Vevo Footnotes Celebrates Ashlee Simpson’s ‘Pieces of Me’ as ‘Autobiography’ Turns 20
The 2004 video features Simpson in the studio recording the hit single.
Vevo has released a new installment of its popular Footnotes series. This episode takes viewers behind the scenes of the official music video for Ashlee Simpson’s “Pieces of Me,” in honor of the 20th anniversary of her debut album, Autobiography.
In the clip, Simpson describes the context for the hit single, saying “I was in a happy place in my life. I had been through my first break-up and wanted to write something positive that everyone could sing along too,” adding that “when the chorus hit it just felt right.”
The official video, directed by Stefan Smith, features Simpson and her band in the studio interspersed with diaristic footage. Simpson explains that the concept intended to explain to the world who she was. One snag in the process was when Simpson arrived on set with freshly dyed black hair and light eyebrows, intent on changing her look from her role on 7th Heaven. “We had to style impromptu and it defined my mullet era,” she explains.
Simpson also explains how Sugar Ray made a cameo in the video and how she envisions a “modern day version” of the “Pieces of Me” music video.
Autobiography was released by Geffen Records on July 20, 2004. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and was certified triple platinum by the RIAA. The album’s title track served as the theme song to MTV’s The Ashlee Simpson Show, which aired from 2004 to 2005 and initially followed the process of recording Autobiography. The record was led by the single release of “Pieces of Me,” a vulnerable pop-rock anthem that peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached the top 10 in several countries. A 20th anniversary edition of the album is available now and features a bonus track, “Harder Every Day.”
