Songfacts®:

• Music City songwriter John Byron wasn't exactly thrilled to learn his ex of eight years had a new beau hotfooting it to Nashville from Colorado. Sure, there was a twinge of jealousy for the new guy, but as Byron confessed to Billboard, "I was definitely more jealous of me when I did have her." That potent cocktail of emotions became the seed for "Jealous of Myself," a breakup anthem steeped in self-reflection.
• Knowing a woman's touch could elevate the song's vulnerability, Byron took the title to a writing session with Emily Weisband on January 13, 2022. Joined by Old Dominion's Trevor Rosen, the trio crafted a self-reflective ballad where the singer ruminates on a once-vibrant romance.
• Initially a guitar drove the song, but Weisband's switch to piano steered the track in a new direction. Her vocals on the demo showcased the song's raw honesty.
  
  "When Emily sings, she does whatever she needs to get into the real emotion," Byron told Billboard. "She gets down on her knees and starts wearing into this song, and it's just breaking my heart because the title is already near and dear to me. And so she's ripping my heart out."
• Feeling the potential, Weisband uploaded the demo to TikTok, posing a question to her followers: who should sing it? Enter Tenille Arts.
  
  Her playful comment, "Ummm, you. Or me. Lol," masked a genuine desire to take the reins. After securing the writers' blessing, Arts teamed up with producer Nathan Chapman. While Chapman envisioned a pop-leaning track, Arts pushed for a more emotionally resonant country sound complete with a steel guitar.
• Arts debuted the song at the CMA Music Festival in June 2022, and properly released it in on October 14, 2022. Marking Arts' first outing with her new label Dreamcatcher Artists, the song's promotion included hand-painted denim jackets sold on her website.
• Channeling her childhood idols, Arts enlisted country powerhouse LeAnn Rimes for a searing duet version.
  
  "LeAnn Rimes, the Chicks, Shania Twain and Kelly Clarkson were my idols growing up. LeAnn in particular has been a huge part of my story in country music since I was very young," Arts shared. "One of my most viewed videos on TikTok is of me singing 'Blue' when I was 11 years old, and then it transitions to a full circle moment of performing it on the Opry."
• Arts released the duet version via Dreamcatcher Artists as the lead single off her To Be Honest album on April 14, 2023.