Sweetest Sin
| "Sweetest Sin" | ||
|---|---|---|
| Single by Jessica Simpson | ||
| From the album In This Skin | ||
| Released | 2003 | |
| Format | CD single | |
| Genre | Pop | |
| Length | 3:14 | |
| Record Label | Columbia Records | |
| Writers | Diane Warren | |
| Producers | ?? | |
| Chart Positions | #Failed to Chart | |
| Jessica Simpson single chronology | ||
| "A Little Bit" (2001) |
"Sweetest Sin" (2003) |
"With You" (2004) |
"Sweetest Sin" is the first single from pop music singer Jessica Simpson released from the album In This Skin in 2003.
Song information
"Sweetest Sin" was originally written and performed by Diane Warren before Simpson decided to cover it. The song is most remembered for its video changing Jessica's overtly sexual image (which she had adopted from "Irresistible") to a more subtle and mature, but sexual image. Like "Irresistible", the song also features sexually suggestive lyrics, but many critics felt that the single was better in terms of emoting the emotions and feelings of sexuality when compared to her previously sexual songs.
To them, "Sweetest Sin" was the first song in which Jessica could truly understand what sex meant in her music, as the song was the first single she recorded after losing her virginity after marrying Nick Lachey.(It is commonly known that Miss Simpson had taken a vow to remain a virgin until marriage). In her first sexually driven, yet mature anthem dedicated to making love, Miss Simpson speaks from personal experience as she accounts what she believe is the "sweetest sin". She then proceeds to moan,"Your skin upon my skin, would be the sweetest sin".
Christian groups lambasted Jessica for the lyrics of this song, as they felt that Miss Simpson (who heavily promotes her religious beliefs) was a bad role model for promoting sin and sexuality. Even the more liberal Christian fans of Jessica (who had stuck by her during the relatively tamer "Irresistible") had felt that she had crossed a line, and they began to abandon her, causing her valuable Christian fanbase to grow even smaller. Even Miss Simpson, herself, has expressed some disdain for this song herself as she was not pleased with the song as the first single, nor was she allowed to rewrite parts of it.
Music video
Like the critiques about the sexuality of the song, it was felt that Jessica was truly able to express herself sexually in a video for the first time, since she now had personal experience. As mentioned above, the video was noted for toning down the overtly sexual image that Miss Simpson had adopted into a more refined and mature sexual image, that actually understood what sex felt like.
The video starts off with overexposed black and white shots of Miss Simpson dancing and looking at viewers provactively. The video then cuts to Jessica swaying sexually on a beach, and embracing her husband, Nick Lachey, in a very sexual manner underneath a waterfall on the beach. Jessica can next be seen on a bed by herself fantasizing about her husband in very provocative ways. A small scene in the video seems to suggest that she is touching herself. The video continues with intercut footage of the previous scenes, until the final seconds of the song, when Nick and Jessica move sexually on their bed on the beach in a scene where it is implied that they are making love. The video then ends in a mysterious manner as Mr. Lachey disappears leaving Miss Simpson all alone after their love making session.
Once again, like they reacted with the song, Christian groups were shocked by the video and lambasted Miss Simpson for the video's sexual intonation.
Chart performance
As a lead single off of an album, it was important that "Sweetest Sin" succeed on the charts. Unfortunately, it did not, and instead became Simpson's second consecutive flop single worldwide following after the failure of "A Little Bit". A CD Single was even released causing the song to hit #6 on the Hot 100 Singles Sales, but in perspective, the singles market of the USA had been going downhill since 2001, so its sales points did not really help the song chart or even bubble under. The song's failure was especially bad news for Miss Simpson as Columbia Records was now considering dropping her from their label.
Charts
USA
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | "Sweetest Sin" | Billboard Hot 100 | #Failed To Chart |
| 2003 | "Sweetest Sin" | Billboard Hot 100 Singles Sales | #6 |
| 2003 | "Sweetest Sin" | Billboard Hot 100 Airplay | #Failed To Chart |
| 2003 | "Sweetest Sin" | Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles | #Failed To Chart |
| 2003 | "Sweetest Sin" | Top 40 Tracks | #Failed To Chart |
| 2003 | "Sweetest Sin" | Top 40 Mainstream | #Failed To Chart |