"Shadow" is the second single by American singer and songwriter Ashlee Simpson, taken from her debut album, Autobiography (2004).

The song is about feelings Simpson had (when she was about 15 or 16 years old), according to one interview[1] of living in the shadow of the dreams and accomplishments of her famous older sister, Jessica, and finding her own identity.

Simpson has said that it is "about loving yourself and coming to terms with who you are";[3] also, in an interview on Live with Regis and Kelly on September 22, 2004, Simpson explained the song's meaning: ...a lot of people think that 'Shadow' is about my sister, but it's really about dealing with myself and ... dealing with ... the voice in your head that's like, 'Oh, everything has to be so perfect, and I have to be like this,' and ... finding my identity and saying, OK, you know, this is who I am, you know, imperfections and all, and I love myself for me, and here I am!

[4] There has, however, also been criticism of the song's lyrics for seeming excessively dramatic in light of Simpson's apparently loving family and fortunate circumstances.

[5] Asked in one interview about the unhappiness she expresses in "Shadow" about her childhood, and whether it's "just for the song," Simpson replied: I was dealing with my inner demons, and my inner voices in my head.

[8] The "Shadow" music video premiered on MTV's Total Request Live on September 13, 2004, and debuted on the countdown the next day at number 10.