Madonna’s ‘Holiday’ Accidentally Inspired a Jessica Simpson Song
Madonna‘s “Holiday” wasn’t a big hit, but it has a prominent place in our cultural memory. Case in point: one of Jessica Simpson’s songs is a massive rip-off of “Holiday.” Simpson herself discussed the obvious similarities.
Jessica Simpson said taking inspiration from Madonna’s ‘Holiday’ was for the greater good
In the early 1980s, dance music was dominated by a subgenre known as post-disco. It combined elements of traditional disco with synth-pop. Prominent examples of that style include Donna Summer’s “She Works Hard for the Money,” Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean,” and “Celebration” by Kool & the Gang. Madonna’s self-titled debut album is one of the most famous post-disco albums of all time. Post-disco was not a prominent genre in the 2000s, but Simpson managed to bring it back for one brief moment.
During a 2006 interview with MTV News, Simpson said Madonna’s “Holiday” subconsciously inspired her song “A Public Affair.” “I think people are ready to hear something that Madonna used to do,” she said. “We all need to hear that every now and again. It wasn’t a sample or something I meant to do, but she did influence me and still does today. I hope to have the longevity of her career.”
Jessica Simpson explained the meaning of her Madonna-inspired song
Simpson denied that “A Public Affair” had anything to do with her ex-husband, Nick Lachey. “People probably expected [it to be about Lachey] because of everything going on in my life, but it’s not about him at all,” she said. “It’s about me going out with my girlfriends and forgetting everything that’s around me, which is paparazzi, and just having a fun night.”
Simpson revealed her approach to the album A Public Affair. “When I wrote from my soul, there’s some country in there, and that’s what [producers] Jimmy Jam and Terry [Lewis] wanted to focus on,” she said. “But it’s more like how on Maxwell’s last record, you hear the steel guitar and the twang, but you have another beat that’s driving you to listen to it. It has an influence that’s a little bit folk, country, but it’s like an accent.”
What the writers of ‘Holiday’ thought of the Queen of Pop
Simpson is not the only one to mention Madonna’s influence. “Holiday” was co-written by Curtis Hudson and Lisa Stevens. During a 2012 interview with Blogcritics, Hudson said that Madonna paved the way for many musicians who came after her. In his opinion, Madonna had no predecessors, and she forged her own path. Cher, Donna Summer, and Nancy Sinatra might dispute that, but Hudson is entitled to his opinions.
Hudson said that it’s not valid to compare Lady Gaga to Madonna because Madonna was so original. Maybe, on some level, it’s not valid to compare Madonna to Simpson either. However, it’s hard not to hear a similarity between “Holiday” and “A Public Affair.”
But is it really so bad that Simpson regurgitated a Madonna song? Simpson captures the sugar-sweet sound and danceable groove of “Holiday.” What more could you want on the dancefloor? I’ll say this: “A Public Affair” is probably better than everything else she ever put out.
“A Public Affair” sounds a lot like “Holiday” and that’s what makes it so much fun.
