A Public Affair (song)

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"A Public Affair"
Single by Jessica Simpson
from the album A Public Affair
ReleasedJune 29, 2006 (2006-06-29)
Recorded2005
Genre
Length3:21
LabelEpic
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Lester Mendez
Jessica Simpson singles chronology
"These Boots Are Made for Walkin'"
(2005) 		"A Public Affair"
(2006) 		"I Belong to Me"
(2006)
Music video
"A Public Affair" on YouTube

"A Public Affair" is a song by American singer Jessica Simpson. It was co-written by Simpson and produced by Lester Mendez, for Simpson's fourth studio album of the same title. It was released as the album's first single (second overall) on June 29, 2006, by Epic Records. The synth-pop track samples the composition of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" by Diana Ross and interpolates the Madonna song "Holiday". It was also compared to Janet Jackson. Lyrically, the song is about having fun with friends.

"A Public Affair" received mixed reviews from critics, with some criticizing its similarity with "Holiday". The song reached the top 10 in Canada, Ireland and Scotland and made the top 20 in US, Australia and UK. The song also topped the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart, becoming Simpson's first number one on the chart. The song ranked at number 51 on Top 100 Pop Songs of 2006 by About.com.[2]

Composition[edit]

Jessica Simpson "A Public Affair" (2006)
A sample of "A Public Affair"' chorus.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

"A Public Affair" lasts for three minutes and 21 seconds. Musically, it is a synth-pop song with a moderate dance groove.[3][4] The song features a melody, arrangement and instrumentation; the latter are reminiscent of the classic Madonna song "Holiday" (1983).[5][6] The song also contains a retro percussion breakdown and a springy, rubbery bassline.[7] At the end of the song, the background vocalists sing a few lines of "Aaah-Aaah-Aaah" which is a line borrowed from the Diana Ross's "Ain't No Mountain High Enough".[5][7] According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by EMI Music Publishing, the song is written in the key of D major. It follows a chord progression of G–A–F♯m–Bm, and the song is set in common time with a tempo of 124 beats per minute.[8] Simpson's breathy vocals recall Janet Jackson,[9] spanning from a low note of A3 to a high note of B4.[10]

Critical reception[edit]

Chuck Taylor of Billboard magazine called the song's production "wildly adventurous" and "maddeningly catchy", and the song itself "A perfect record."[11][6] About.com's Bill Lamb gave the song 4 out of 5 stars, saying that is "one of the best pop singles of her career" and citing that the song "follows a classic disco game plan even including a retro percussion breakdown. The icing on the cake is a line borrowed from the Diana Ross version of 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough'. As it is, 'A Public Affair' is perfect for early evening party play. With some beefing up, it can easily become a peak hour dance hit".[12] Teen People called the song a fun, frothy dance track reminiscent of early Madonna. Some criticized the song because of its similarity to Madonna's "Holiday".[13] "A Public Affair" received numerous comparisons to Janet Jackson, considered to reference "classic Janet" for its "breathy vocals, cheery, almost sickeningly sweet melody," and "mid-song giggle."[9] Newsday also described it as "channeling Janet-era Jackson."[14]

Accolades[edit]

Publication Accolade Year Rank
About.com The 100 Pop Songs of the Year 2006 51[15]

Commercial release[edit]

The Yahoo! Music download of the song gained media attention because it was made available in MP3 format, without Digital Rights Management, which is normally used to restrict copying of commercially released singles. However, the price to download the song was $1.99, higher than the $0.99 norm for most DRM-restricted tracks. The increased price was rationalized not by the DRM-free format, but by offering users the ability to "personalize" the song with a specific name.[16] The single was released in North America and Australia in 2006. Later the song was released in Europe in February 2007.

Chart performance[edit]

In the United States, the single debuted at number 39 on the Billboard Hot 100, on the issue dated July 15, 2006.[17][18] On August 12, 2006, the single peaked at number 14 and was awarded the honor of that week's Greatest Gainer Digital.[18][19] The single became Simpson's sixth top 20 single in the US and her third song to reach number 14 tied with "With You" (2004) and "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" (2005).[20] The single stayed on the chart for twelve weeks. The song also peaked at number 16 on Billboard Pop Songs chart and was her fifth top 20 on the chart, since "Take My Breath Away" (2004).[21] The single was certified Gold by RIAA for selling 500,000 copies.[22] The song is her third best selling digital single with 890,000 copies sold.[23] "A Public Affair" was also a success on the club charts. On Hot Dance Club Play chart, the single peaked at number one on the issues dated October 7, 2006.[24] It was her first number one on the chart.[25]

In Canada, "A Public Affair" became Simpson's third top ten single after "Take My Breath Away" (2004), peaking at number eight in July 2006. In Australia, the single debuted at number 18 on the ARIA Charts for the week of August 13, 2006.[26] The next week, it peaked at number 17 and stayed on the chart for ten weeks. The single became her seventh top 20 single in that country.[27]

"A Public Affair" was released in Europe in early 2007. In Sweden, the single peaked at number 36.[28] In Ireland, the song debuted and peaked at number nine on the issue dated February 8, 2007.[29] It was her second highest peak in the country after "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" (2005).[30] In the United Kingdom, the song debuted at number 20 on the issue dated February 17, 2007.[31] The single stayed on the chart for four weeks.[32]

Music video[edit]

The skating rink as shown in the music video.

The song's music video was shot on June 23, 2006, and the late evening of June 24, 2006, at the Moonlight Rollerway in Glendale, California. It features appearances by Christina Applegate, Christina Milian, Eva Longoria, Maria Menounos, Andy Dick and Ryan Seacrest. It introduces Australian Reshad Strik, whose participation precipitated many comments on his resemblance to Nick Lachey, Simpson's ex-husband, and Menounos, who resembled Vanessa Minnillo, who was dating Lachey at the time Simpson split with her ex-husband. The video was directed by Brett Ratner.[33] According with MTV, the music video was heavily influenced by Olivia Newton-John's "Xanadu" and some Madonna's videos like "Sorry" and "Music" taking references to choreographed roller-skating and celeb making a cameo as the star's chauffeur, respectively.[34]

On July 19, Simpson visited MTV's Total Request Live to premiere the video.[35] The following day the video entered the TRL countdown at number six, the highest debut for any Simpson video; on its third day on the countdown, it reached number two.[36] The video spent a total of 28 days on the TRL countdown. The video reached number eight on Canada's MuchMusic chart.

Credits and personnel[edit]

Credits adapted from A Public Affair liner notes.[37]

Track listings and formats[edit]

  • Australian CD single
  1. "A Public Affair" (radio edit)
  2. "A Public Affair" (extended version)
  3. "A Public Affair" (karaoke version)
  • Maxi CD single
  1. "A Public Affair" (radio edit)
  2. "A Public Affair" (extended version)
  3. "A Public Affair" (instrumental version)
  4. "A Public Affair" (remix)
  5. "A Public Affair" (video)
  • UK and German CD single
  1. "A Public Affair"
  2. "A Public Affair" (Alex Greggs Remix)

Charts[edit]

Certifications[edit]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom — 25,800[56]
United States (RIAA)[57] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history[edit]

Release dates and formats for "A Public Affair"
Region Date Format Label Ref.
Russia July 14, 2006 Contemporary hit radio Sony [58]
Germany March 2, 2007 CD single [59]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Diving Into Jessica Simpson's 2006 Epic 'A Public Affair". Papermag. July 10, 2018. Retrieved July 19, 2022.
  2. ^ "Top 100 Pop Songs of 2006". Top40.about.com. Archived from the original on September 21, 2013. Retrieved March 6, 2012.
  3. ^ Sanneh, Kelefa (June 29, 2006). "Beyoncé, Aguilera, Jackson, Simpson and Jewel: Seeking Another Turn in the Spotlight". The New York Times. Retrieved January 2, 2016.
  4. ^ "A Public Affair by Jessica Simpson - Digital Sheet Music". Musicnotes.com. November 12, 2012. Retrieved June 4, 2013.
  5. ^ a b "Answers to readers' questions about the Simpson sisters and the Verve Pipe". Billboard. June 28, 2006. Archived from the original on September 26, 2015. Retrieved June 4, 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  6. ^ a b "A Public Affair Spotlight". Billboard. July 1, 2006. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  7. ^ a b "Jessica Simpson - A Public Affair". About.com. June 28, 2006. Archived from the original on May 12, 2013. Retrieved June 4, 2013.
  8. ^ "BPM for 'public' by jessica simpson | songbpm.com". songbpm.com. Archived from the original on August 7, 2016. Retrieved July 31, 2016.
  9. ^ a b Cinquemani, Sal (August 25, 2006). "Jessica Simpson: A Public Affair - Music Review - Slant Magazine". Slant Magazine. Retrieved February 7, 2014.
  10. ^ "Unsupported Browser or Operating System". Musicnotes.com. October 3, 2006. Retrieved March 6, 2012.
  11. ^ Chuck Taylor, review of "A Public Affair", Billboard.com.
  12. ^ "Jessica Simpson - A Public Affair Review". About.com. November 12, 2012. Archived from the original on May 12, 2013. Retrieved June 4, 2013.
  13. ^ Slezak, Michael (July 10, 2006). "Happy 26th, Jessica Simpson". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on May 20, 2023. Retrieved August 20, 2023.
  14. ^ "Showtime Briefs - Entertainment - Daily-Journal.com Mobile". Newsweek. Gamboa, Glenn. June 29, 2006. Retrieved February 7, 2014.[permanent dead link]
  15. ^ "The 100 Pop Songs of 2006". About.com.
  16. ^ "Yahoo sells Jessica Simpson single sans DRM". CNET. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  17. ^ Clover Hope, "Furtado Remains No. 1 With 'Promiscuous'", July 6, 2006].
  18. ^ a b c "Jessica Simpson Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
  19. ^ "Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. Vol. 118, no. 32. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. August 12, 2006. p. 80. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved April 25, 2013.
  20. ^ "Jessica Simpson - The Hot 100 Chart". Billboard. August 12, 2006. Retrieved April 25, 2013.
  21. ^ a b "Jessica Simpson Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
  22. ^ "Gold & Platinum". RIAA. July 20, 2007. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved April 25, 2013.
  23. ^ "Billboard.com - Ask Billboard". Billboard. November 12, 2012. Retrieved April 25, 2013.
  24. ^ "Hot Dance Club Play - October 7, 2006". Billboard. Vol. 118, no. 40. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. October 7, 2006. p. 53. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved April 25, 2013.
  25. ^ a b "Jessica Simpson Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard.
  26. ^ "ARIA Charts - SINGLES TOP 50 13/08/2006". ARIA Charts. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
  27. ^ a b "Jessica Simpson – A Public Affair". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
  28. ^ a b "Jessica Simpson – A Public Affair". Singles Top 100. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
  29. ^ a b "The Irish Charts – Search Results – A Public Affair". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved January 25, 2020.
  30. ^ "Irish Charts - DISCOGRAPHY JESSICA SIMPSON". IRMA. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
  31. ^ a b "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 23, 2010.
  32. ^ "Official Charts Company - Jessica Simpson". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
  33. ^ Jonathan Cohen, "Simpson Owns Up To 'Public Affair'", Billboard.com, June 26, 2006.
  34. ^ "Jessica Simpson Finally Goes 'Public' With Longoria, Seacrest In Ratner-Directed Video". MTV. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
  35. ^ "Nervous Simpson Debuts Video on Minnillo's Show", Contactmusic.com, July 20, 2006.
  36. ^ Popfusion - TRL Archive - July 2006 Archived August 12, 2006, at the Wayback Machine.
  37. ^ "Jessica Simpson". Billboard. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
  38. ^ "Jessica Simpson Chart History (Canada CHR/Top 40)". Billboard. Retrieved February 10, 2020.
  39. ^ "Jessica Simpson Chart History (Canada Hot AC)". Billboard. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
  40. ^ [1]
  41. ^ "Jessica Simpson – A Public Affair" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved February 21, 2019.
  42. ^ "Jessica Simpson Chart History: Global Dance Songs". Billboard. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  43. ^ "Radios Top 40". Mahasz. Retrieved April 17, 2007.
  44. ^ "RT100 Edition 553". October 23, 2006. Archived from the original on October 24, 2006. Retrieved March 6, 2012.
  45. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 200710 into search. Retrieved October 21, 2011.
  46. ^ 가온차트와 함께하세요 (in Korean). GAON. Archived from the original on May 30, 2012. Retrieved January 21, 2011.
  47. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
  48. ^ "Official Physical Singles Chart". Official Charts. February 11, 2007.
  49. ^ "Jessica Simpson Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
  50. ^ "Jessica Simpson Chart History (Dance Mix/Show Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
  51. ^ "Pop Rock" (in Spanish). Record Report. August 12, 2006. Archived from the original on August 14, 2006.
  52. ^ "Billboard Year End Hot Dance Club Songs 2006". Billboard. Retrieved March 3, 2013.
  53. ^ "Dance Club Songs – Year-End 2006". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 29, 2020. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
  54. ^ "Billboard Year End Pop 100 Songs 2006". Billboard.BIZ. Retrieved March 3, 2013.
  55. ^ "The Year in Music 2006: Pop 100 Songs". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. December 23, 2006. p. YE-51. Retrieved May 18, 2013.
  56. ^ Myers, Justin (July 21, 2017). "5 random chart facts of the week that might amaze you". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 21, 2017.
  57. ^ "American single certifications – Jessica Simpson – A Public Affair". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved July 24, 2012.
  58. ^ "A Public Affair". TopHit. Retrieved December 25, 2022.
  59. ^ "A Public Affair". Retrieved April 14, 2023 – via Amazon.
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