Dressed in a plaid shirt and sporting an oversized belt buckle for the photo, Jess, 28, opens up in an interview on everything from her relationship with Tony Romo to the difficulties of going through a very public breakup with former husband Nick Lachey.

Says Jessica of the many men she dated after her marriage ended, “I was going through a lot of pain. I didn’t try anything to change my life other than dating different types of guys and conforming to their worlds. I thought I had to be artsier, more intellectual.”

A revealing quote from the often mislabeled celeb, who has been pegged with the image of blonde-haired, big-boobed bimbo perhaps one too many times.

It looks like nowadays Jessica really is trying to make changes. She’s releasing her country album Do You Know on September 9th, and has worked things out with Tony after a near breakup to get to a point where she claims they are “spiritually connected.”

Good for her! We’re team Jess all the way and are thrilled to see her doing so well and trying new things to distance herself from her Newlyweds days.

But now to the real question: There’s some debate about Jess’ cover shot. Having grown up as a country girl who knows her way around a plaid shirt, we think Jess looks smokin’! (Wish we could’ve looked that good.)

What do you think about Jessica’s country girl look and direction?

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