Maybe the nerves got to her. On Sunday night, Jessica Simpson returned to the stage, giving her first televised performance in 15 years during the American Idol finale. However, this was not Simpson’s first performance since her hiatus; she had performed earlier this spring, surprising the crowd at Willie Nelson’s Luck Reunion just outside of Austin, Texas (in addition to making SXSW appearances). After Simpson’s first appearance on stage, she was met with harsh feedback, and unfortunately, the same happened after her American Idol performance. Simpson performed a new single titled “Blame Me,” and then was joined by the contestant Josh King for “These Boots Are Made For Walkin’.” While I didn’t think Simpson’s performance was as much of a trainwreck as social media made it out to be, it definitely was not her best. She was receiving criticism online for her shaky vocals and for her lips constantly kissing the microphone. The kissing of the microphone was likely due to the fact that her lip filler was taking over, which Carrie Underwood has received criticism for, too. To be fair, Jessica’s lip situation is a little cartoonish… maybe tone it down, girl. The one part of the performance that I criticize is that it appeared she did not look like she knew when “Blame Me” was ending and where the composition for “These Boots Are Made For Walkin'” was supposed to start. She also looked a little awkward with her dance moves, trying a little too hard. But like I said before, this was not a career-ending performance in my eyes. After she finished singing, in an exclusive interview with Extra, she shared that she was nervous about her big return to the stage, which makes sense for some of the shaky vocals and awkward poses. “Oh my god, I was dying. I have not been that nervous, I think…I don’t remember. I can’t even tell you how long it’s been since I’ve been that nervous. Like, I had to put hairspray on my feet to stand still, like, not that it actually keeps me put, but, like, my feet were sweating. I’m like, my feet don’t sweat? I just kept telling myself, ‘Do not cry. Do not cry. I know this is a big moment. Do not cry.’ And then I see my dad, like up in the corner, and I’m like, ‘Ah, I’m going to cry, I’m gonna cry. Do not cry. Just sing your songs, just sing your songs.'”  While her nerves were present, a lot of emotion filled the performance and you can tell that she still has that big voice in there somewhere… just gotta get it under control. Simpson jokes that the last time she performed on TV, it was a Christmas song, which was “easy,” but “Blame Me” (along with the other songs off her new EP) is very vulnerable to perform live. “So, this is my new EP ‘Nashville Canyon Part 1,’ I mean, part two comes in the summer, but it is so much a part of my soul, and so to sing a song off of that I felt naked, to be honest, like, it was very bare and raw and very vulnerable.” After hearing this interview, I think we need to cut her some slack. Her first two major performances are naturally going to be filled with nerves, and the keyboard warriors were quick to jump down her throat. Watching the performance back, you can see her trying to swallow her nerves. If the worst that happened was some shaky vocals and microphone kissing, then I’d say she’s still on track to making a comeback. Hopefully, the next time we see Simpson on stage, she will have worked through her nerves, and we will see a more solid performance. The YouTube viewers show Simpson much more grace than those on X. Check out some of the positive notes left on her video. “Loved to see Jessica back! Let’s stop all these negative vibes! She was missing to be on stage and deserves it! Well done, Jess.” “I can tell how much she loves her new music, the soul and emotions are shining bright!” “She was so good, voice, looks, everything!” “Wow! I was worried after seeing comments before watching, but actually enjoyed it!! Glad she’s back on stage!” Fire up the performance before you leave. The post Jessica Simpson Confesses She Was Very Nervous Before Her ‘American Idol’ Performance: “I Was Dying” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.