Pieces Of Me by Ashlee Simpson

Album: Autobiography (2004)

Charted: 4 5

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"Pieces Of Me" was Ashlee Simpson's first single, released on her 2004 debut album Autobiography when she was just 19. She wrote the song with two pop-songwriting heavyweights: John Shanks and Kara DioGuardi. They came up with it after Simpson told them, "I have all these sides to me, and my boyfriend doesn't understand."

Shanks, who also produced the album, has written and produced hits for many young female singers, including Hilary Duff, Michelle Branch, Kelly Clarkson and Lindsay Lohan. DioGuardi's credits include "Taking Chances" by Celine Dion and "Mama's Song" by Carrie Underwood. She was a judge on American Idol for two seasons starting in 2009.
The song was a hit, rising to #5 in the US on September 18, 2004. It was a strong debut that landed her a slot as musical guest on the infamous October 23, 2004 episode of Saturday Night Live when she was caught lip-synching. Ashlee performed "Pieces Of Me" as her first song, and later in the show she was supposed to sing "Autobiography." "Pieces Of Me" started playing instead, and while Simpson looked dumbfounded, her vocals came in, clearly indicating she was lip-synching. She walked off stage while the band kept pretending to play, and NBC went to commercial. At the goodbyes at the end of the show, she said her band started playing the wrong song; she later claimed she lip-synched because she was suffering from acid reflux.

The incident was captured by a news crew that was doing a story on Saturday Night Live for 60 Minutes. When asked about Simpson, SNL producer Lorne Michaels said he expected her to sing, and musical guests were only allowed to augment their vocals if dancing was involved. Michaels was clearly not happy about the incident, and they made fun of Simpson the next week on the show.
Simpson's career never fully recovered from the SNL incident, which tarred her as a manufactured pop star. Subsequent singles from the album, "Shadow" and "La La," didn't have much impact. By this time, though, the Autobiography album had already sold over 3 million copies; it was highly anticipated thanks to Simpson's MTV reality series "The Ashlee Simpson Show."

Her next album, I Am Me, was released in 2005 and had enough marketing muscle behind it to debut at #1, but the biggest hit from the set was "Boyfriend," which stalled at #19. After another album in 2008, Simpson put her career on hold and put her efforts into raising three kids. She returned to action in 2025 with a Las Vegas residency, where she sang "Pieces Of Me" as the encore.

Comments: 22

Hadi Scugnizzi from Jakarta, Indonesiaaccording to me she's beautifull. she can song very good. Lucky Lucky Lucky Girl!
Joel from Downs, KsI happen to like this song. I've got the cd and the single. I just always assumed that performers on tv lipsinked. The whole flap didn't bother me.
By the way my current girlfriend resembles Ashlee before the plastic surgery.
Theresa from Murfreesboro, TnBad singer but the album was catchy. Double-edged sword.
Rain from Clinton, MdThis song was covered by Suttle Thoughts, a very popular go-go band based in Washington DC. Go-go music (for you non go-go heads out there) is a subgenre of funk with syncopated rhythms and call and response vocals that originated in the Washington, D.C., area during the mid- to late-1970s and continues to be very popular within the DC metropolitan area (including parts of Maryland and northern Virginia) today. To read about it doesn't do it justice; you just have to hear it to believe it's full, raw wonderfulness! I grew up listening to go-go music since I was a child and still appreciate it very much to this day! Anyway, I prefer the go-go version of this song, which has a soulful R&B sound to it as well as the other characteristics that accompany typical go-go songs! It's hard to find this version outside of the DC area, but if you're lucky enough to track it down, I definitely recommend checking it out!
Liquid Len from Ottawa, Canada"How would you feel if you were a singer and that happened to you?"
This comment made me laugh. If I was a singer and I was caught CHEATING, I would feel ashamed, and rightly so.
Krissy from Canada, United StatesShes ok,the song is ok..but shes not good singer
Lauren from N/a, Njafter avril came out ashlee simpson, kelly clarkson and hilary duff tried to be like her.ashless simpson gets on my nervess
Taylor from Swan Antonio, Txi agree with cindy from sydney i dont what some of you are doing on this page if you like her
-taylor ,san antonio TX
Matt from Uxbridge, MaGreat skit on MadTV. It was a mockery of the Ashlee Simpson Show, and she was meeting a bunch of sick kids at a hospital. Her band wasn't there, so she sang this song "acapulco." After singing the song horribly, one of the kids asked her if she ever considered changing the name of the song to Pieces of S--t. Classic.
AnonymousI hate this song!!! Ashlee is SUCH a poser. She can't sing. She thinks she's punk. That just sickens and amuses me.
Jen from Westville, NjWhat did they do on Saturday Night Live the Next week? Chould some one tell me? I hate Ashlee but I dont hate her as much as I hate Avril Lavinge. (I have a list)
Yuya from Kyoto, JapanIt is said: Ashlee Simpson is the new Milli Vanilli of 2005!
Aaron from Mississauga, CanadaMaybe she's not the best singer in the world, but she has vocal ability. Just see a vocal coach, Ashlee & u will sing better.
The song is alright, even though she was caught lip-syncing this song on SNL, but it pushed up album sales, so give her some credit. Don't b mean 2 Ashlee.
Angela from Corpus Christi , TxThis song is so stupid.Ashlee simpson is a poser she is a pop singer.i hate her music
Charlotte from Kansas City, MoI can't belive i ever liked this song. she can not sing this song is crap.
Candice from Vancouver, CanadaOnce, I was mocking Ashlee for her lip-synching at school, and my friends were listening. They think Ashlee is my favourite singer because I sing this song. But this is a great song, so everyone be nice to her.
Jim from Oxnard, CaWhat's even funnier is that people like this manufactured-by-the-music-industry garbage. She didn't write the songs herself, and the guy who wrote this also writes for Duff, Lohan, Clarkson, and Branch. And then her album is titled "Autobiography," yet she claims that her next album is more personal. How can you get more personal than an autobiography?
Anna from San Francisco, CaThis comment is especially to Izzie...
How would you feel if you were a singer and that happened to you? A Lot of people of hate her and a lot of people love her. Gosh just realized THE WORLD AINT PERFECT!
Izzie from Lala, Hii used to l-o-v-e this song last summer back when i hadn't found my real music yet. but now that ive realized that ashlee is a retard and she is NOT A PUNK (she needs ot stop acting like she is a rocker) ive realized this song needs a new title, "peices of crap."
Casie from Denver, CoWell this song she kinda made it for her boyfriend on thr Ashlee Simpson show they were showing it and on making the video on MTV they were showing that she made it for her boyfriend,I dont know if it was for Ryan Cabrera when they were dating later before the whole not talking thing but yea and she made it because he is the one thats there for her. Its a really cute song. I like Ashlee Simpsons style,my friends say I sing and act like her because I really have a good voice but sometimes I have a really rusty voice. One time for a project at school we were supossed to sing and I sang and I was like why does my rusty voice hve to come now n I was singning this song so they totally thought I was like Ashlee but yea she does rock. Love her style and she is way better to me than her sis Jessica but Jessica is pretty talented too but their both really spoiled and bratty but I guess thats how divas are. Ashlee is punk,I mean her style and some songs but stil pop but there is nothing wrong with that.
Cindy from Sydney, United StatesPahleez... don't hate her.
If you didn't think she was any good you wouldn't be anywhere near this song. What made any of you check this song out?
I would be lying if I said she was original,
But she is cool and I like some of her other songs too.
Martha from Boringville, CaIt was so funny seeing her getting caught lip-synching and getting booed during the 2005 Orange Bowl.

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