Sony
2006
A Public Affair
About This Album
There are basically two ways to deal with a divorce in pop music: dig deep into your soul and pour it all out on the page (à la Blood on the Tracks), or treat it as sheer liberation (à la Back in the High Life). Perhaps it's only appropriate that the dissolution of the Jessica Simpson/Nick Lachey marriage -- one of the biggest tabloid stories of the 2000s, or at least 2006 -- produced two wildly different records that nevertheless follow these blueprints to a tee. First, Nick delivered the mopey What's Left of Me, whose title pretty much gives away the game; he paints himself as the man wronged, unaware that he's coming across a bit like a simpering cuckold but clearly aware that he's placing all the blame on Jessica's shoulders, and even if she doesn't explicitly embrace that burden on her post-divorce platter, A Public Affair -- whose title also nods at the hysterical gossip surrounding their separation -- its devil-may-care vibe suggests that everything that's been said about her is indeed true. At the very least, she's put her marriage far, far behind her -- according to the liner notes, some sister-bonding with Ashlee, where they cried and listened to Patty Griffin, did the trick (if only they were watching Kathy Griffin instead!) -- and is out to have nothing but a good time.
Track List (try tracks 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 and 9)

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