of the numbers divided by ...
score of 43, based on 13 reviews. A BBC review of the album was positive, calling it "confident yet searching" and saying that it "flirts with 80s production throughout and produces a more mature, tighter sound than some of her peers." ''Stylus'' also gave it a favorable review; while saying that it "isn't as consistently strong a record as ''Autobiography''", it calls ''I Am Me'' "more-than-respectable" and "a very good record". Another review called it "a solid pop/rock album" with strong songwriting that "should go far to re-establish Ashlee Simpson as a legitimate artist", giving it three-and-a-half stars (out of five). ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'' gave it a negative review, rating it slightly lower than it had previously rated ''Autobiography'': ''I Am Me'' received one-and-a-half stars, while ''Autobiography'' received two (out of five). The ''Rolling Stone'' review called the album "a collection of eleven soulless tunes that fail to even qualify as guilty pleasures" and said that "in venturing to offer something for everyone, Simpson offers nothing for anyone."
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 ...
also gave the album a negative assessment (and a rating of two stars out of five), saying that "unlike ''Autobiography'', this simply is no rock & roll fun — the songs aren't catchy, the attitude is dour, the productions are cold and distant, all highlighting the deficiencies in Ashlee Simpson as a singer, while burying the likeable persona she had on both her debut and her MTV show."Stephen Thomas Erlewine,
Allmusic review AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the data ...
''
Blender A blender (sometimes called a mixer (from Latin ''mixus, the PPP of miscere eng. to Mix)'' or liquidiser in British English) is a kitchen and laboratory appliance used to mix, crush, purée or emulsify food and other substances. A stationary ...
'' said that, in comparison to ''Autobiography'', "the songs are soggier, the sentiments more banal", and calls ''I Am Me'' a "
sophomore slump A sophomore slump (also known as a sophomore jinx or sophomore jitters) is when a sophomore fails to live up to the relatively high standards that occurred during freshman year. It is commonly used to refer to the apathy of students (second year ...
", giving it two out of five stars.Dennis Lim, "Sync or Swim", ''Blender'', December 2005, page 154. Another review called the album "solid but unspectacular", crediting Simpson with going "in directions that
Avril Lavigne Avril Ramona Lavigne ( ; ; born September 27, 1984) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. She is a key musician in popularizing pop-punk music, as she paved the way for female-driven, punk-influenced pop music in the early 2000s. List of awa ...
has never thought of" but wishing that Simpson displayed more "obnoxious grit" on the album.


Commercial performance

''I Am Me'' debuted at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200, as did its predecessor, ''Autobiography''; however, ''I Am Me'' did not achieve the same level of success as ''Autobiography''. Whereas Simpson's first album sold 398,000 copies its first week of release in the U.S., ''I Am Me'' sold only about 220,000, according to ''Billboard''; sales for the album declined 67% in its second week, when it sold about 73,000 copies and fell to number six on the ''Billboard'' 200. In its third week, the album sold about 54,000 copies, a sales drop of 25%, and it fell on the chart to number ten. ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'' magazine grouped it among the numerous "heavily anticipated albums" of the season whose sales had "fizzled", such as
Alicia Keys Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer and songwriter. A classically trained pianist, Keys began composing songs at the age of 12 and was signed by Columbia Records at 15. After d ...
' ''
Unplugged Unplugged may refer to: *Acoustic music, music not produced through electronic means * "Unplugged" (B.A.P song), 2014 * "Unplugged" (''Modern Family''), a 2010 episode of ''Modern Family'' Albums and EPs * ''Unplugged'' (5'nizza album), 2002 * '' ...
'' and
Rod Stewart Sir Roderick David Stewart (born 10 January 1945) is a British singer and songwriter. Known for his distinctive raspy singing voice, Stewart is among the List of best-selling music artists, best-selling music artists of all time, having sold ...
's '' Thanks for the Memory: The Great American Songbook 4'', which had been released the same week as ''I Am Me''. As of April 2008, ''I Am Me'' has sold 944,000 copies in the U.S., according to
Nielsen SoundScan Luminate Data, LLC (formerly MRC Data and P-MRC Data) is a provider of music and entertainment data. Established as a joint-venture in 2020, it brought together Nielsen Music, Alpha Data (formerly BuzzAngle Music) and Variety Business Intellige ...
. In Australia, ''I Am Me'' debuted at number 35 without a single being lifted from it before its release. "Boyfriend" was released the week after ''I Am Me'' was released. However, ''I Am Me'' failed to chart again after its debut and dropped out completely. In the United Kingdom, in the absence of any promotion, ''I Am Me'' debuted at #160, selling just 1,392 copies in its first week. However, in late January 2006, Simpson went to the UK to promote "Boyfriend", several months later than in the U.S.; the single was released in the UK on 30 January 2006, and hit #12 in its first week;Paul Sexton
"Monkeys, B.I.G. Remain Atop U.K. Charts"
Billboard.com, February 6, 2006.
also, the album climbed to #50 in the UK in mid-February 2006.


Track listing


Personnel

Adapted from the ''I Am Me'' liner notes.''I Am Me'' liner notes.


Musicians

*
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 ...
– vocals, background vocals (4, 7) *
John Shanks John Matthew Shanks (born December 18, 1964) is an American songwriter, record producer and guitarist. He has been a longtime session and touring member of the rock band Bon Jovi. Early life and education Shanks was born in New York City and m ...
– guitars (all tracks), bass (1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12, 13 and 14), keyboards (1, 2, 4–14), piano (3), background vocals (2, 3, 7, 9 and 11) *
Kara DioGuardi Kara Elizabeth DioGuardi ( ; December 9, 1970) is an American songwriter, record producer, music publisher, A&R executive, and singer. She primarily writes music in the pop rock genre. She has worked with many popular artists; sales of albums ...
– background vocals (4 and 7) * Jeff Rothschild – drums (all tracks) * Dan Chase – additional keyboards (1, 2, 5, 7, 12, 13 and 14) *
Patrick Warren Patrick Warren (born March 26, 1957) is an American musician, composer, and record producer. He is known for his work on the films ''Magnolia'', ''Fifty Shades of Grey'', ''Boogie Nights'' and ''Red State'', as well as the television series '' ...
– keyboards (3 and 8) * André Bowman – bass, keyboards (4) *
Mike Elizondo Michael A. Elizondo Jr. (born October 22, 1972) is an American producer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. A protégé of Dr. Dre, Elizondo has worked with 50 Cent, Eminem, Linkin Park, Carrie Underwood, Fiona Apple, Mastodon, Ry Cooder ...
– bass (4, 5 and 8) * Paul Bushnell – bass (11)


Production

*John Shanks – producer, mixing * Jordan Schur – executive producer, A&R * Joe Simpson – executive producer *Jeff Rothschild – mixing, engineering *
Ted Jensen Ted Jensen (born September 19, 1954) is an American mastering engineer, known for having mastered many recordings, including the Eagles' '' Hotel California'', Green Day's '' American Idiot'' and Norah Jones' ''Come Away with Me''. Early life ...
– mastering * James White – photography * Bubbles – design * Jessica Paster – stylist * Ken Paves – hair * AYAKO – make-up


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Certifications


Release history


References


External links


Ashlee Simpson's official website

Ashlee Simpson
at
Geffen Records Geffen Records (formerly The David Geffen Company from 1980 to 1992 and Geffen Records Inc. from 1993 to 2004) is an American record label, founded in late 1980 by David Geffen. Originally a music subsidiary of the company known as Geffen Pi ...
* {{Authority control 2005 albums Albums produced by John Shanks Ashlee Simpson albums Geffen Records albums