When an artist wants to get the party started, who better to call than Timbaland? The producing powerhouse, who helped shape recent smash hits by Justin Timberlake and Nelly Furtado, toiled on half of the tracks on Ashlee Simpson's upcoming release, Bittersweet World. He lent his expertise on "Out of My Head (Ay Ya Ya)," "Murder," "Can't Have It All," and "Rulebreaker" while the rest were guided by the Neptunes’ Chad Hugo and critically acclaimed Ethiopian synth-hop savant Kenna.

Ashlee explains, “The room was so blessed with talent. I was very lucky to work with people who are at the top of their game”. She quickly learned that hip-hop heroes move at a different pace than pop stars. “I have never worked until 4 a.m. before. I wouldn’t go in until late in the afternoon and then we’d work until the wee hours of morning if we had it in us. I started bringing a blanket with me. I got a little loopy and punchy late at night, which affected some of the songs. It was so cool for me to be able to step outside of the way I had always done it before and try new things.”

More help came courtesy of Travis McCoy, the frontman of Gym Class Heroes, who raps on “Murder.” The two run in similar circles and she’s a big fan of his MC skills. “The band’s so huge now and he’s so busy that he had to send me his part from overseas. I was happy he made the time because he just gets me and it completed the song.” Don’t let the somber title fool you. The 23-year-old has not gone gangsta. “No, it isn’t serious, based on a true story or a threat,” she explains laughing. “It’s a metaphor about a girl who can get away with murder because of who she is”.

She also wrote or co-wrote every track and the final product is a mix of ballads, radio-friendly anthems and dance floor ditties per usual. “I never want to be handed a song to sing. I don’t work that way. This is my art and it’s personal. If someone else writes the song without my input, it doesn’t feel honest.”

Her favorite collaborative partner is still her childhood friend/band guitarist Ray Brady. “I trust him completely. He plays on every track and is my sounding board. We sit in a corner writing and working out alternative versions to play live. He’s always introducing me to new music that helps me evolve as an artist.”

So, if you would like to win one of these new CDs or an Ashlee Simpson poster, just answer this easy question: The album's lead single, "Little Miss Obsessive," returns the artist to her pop/rock roots and features guest vocals from which man from whih band?!

Send us your answers and if you're correct you'll be in the running to win one of these new CDs or Posters! Just send us an e:mail here before June 1st with your answer and the subject title CONTEST: ASHLEE SIMPSON CDs to: exclusivemagazine@flash.net

CD Purchase Link

www.ashleesimpson.com

www.myspace.com/ashleesimpson

"Outta My Head (Ay Ya Ya)" (iTunes)