Hilary Duff's long-awaited comeback album, luck... or something, comes out this Friday. It's her first since 2015 and only her second since her more active run in the 2000s. Duff is a massively important and formative artist to me and many others (more on that in my forthcoming luck... or something review), and in the lead-up to the album's release I wanted to list off my ten favorite tracks from the former Disney idol.
10. Beat of My Heart
The beat of her heart is also the beat of the song... I mean, what else do you need?? In all seriousness, "Beat of My Heart" is the rare example of a greatest hits exclusive single that actually bangs. Its found on the 2005 compilation Most Wanted, and combines the brighter textures of Metamorphosis with the more rock-heavy sound of her self-titled record - particularly on the punchy bridge. "Beat of My Heart" would fit right in alongside some of the indie-chic artists of the time like Tegan & Sara or Metric, and you can bet your ass I'm shouting along in my Sentra every time the chorus rolls back around.
9. Metamorphosis
I am a sucker for a good title track, especially when it's the title track to the first favorite album I ever had. "Metamorphosis" is a spunky, grimier take on Duff's pop-rock sound, with phenomenal percussion and a slight industrial hue. Mix in the verse's sassy acoustic guitar riff and you have a surefire smash.
8. Why Not
Speaking of metamorphosis, "Why Not" is a track that's gone through different evolutions across Duff's discography. Originally recorded and released for 2003's The Lizzie McGuire Movie, a slightly tweaked version was tacked onto the end of Metamorphosis that same year, before once again being remixed for the 2005 Most Wanted compilation. I'm partial to the version on Metamorphosis, not only for familiarity's sake but also because it's a necessary pick-up to finish off the record after the ballad "Inner Strength." Regardless, you can see why they kept bringing it back, as "Why Not" is a sunny pop-rock romp with a remarkably playful chorus. It also makes the brilliant decision to squeeze in another hook with the post-chorus, further solidifying it as one of Hilary's true classics.
7. Stranger
6. Shine
"Everyone knoooows, that I'm ten feet under." "Shine" starts with Duff crooning over a loungy 70's electric piano before bursting into a soft rock jam, building tension as it goes. A male backing vocal makes you feel like Duff is a bandleader here. Where "Shine," well, shines(!), is the post-chorus introduced at the very end: Hilary pushes her voice to new limits as everything opens up. The self-titled record is more about rocking out that Metamorphosis was, and "Shine" highlights that perfectly. (In my opinion it would be a better album closer than "The Last Song," but I digress.)
5. Wake Up
Did 2005 Michael know where Hollywood & Vine was? Not really. But did that matter? No, because all I needed to know was that Hilary Duff wanted to hang out there. "Wake Up" doubles as a delectable pop song and the ideal morning alarm. Duff tours the world and creates the party wherever she goes - though the verses hint at the trappings of fame getting in her head. The Marc Webb-directed music video gives us a look into an alternate universe where Hilary was cast as the lead in Orphan Black. (Also, Hilary said that she wanted to work with Webb because she likes the bands he had directed for in the past... does this mean she was rocking out to My Chemical Romance and P.O.D.? Because God I hope so.)
4. Roommates
While "Mature" is a perfectly serviceable lead single for luck... or something, it was "Roommates" that convinced me this project would be more than just a nostalgia trip. The lyrics are strikingly adult and personal; never did I expect to hear Lizzie McGuire sing about porn or giving head at a dive bar! These lines aren't there just for shock value, either, as "Roommates" laments the evacuation of intimacy that can happen in a long-term relationship. (Duff's husband, Matthew Koma, is a co-writer, so make of that what you will.) All of this is sung over a gliding beat that might as well be plucked from the better half of Jack Antonoff's producer credits. "Roommates" is Duff's stake in the ground moment, showing she's grown up just like her audience has.
3. Fly
Hilary Duff's self-titled album marked the Michelle Branch-ification of her sound, and I mean that in the best way; indeed, "Fly" cowriter John Shanks worked with Branch. ("Everywhere" you will always be famous!) "Fly" opens the record up with one of the record's most extreme points, as a near-gothic combination of piano and processed drums suggests the likes of Evanescence, while the soaring chorus recalls the best of Goo Goo Dolls' power-pop heyday. The song carries an inspirational self-help message that worked WONDERS on me back in the second grade, and features both clever callbacks ("Let go of your yesterday") and previews for the rest of the album ("You can shine"). I remember this being my favorite part of the setlist when I saw her at the then-titled Worcester's Centrum Center in 2004. (Let's pray I get to see her again this summer!) To this day it's a special memory and my favorite rock-out moment of Hilary's career.
2. So Yesterday
Somewhere deep in the archives (AKA my parents' attic), there exists a home video of me singing this song as a first grader to my entire elementary school. (It remains my sole public vocal performance, to the mercy of everyone around me.) From a young age I knew "So Yesterday" was special; no seven year old should be riddled with anxiety, and yet this song's message of moving past and looking ahead resonated deeply. The breezy instrumental fits the theme, as does Hilary's relaxed vocal. And no matter how hard they try, I will never not love "If the light is off, then it isn't on." Sometimes, the simplest lyric can secretly hold the deepest meaning.
Honorable Mentions:
Before I reveal my #1 choice, some quick notes about the songs that agonizingly did not make the cut.
Mr. James Dean - Hilary sounds pissed here, and I love it! There's something special in those guitar tones too; there are moments here where it almost sounds like a post-hardcore song. Bonus points for the guitar solo & coda.
Sweet Sixteen - Sold me a dream as a child that I never quite let go of; now that's magic!
Sparks - The big hit of her first comeback. Catchy and introduces her more mature lyrical themes ("Skin to skin, we get it on"), but held back in retrospect by the whistle riff, one of the musical trends better left to the early 2010s.
My Kind - Another Breathe In. Breathe Out. track that sounds very of its time, but in a positive way. The bouncy tropical house beat serves Hilary's voice well, and it features maybe the album's best hook.
What Dreams are Made Of - The hardest cut of the the bunch. Iconic for all the right reasons. Only missed the top 10 because I never actually had it on CD and don't have quite the same attachment to it as I do for "Beat of My Heart."
And with that, we finish the list with...
1. Come Clean
It may be the obvious choice, but there's a reason for that! I couldn't not go with Hilary Duff's most-streamed, signature hit song that also happens to be my very favorite. Every element of this song is iconic: the meditative acoustic guitar; the near-eerie keyboards; the stuttering effects added to the vocals. The lyrics are frankly epic in scale - "Let's go back / back to the beginning / Back to when the Earth, the Sun, the stars all aligned" is quite an opening couplet. The chorus is pure bliss, the quintessential example of Duff's propensity for springing to life out of a more muted verse. Written by the same duo of DioGuardi and Shanks as "Fly," and with an accompanying video from the legendary Dave Meyers, "Come Clean" calls in the cavalry - and the result is one of the finest pop songs of a generation. Even in my angsty teenage phase, where I was doing all I could to seem straight and macho and tried to avoid pop music as best I could, "Come Clean" never left the rotation. For that, I'll always be grateful.
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