The inspiration for Nashville Canyon, Pt. 1 struck the former Y2K-pop It Girl while celebrating her daughter Maxwell’s birthday in Music City: Instead of “Happy Birthday,” the 11-year-old requested that her mom sing Hank Williams’ “I Saw the Light,” and something clicked. The 44-year-old musician relocated from Los Angeles to Nashville shortly after, where she branched out from the label-driven pop formulas of her past hits. Instead, she embraced Americana for her first record of original material since 2008’s Do You Know. From the steamy roots rock of “Sunday Lover” to bluesy breakup anthem “Blame Me,” Simpson sounds grittier—and freer—than ever. You might consider the chorus of “Breadcrumbs” as something of a thesis statement: “Remember who you are/Forget who they told you to be.”