Ashlee Simpson showed off her sultry eyes (but no smiles) for the December issue of Cosmo Girl. She's got a new album coming out this month and a new found confidence to go along with it. I must say that I've always had a soft spot for Ash, despite all her ridiculousness, so I'm giving her a big high five for being (or at least seeming) happy. In the magazine she talks about her new music, and her boy Pete. Here's a highlight from her interview:

People expected me to do even more of a rock record because of Pete, but I went in the opposite direction. This is a fun party album, and I get to be kind of cheeky for the first time — silly and quirky, like my friends and I can be sometimes. For me, the music on the album just came naturally. I trusted my instincts, and I'm proud about the results. It's a record in which I'm saying, 'I am woman and I won't take anyone's s***.' I felt free to be fun and crazy and sexy, and that's what I did. Pete's not on this record at all — we're so different musically. He likes to do his own thing and I do my own. He listened to it, though, as I was making it. I couldn't not let him listen to it! He's a great sounding board and very supportive. Pete and I complement each other. We are best friends and we encourage each other. I think that is so important in any relationship — it builds a solid foundation."

To see more of Ashlee in the magazine just read more