Jessica Simpson is making a comeback. Before releasing her new EP, Nashville Canyon, in March 2025, she hadn’t released new music or performed in 15 years, so it’s no surprise that she might not exactly be used to performing in front of a large audience anymore. On May 18, 2025, she performed on American Idol. Not everyone was impressed, with one critic comparing the performance to what you might see at a high school talent show.
Now, Jessica is opening up about what was going through her head during the performance. “Oh, my God, I was dying,” she told Extra. “I can’t even tell you how long it’s been since I’ve been that nervous.”
During the nerve-racking performance, Jessica was trying her hardest not to cry. She couldn’t even stand still, she revealed. “I just kept telling myself, ‘Do not cry. Do not cry. I know this is a big moment … do not cry,’” she recalled.
Seeing her loved ones in the audience made it even more challenging for her. “I see my dad, like, up in the corner and I’m like, ‘Ah, I’m going to cry. I’m going to cry. Do not cry. Just sing your songs. Just sing your songs,’” she told Extra.
It sounds like Jessica was nervous and distracted during her performance, which might help explain why people had mixed reactions to it.
Even some fans of hers seemed disappointed in her performance on the show. “She’s a wonderful singer when she doesn’t try so hard … it seems so forced and fake,” one fan wrote on YouTube.
Others were much harsher, with one person writing, “This poor woman doesn’t know when it’s time to give it up.”
Other fans reminded the critics that Jessica is practically new to all of this since it’s been so long since she last made music and performed. One fan urged: “People should give her a break. She hasn’t performed in 15 years … stop destroying her confidence.”
Meanwhile, Jessica pointed out that during her last TV performance, she was singing Christmas music, which is totally different and “easy.” She told Extra that performing her original music in front of so many people made her feel “naked” in a way.
“It was very bare and raw and very vulnerable,” she said.
