Jessica Simpson is reflecting on her split from husband Eric Johnson as she prepares to take a big step forward in her career.
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The singer and actress is returning to music with her upcoming EP, Nashville Canyon: Part 1. The first single, “Use My Heart Against Me,” drops this week.
She opened up to PEOPLE about her tumultuous relationship history, and the January announcement that she and Johnson were splitting after 10 years of marriage.
“I don’t know why my heart gets tossed around but I’m one of the lucky ones,” Simpson reflected. “At least I have my children and I still have Eric. He’s still very much a part of my life and will always be.”
“I’ve grown up so much. I can handle so much,” she added. “Maybe I’m just meant to love a lot of people in my life.”
Simpson and Johnson tied the knot in July 2014. They share three children: Maxwell, 12, Ace, 11 and Birdie, 5.
‘Nashville Canyon: Part 1’ Will Be Jessica Simpson’s First New Music in 15 Years
For her new musical venture, Simpson and her kids moved to Franklin, Tennessee, just outside Nashville.
“Discovering this music is something I did on my own,” Simpson told PEOPLE. “Thank God I had Nashville, it was just a way of me owning myself and declaring it.”
“I am a woman now and I can do what I want and to have freedom in music — I think that’s what you’re going to feel in Nashville Canyon,” she added.
Simpson and Johnson, a retired NFL tight end, announced their split in January after months of speculation.
“Eric and I have been living separately, navigating a painful situation in our marriage,” the singer said in a statement to PEOPLE at the time. “Our children come first, and we are focusing on what is best for them. We are grateful for all of the love and support that has been coming our way, and appreciate privacy right now as we work through this as a family.”