I BELONG TO ME - JESSICA SIMPSON
So much for restoring a much-needed pop luster to the airwaves. Despite Jessica Simpson’s idealicious “A Public Affair” and heaps of cross-promotion from Epic, top 40 turned a relatively cold shoulder on a badly needed elixir to the format’s relentless loop of dark, non-melodic fare. Second single “I Belong to Me,” from Jess’ fourth album, revisits the self-empowerment theme of her 2004 top 20 “With You,” a la, “I don’t need somebody to complete me/I belong to me.” Simple R&B-lite production allows Simpson’s lovely vocal to hold the reins, making for a song (written by the incomparable Diane Warren) that is a thematic bull’s-eye for her female teen target. This track was originally destined as a Wal-Mart-only bonus, but fans overwhelmingly voted it a favorite, so it is now being stripped on to all versions of her new disc. Billboard
