American Idol winner Carrie Underwood has drawn first blood in her bitter fight with country music rival, Jessica Simpson, dissing the busty blonde’s singing ability and her apparent weight gain.

A pal of Underwood’s told OK! magazine: “[Carrie] finds Jessica’s love of putting her life on display pretty desperate.”

When Underwood saw Jessica’s new cover story with People magazine – the one where she gushes about how Tony Romo (Carrie’s ex) is the love of her life – things got even cattier.

“[Underwood] laughed at the People cover,” the friend explained, “because it’s the same one Jess did about John Mayer [back when they were "in love"] – same smile, same look, except she’s a little fatter.”

Ouch! And that’s not all the Idol singer had to say about her bustier rival!

“Carrie doesn’t think fans will spend money to watch Jess warble through a few badly written songs,” Underwood’s pal added.

I’d tend to agree with that last part…

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Looks like Jessica Simpson’s switch from pop to country wasn’t a very good move, after all.

The former pop star and sometimes-actress gave her first country performance on Saturday, when she opened for Sara Evans at the Country Thunder USA festival in Randall, Wisconsin, and was booed by the audience!

Simpson performed a slew of tunes, including Willie Nelson’s On The Road Again and You’re My Sunday, which she dedicated to partner Tony Romo, who was hiding somewhere in the crowd. She also sang her new single Come On Over, a track which has been met with mixed reactions since its release.

Before she began, Simpson had a little one-on-one with the audience in an attempt to talk down rumours of her mediocrity.

“I don’t know what your perception is of Jessica Simpson or what tabloid you buy, but I just want you to know that I’m just a girl from Texas,” she told the crowd. “I’m just like you. I’m doing what I love and dating a boy.”

However, her cheery opener was soon forgotten the moment she opened her mouth. Fans of the singer thought her performance was weak, and there was more booing than applause for the blonde starlet by the end of her stint on stage.

One witness quipped: “I’ll have to drink a lot of beer to sit through her concert.”

Another went a tad bit further, remarking: “[Simpson is] an embarrassement to country music!”

Ouch!

Plenty more shots of Jessica’s country music debut flop available after the jump.

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Despite reports of the contrary, Jessica Simpson has denied that her father used to fit her training bras.

During a radio interview on K-FROG 95.1 in Coltin, CA on Tuesday, Simpson opened up about her father, Papa Joe Simpson, and also thanked God for her “talent” in the world of music.

Simpson said: “There have been stories that are ridiculous… Like my father really fit me for a training bra. Like, who believes that kind of thing!?”

The singer continued, discussing why she believes she didn’t reach mega-stardom in the world of pop: “I really just wanted to showcase the talent that God has given me and I don’t believe that in pop music I ever had the chance to stand on two feet and stand firm.”

Since her switch to country music, the Dukes of Hazzard actress has found her niche market at last. However, despite the critics raving about her new single, Come on Over, Simpson admitted to being afraid of failing like before. “My greatest fear is failure… failing or disappointing my fans from the pop world,” she said.

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