Tuned In: Ashlee Simpson
By Lisa Chudnofsky
No one puts Baby in a corner. And apparently, no one puts Ashlee Simpson in her big sister's shadow.
After serving as Jess's backup dancer for years, 19-year-old Ashlee is taking her own shot at the spotlight with a most revealing debut CD, Autobiography. The album unfolds like a memoir, cataloguing the quirkier sister's drive to find something -- and someone -- to call her own. And, if you've been following MTV's The Ashlee Simpson Show, you know that Ashlee's quest to carve out a separate but just-as-successful career as her big sis was the motivating force behind the creation of her edgier tunes and sense of style. While Jessica is stuck on Juicy Couture, Ashlee likes a good Army and Navy store. "I like to throw things together, random things, whereas Jessica is more streamlined. We could buy the same dress and then wear it so differently. Like, she'd slide perfectly into it and I'd cut mine into pieces and glue it back together."
Speaking of pieces… Ashlee's first single, "Pieces of Me," is already a huge radio hit if that's any indication of how well the album will perform. She's got fellow musician, former best friend, and new boyfriend Ryan Cabrera to thank for that. "He was the inspiration for the song," says Ashlee. "It's about him sort of being my best friend through making the record and just everything, even my whole ex-boyfriend blowup. I had finally found something that felt so real and good and genuine and I literally wanted to sing about it." But girls will be girls, and Ashlee admits dating on camera can be pretty embarrassing: "Did you see that disaster on Valentine's Day when I told him he ruined my night? That was so ridiculous!" she says. "But that’s the chance you take when you agree to have your life taped -- you end up looking pretty stupid sometimes! And to be honest, that's what I think is so cool about the show…it's like, this is me, for better or for worse."
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Today's Buzz
Simpson sisters share Ashlee's boy
Apparently Jessica and Ashlee Simpson have more in common than great looks, awesome voices, and the inability to use cleaning products. Now the adorable girls also have Ashlee's boyfriend, Ryan Cabrera in common. Cabrera, whose debut album, Take it All Away, available August 17, will be opening for Jessica on her Reality tour. Cabrera and the younger Simpson have been together for about five months. When asked about the pros and cons of dating a fellow musician with a blossoming career, Ashlee told TEENPEOPLE.COM, "Ryan and I are really good, but the thing that sucks is that we don't get to see each other as much as we'd like because of our hectic schedules. But when we do hang out, it's so worth it and we have so much fun." Ashlee's dad even approves, considering he manages both his daughters and Cabrera. Talk about keeping it in the family!
Source: People.com