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Jessica Simpson is sharing another way she’s just an “all-American girl” who loves the simple things in life.
In a joint interview with The Cut, Simpson, 44, and her sister, Ashlee Simpson Ross, 40, reminisce about music and motherhood in their 40s. Ross jumps in to ask the Open Book author about her life since moving to Nashville in 2024 to record her upcoming EP, Nashville Canyon (out March 21).
Simpson reveals that a “great thing” she’s discovered about living in Tennessee is that unlike Los Angeles, “there’s no paparazzi. I literally was doing cartwheels down the Walmart aisles.”
She goes on to gush about the simple joy of browsing in a CVS and saying, “Look at all these new little Vaselines!”
The pharmacy and its little treats have seemingly long been a secret passion of the singer, as Ross chimes in: “I always love to go to your closet or your bathroom. It’s, like, 500 million products. My kids love nothing more than to go into your pantry because you have every treat on the planet. You really do love that CVS, Walmart, whatever.”
Ashlee shares son Bronx, 16, with her ex Pete Wentz, and kids Jagger, 9, and Ziggy, 4, with her husband Evan Ross. Simpson shares three children — Maxwell, 12, Ace, 11, and Birdie, 5 — with her estranged husband Eric Johnson .
Simpson adds that when it comes to her love of being able to casually walk around — or cartwheel — in public places, there’s no shame. “I’m your all-American girl when it comes to that,” she says. “That’s for sure.”
The sisters also get into how Simpson’s new home has shaped her upcoming music.
“When I first got to Nashville to write my new record last year, I listened to CeCe Winans over and over — ‘I Surrender All.’ Her version still gives me chills,” she says. “I discovered so much that wasn’t true about the life I was leading that led me to shed everything all over again.”
Simpson explains how she began her process by “going backward and making a playlist” of music that deeply resonated with her rather than attempting to create “a little ditty that would be a hit.”
She says that she was a “rule-abider” when it came to releasing music that her label wanted her to sing, which was heavy on pop music trends. “I was doing what other people were telling me to do because it was radio-friendly and it was the only way that my name would be heard,” she said.
Ross affirms her sister’s new musical direction, calling it an “Americana, rockabilly, timeless, old-school, classic vibe.”
Simpson agrees, adding, “It’s about the instruments, not the computer. It’s about the simplicity of the story.”
The fashion mogul first shared that she had spent a summer in Nashville with her family of five in 2023 and loved the change of pace.
“Being in Nashville, even my kids are like, ‘You laugh the whole time. You’re so happy,’ ” Simpson told E! News. “It’s because I’m not on guard. I’m with a lot of like-minded people. It’s not about the celebrities—it’s really about the music and the heart and the conversation.”
That September, she listed her 13,274-square-foot L.A. home for sale for $22 million. She later removed it from the market but relisted it for a slightly lower price, $17.9 million, on January 11, according to Zillow, three days before the news of her separation from Johnson.
Simpson and her former NFL player husband, 45, separated after 10 years of marriage in January 2025, Simpson told PEOPLE exclusively at the time.
“Eric and I have been living separately navigating a painful situation in our marriage,” Simpson said in a statement to PEOPLE. “Our children come first, and we are focusing on what is best for them. We are grateful for all of the love and support that has been coming our way, and appreciate privacy right now as we work through this as a family.”
The news came less than one week after Simpson posted a sunny selfie to Instagram, reminding her followers that “Life is short. SMILE while you still have teeth
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