Ashlee bids to be taken seriously

Everyone makes mistakes. The problem is, everyone else remembers them. So even though a year has passed since her infamous “Saturday Night Live” lip-sync disaster, Ashlee Simpson is still trying to prove her artistic worth after the faux pas made her look very faux indeed.

“It’s, like, I’m real -- I promise!” Simpson exclaimed during an interview to promote her album “I Am Me,” which hit stores Tuesday. “

On this sophomore album, Simpson sings about the usual issues that permeate a 21-year-old’s world, like stealing boyfriends. But she also tackles her very public growing pains on tracks like “Beautifully Broken.”

Until last year, Ashlee was best known as the younger sister of pop princess Jessica Simpson, despite acting on “7th Heaven” and other minor celebrity gigs. So Ashlee sought a path completely different from her sister, drawing on inspiration from rockers like Joan Jett, Pat Benatar and Chrissie Hynde.

“They have cute outfits and rock out,” says Simpson. “Their voices are so strong and thick and raspy, like mine.”

Associated Press