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Editorial Reviews

Even though the Jessica Simpson-Nick Lachey split was a source of endless tabloid fodder, Simpson's first post-marital release shows the native Texan ready to get on with her life. While in name, the title track evokes her gossip-fueled breakup, musically it recalls Madonna circa 1983, with its mix of darting strings and snappy rhythms, lending the album an inviting dance-pop tone. Unlike Lachey, who poured his broken heart into his sophomore solo album, What's Left of Me, for Simpson, moping is out and fun is in. Aided by hit producers like Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis and Scott Storch, A Public Affair is a dance-friendly collection of songs that departs from her familiar mix of power ballads and cutesy pop. Here, the blonde bombshell dabbles with hip-hop on the beat-heavy Storch production "Fired Up"; takes a page out of Christina Aguilera's book on the big-band-flavored "Swing with Me"; and serves up a spot-on cover of Dead or Alive's new wave club classic "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)." Simpson even immerses herself in "Push Your Tush," a slice of honky-tonk funk wrapped around the infectious thump of an Ohio Players sample. And while an acoustic reading of Patty Griffin's "Let Him Fly" is a rare moment where Simpson takes it down a notch and reflects on her heartbreak, A Public Affair will stand as one of 2006's best dance-pop albums -- and the high point of Ms. Simpson's recording career to date. Dave Gil de Rubio, Barnes & Noble

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