"I got thrown a real twist of fate in the middle of making this record," the star tells PEOPLE Jessica Simpson’s first song from her new EP: Nashville Canyon: Part 1 drops this week and she reveals the story behind her very personal songs,

Jessica Simpson says Eric Johnson "will always be" part of her life after she announced their separation last month. The singer, who is releasing her new music this week, reflected on her former relationship with Johnson in an exclusive interview with People in this week's issue, and opened up about how music has healed her.

Jessica Simpson has new music coming, and the singer says its helping to heal her heart. Simpson’s “Use My Heart Against Me” will debut this week, the first song off her upcoming “Nashville Canyon: Part 1” project. The single comes a month after she and her husband Eric Johnson announced are ending their marriage of a decade.