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Hilary Duff Biography
If you thought you knew film, TV and pop music star Hilary Duff before, think again. Her new, self-titled Hollywood Records album, the follow-up to the 3.2 million-selling (4.8 million worldwide) Metamorphosis, with its chart-topping single, “So Yesterday” and MTV VMA-nominated “Come Clean,” will show you the remarkable creative growth spurt she has undergone. The release date for the album - Sept. 28, 2004 - just happens to be Hilary Duff’s 17th birthday.
“Compared to the first album, when I wasn’t confident enough to make suggestions, this time around, I was very involved,” says Duff about the recording process for Hilary Duff. “I worked with the songwriters, telling them what was happening in my life, and what I wanted to sing about. If I thought it needed to be more heavy, more rock, I said so. I feel that this record is so much more me. I can’t wait for people to hear it.”
Using some of the same producer/writers from Metamorphosis, including John Shanks (“Come Clean”) and Charlie Midnight (“So Yesterday”), as well as contributing some of her own songs in collaboration with sister Haylie, Hilary Duff shows this teenpop idol graduating into a full-throttle rock star. That “metamorphosis” can be seen and heard on the Chris Applebaum-directed video for the first single, “Fly,” which features Hilary rocking out on-stage with her band. The single was #1 Most Added out of the box at Top 40 radio.
“‘Fly’ is an uplifting song in the face of all the negativity going around these days,” says Hilary. “It’s about how people are scared to open up and show who they are inside because they’re afraid of what others are going to say.”
That attitude of empowerment, for Duff and, vicariously, her fans, is also major theme on the album. Songs like “Shine” (written by Kara DioGuardi and Guy Chambers) and “Underneath This Smile” (a Dioguard/Shanks number) urge not to judge others (or yourself) by surface appearances, but to look to your inner self for inspiration.
“When I first heard ‘Underneath This Smile,’ I told [co-writer] Kara [DioGuardi], ‘This is my life.’ I can’t really act the way I want to act, or say what I want to say all the time. And a lot of times, I cover that up with a smile. But everybody feels that way sometimes, when they can’t really say what they’re thinking.”
On the tongue-in-cheeky “Haters,” which Hilary co-wrote with sister Haylie, Charlie Midnight and Marc Swersky, she takes on a bitter tabloid rival who shall remain nameless.
“Everybody knows which feud I’m singing about,” she laughs. “It’s not directed at anybody in particular; it’s about anybody that comes down on you for no reason. I know girls go through his in high school. It’s supposed to be sarcastic. People will recognize they’re not the only ones who have to deal with stuff like that.”
On the grunge rocker “Mr. James Dean,” another song Hilary penned with her sister and Kevin Declue, she tackles a boyfriend who thinks he’s too cool. “James Dean was great, but this person was a poser,” she says.
Throughout the record, Hilary makes it very clear. She wants to rock.
“I’m really into louder, heavier music right now,” she says, counting Bob Dylan, Sublime, Janis Joplin, 50 Cent and Good Charlotte among her current favorites. “My shows are more like rock concerts. I don’t really dance. They’re not choreographed. We jump around on-stage and have a lot of energy. I loved pushing the album in that direction. It’s what I wanted to do. The guitars are awesome on it.”
Duff goes into other areas of music, too, like the aptly named “Weird,” which has almost a rhythmic island feel.
“That’s obviously about a relationship. It’s a little chippy, a little offbeat, a little creepy,” she explains. “It’s not normal. I don’t think anybody ever heard me do a song like that. The verses are very mellow and chill, and then the chorus is just loud and crazy. I love that.”
“Who’s That Girl” and “Do You Want Me” show that even though she may be rich, famous and talented, Hilary Duff still has the same problems as many of her fans.
“Desmond Child wrote ‘Who’s That Girl,’” she says. “I talked to him a lot before we worked together and he knew how I felt inside. I cried when I first heard the song. There’s this part of me that everybody knows about and there’s this other me, at home or with my friends and family, that’s completely different. And sometimes I step out and watch while the ‘other’ Hilary is working and wonder how I’m able to do all this stuff… It’s like two sides of the same person.”
The Diane Warren-penned “I Am” sounds like it could be Hilary Duff’s life story. “She said it would be perfect for me… I think it can fit everyone. It’s a real anthem. People can feel so amazing about themselves that they can go out and conquer anything. And sometimes they can’t stand themselves. It’s about those contradictions. It’s about coming out, opening up and being at peace with those different parts of you.”
The show-stopping “Someone’s Watching Over Me” is from Hilary’s upcoming role in Raise Your Voice as a young girl who overcomes self-doubt to achieve her artistic goals, with the strength gained from knowing her brother, who died in a tragic auto accident, is looking down on and guiding her.
With all that has been going on in Hilary Duff’s life over the past 18 months, it’s amazing she found the time to write and record a new album.
She starred in last summer’s hit movie A Cinderella Story, whose Top 10 Hollywood Records soundtrack featured “Our Lips Are Sealed,” Hilary and Haylie’s cover of The Go-Go’s song, which was featured along with four brand-new Duff tracks on the album. She set an audience record on ABC’s Good Morning America show last July when she performed before an estimated 7,000 people in Manhattan’s Bryant Park. Her 36-date Most Wanted Tour, which featured Haylie as an opening act, defied a weak summer market and sold out in most major markets around the U.S. Among the new songs she performed live were “Weird,” “Haters,” “Do You Want Me,” “Rock This World” and “Fly.” Her DVD, Girls Can Rock, was released in August on Buena Vista Entertainment. This fall, her New Line Cinema movie, Raise Your Voice, featuring both “Fly” and “Someone’s Watching Over Me” from the new album, hits theaters Oct. 8, while Universal Pictures’ A Perfect Man, co-starring Heather Locklear, comes out Valentine’s Day 2005.
Even with that kind of nonstop schedule, Hilary still makes sure to give back to those less fortunate. As a charter member of the Kids With a Cause organization, Hilary sponsored a “Food for a Friend” drive that collected canned foods brought to her show in each city to feed more than 22,000 youngsters at shelters around the country.
And while she enjoys acting out different roles on screen, the real Hilary Duff can be found in her music, which is why it makes great sense the multi-hyphenate star’s new album is called Hilary Duff. “Music is so personal to me. I can be myself, and say what I want to say,” she says. “I feel I’m honest most of the time and don’t try to hide things. But music enables people to learn about my personality, how I’m evolving. Even if I don’t feel comfortable talking about something, I can feel comfortable expressing that same thing through my music.”
A new chapter in the Hilary Duff story starts here.
“Compared to the first album, when I wasn’t confident enough to make suggestions, this time around, I was very involved,” says Duff about the recording process for Hilary Duff. “I worked with the songwriters, telling them what was happening in my life, and what I wanted to sing about. If I thought it needed to be more heavy, more rock, I said so. I feel that this record is so much more me. I can’t wait for people to hear it.”
Using some of the same producer/writers from Metamorphosis, including John Shanks (“Come Clean”) and Charlie Midnight (“So Yesterday”), as well as contributing some of her own songs in collaboration with sister Haylie, Hilary Duff shows this teenpop idol graduating into a full-throttle rock star. That “metamorphosis” can be seen and heard on the Chris Applebaum-directed video for the first single, “Fly,” which features Hilary rocking out on-stage with her band. The single was #1 Most Added out of the box at Top 40 radio.
“‘Fly’ is an uplifting song in the face of all the negativity going around these days,” says Hilary. “It’s about how people are scared to open up and show who they are inside because they’re afraid of what others are going to say.”
That attitude of empowerment, for Duff and, vicariously, her fans, is also major theme on the album. Songs like “Shine” (written by Kara DioGuardi and Guy Chambers) and “Underneath This Smile” (a Dioguard/Shanks number) urge not to judge others (or yourself) by surface appearances, but to look to your inner self for inspiration.
“When I first heard ‘Underneath This Smile,’ I told [co-writer] Kara [DioGuardi], ‘This is my life.’ I can’t really act the way I want to act, or say what I want to say all the time. And a lot of times, I cover that up with a smile. But everybody feels that way sometimes, when they can’t really say what they’re thinking.”
On the tongue-in-cheeky “Haters,” which Hilary co-wrote with sister Haylie, Charlie Midnight and Marc Swersky, she takes on a bitter tabloid rival who shall remain nameless.
“Everybody knows which feud I’m singing about,” she laughs. “It’s not directed at anybody in particular; it’s about anybody that comes down on you for no reason. I know girls go through his in high school. It’s supposed to be sarcastic. People will recognize they’re not the only ones who have to deal with stuff like that.”
On the grunge rocker “Mr. James Dean,” another song Hilary penned with her sister and Kevin Declue, she tackles a boyfriend who thinks he’s too cool. “James Dean was great, but this person was a poser,” she says.
Throughout the record, Hilary makes it very clear. She wants to rock.
“I’m really into louder, heavier music right now,” she says, counting Bob Dylan, Sublime, Janis Joplin, 50 Cent and Good Charlotte among her current favorites. “My shows are more like rock concerts. I don’t really dance. They’re not choreographed. We jump around on-stage and have a lot of energy. I loved pushing the album in that direction. It’s what I wanted to do. The guitars are awesome on it.”
Duff goes into other areas of music, too, like the aptly named “Weird,” which has almost a rhythmic island feel.
“That’s obviously about a relationship. It’s a little chippy, a little offbeat, a little creepy,” she explains. “It’s not normal. I don’t think anybody ever heard me do a song like that. The verses are very mellow and chill, and then the chorus is just loud and crazy. I love that.”
“Who’s That Girl” and “Do You Want Me” show that even though she may be rich, famous and talented, Hilary Duff still has the same problems as many of her fans.
“Desmond Child wrote ‘Who’s That Girl,’” she says. “I talked to him a lot before we worked together and he knew how I felt inside. I cried when I first heard the song. There’s this part of me that everybody knows about and there’s this other me, at home or with my friends and family, that’s completely different. And sometimes I step out and watch while the ‘other’ Hilary is working and wonder how I’m able to do all this stuff… It’s like two sides of the same person.”
The Diane Warren-penned “I Am” sounds like it could be Hilary Duff’s life story. “She said it would be perfect for me… I think it can fit everyone. It’s a real anthem. People can feel so amazing about themselves that they can go out and conquer anything. And sometimes they can’t stand themselves. It’s about those contradictions. It’s about coming out, opening up and being at peace with those different parts of you.”
The show-stopping “Someone’s Watching Over Me” is from Hilary’s upcoming role in Raise Your Voice as a young girl who overcomes self-doubt to achieve her artistic goals, with the strength gained from knowing her brother, who died in a tragic auto accident, is looking down on and guiding her.
With all that has been going on in Hilary Duff’s life over the past 18 months, it’s amazing she found the time to write and record a new album.
She starred in last summer’s hit movie A Cinderella Story, whose Top 10 Hollywood Records soundtrack featured “Our Lips Are Sealed,” Hilary and Haylie’s cover of The Go-Go’s song, which was featured along with four brand-new Duff tracks on the album. She set an audience record on ABC’s Good Morning America show last July when she performed before an estimated 7,000 people in Manhattan’s Bryant Park. Her 36-date Most Wanted Tour, which featured Haylie as an opening act, defied a weak summer market and sold out in most major markets around the U.S. Among the new songs she performed live were “Weird,” “Haters,” “Do You Want Me,” “Rock This World” and “Fly.” Her DVD, Girls Can Rock, was released in August on Buena Vista Entertainment. This fall, her New Line Cinema movie, Raise Your Voice, featuring both “Fly” and “Someone’s Watching Over Me” from the new album, hits theaters Oct. 8, while Universal Pictures’ A Perfect Man, co-starring Heather Locklear, comes out Valentine’s Day 2005.
Even with that kind of nonstop schedule, Hilary still makes sure to give back to those less fortunate. As a charter member of the Kids With a Cause organization, Hilary sponsored a “Food for a Friend” drive that collected canned foods brought to her show in each city to feed more than 22,000 youngsters at shelters around the country.
And while she enjoys acting out different roles on screen, the real Hilary Duff can be found in her music, which is why it makes great sense the multi-hyphenate star’s new album is called Hilary Duff. “Music is so personal to me. I can be myself, and say what I want to say,” she says. “I feel I’m honest most of the time and don’t try to hide things. But music enables people to learn about my personality, how I’m evolving. Even if I don’t feel comfortable talking about something, I can feel comfortable expressing that same thing through my music.”
A new chapter in the Hilary Duff story starts here.
Hilary Duff All Music Guide Biography
Hilary Duff first made a name for herself on the enormously successful Disney Channel/ABC Kids show Lizzie McGuire, which she parlayed into careers as a pop singer and film actress. Like most overnight successes, Duff paid her dues for a few years before her big break. Appearances in the 1997 women's Western True Women, 1998's Casper (as the Friendly Ghost's human friend Wendy), and 1999's The Soul Collector paved the way for her best-known role. Lizzie McGuire, which chronicled the ups and downs of junior high schooler Lizzie's life with live-action and animated clips, debuted in 2001 and very quickly became a huge hit with the preteen set. Aside from the show's unique format, one of the main reasons for its success was Duff herself. As Lizzie, she was pretty, funny, and smart, but not intimidatingly so; she had two best friends, Gordo and Miranda, so she wasn't super-popular or an outcast; and she was confident enough to do her own thing, but still vulnerable enough to have crushes on unattainable boys.
At the same time Lizzie was taking off, Duff also appeared in the indie film Human Nature, reflecting her continuing big-screen aspirations. Lizzie McGuire mania continued through 2002, and Duff began her first steps toward her singing career with the song "Santa Claus Lane," which appeared on the soundtrack to The Santa Clause 2, as well as her own Christmas album, also named Santa Claus Lane. That year, production ended on Lizzie McGuire, freeing up Duff to pursue other opportunities. Episodes of the show continued to run into 2003, but by that time Duff had begun to move on, appearing in the teen spy movie Agent Cody Banks and playing Lizzie one last time in The Lizzie McGuire Movie, where funnily enough, she goes to Italy and is mistaken for a teen pop star. The soundtrack to the movie also featured several songs by Duff, including the singles "Why Not" and "I Can't Wait," which were both successes in their own right; the soundtrack went platinum in summer 2003.
Around that time, Metamorphosis, Duff's bona fide debut as a singer, was released. The album had a hipper and more eclectic sound than any of the material she had been given previously, and helped establish her as a personality outside of her Lizzie McGuire fame. The album charted at number two on the Billboard 200 on the week of its release, and its single "So Yesterday" topped the pop singles chart earlier that summer. Duff's omnipresence in 2003 continued with appearances at that year's MTV Video Music Awards and the Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards, where she accepted Lizzie McGuire's trophy for Favorite TV Show. She also appeared in that year's film Cheaper by the Dozen and embarked on a tour that fall.
Duff remained just as busy in 2004. She appeared in movies like A Cinderella Story, Agent Cody Banks, and Raise Your Voice, and also released her self-titled second album, which exchanged the neutral fluffiness of Metamorphosis for an anthemic rock-pop style consistent with efforts from Ashlee Simpson and Avril Lavigne. The record continued to shape Duff's public persona, which was a continually evolving dynamo of branding, image, and teenage ambition. Released on September 28th (her 17th birthday), Hilary Duff eventually peaked at number two on both the Billboard 200 and the Top Internet Albums charts, and helped Hilary net "Most Searched by Kids and Teens on AOL" honors and more Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards. Publicity for the album continued into 2005. That June, The Perfect Man debuted; in a bit of genius casting, it featured Heather Locklear as Duff's unlucky-in-love mother.
In July, Duff started preparing for the August release of Most Wanted. The collection included three new songs -- including the single "Wake Up," written by Benji and Joel Madden from Good Charlotte -- as well as remixed versions of past Hilary hits like "So Yesterday" and "Come Clean." There was also the Most Wanted tour, which stretched into September, ending just in time for her 18th birthday. By this point, the Hilary Duff promotion machine was in overdrive: her website offered a pay-as-you-go mobile phone branded with her name and bundled with Hilary-themed ringtones and wallpapers. During 2006, Duff worked on the films War Inc. and Material Girls, and also found time to work on her fourth album, Dignity, which was inspired in part by her breakup with Joel Madden. Dignity was released in spring 2007, inspiring favorable reviews from critics but relatively lukewarm sales from the public. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide
At the same time Lizzie was taking off, Duff also appeared in the indie film Human Nature, reflecting her continuing big-screen aspirations. Lizzie McGuire mania continued through 2002, and Duff began her first steps toward her singing career with the song "Santa Claus Lane," which appeared on the soundtrack to The Santa Clause 2, as well as her own Christmas album, also named Santa Claus Lane. That year, production ended on Lizzie McGuire, freeing up Duff to pursue other opportunities. Episodes of the show continued to run into 2003, but by that time Duff had begun to move on, appearing in the teen spy movie Agent Cody Banks and playing Lizzie one last time in The Lizzie McGuire Movie, where funnily enough, she goes to Italy and is mistaken for a teen pop star. The soundtrack to the movie also featured several songs by Duff, including the singles "Why Not" and "I Can't Wait," which were both successes in their own right; the soundtrack went platinum in summer 2003.
Around that time, Metamorphosis, Duff's bona fide debut as a singer, was released. The album had a hipper and more eclectic sound than any of the material she had been given previously, and helped establish her as a personality outside of her Lizzie McGuire fame. The album charted at number two on the Billboard 200 on the week of its release, and its single "So Yesterday" topped the pop singles chart earlier that summer. Duff's omnipresence in 2003 continued with appearances at that year's MTV Video Music Awards and the Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards, where she accepted Lizzie McGuire's trophy for Favorite TV Show. She also appeared in that year's film Cheaper by the Dozen and embarked on a tour that fall.
Duff remained just as busy in 2004. She appeared in movies like A Cinderella Story, Agent Cody Banks, and Raise Your Voice, and also released her self-titled second album, which exchanged the neutral fluffiness of Metamorphosis for an anthemic rock-pop style consistent with efforts from Ashlee Simpson and Avril Lavigne. The record continued to shape Duff's public persona, which was a continually evolving dynamo of branding, image, and teenage ambition. Released on September 28th (her 17th birthday), Hilary Duff eventually peaked at number two on both the Billboard 200 and the Top Internet Albums charts, and helped Hilary net "Most Searched by Kids and Teens on AOL" honors and more Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards. Publicity for the album continued into 2005. That June, The Perfect Man debuted; in a bit of genius casting, it featured Heather Locklear as Duff's unlucky-in-love mother.
In July, Duff started preparing for the August release of Most Wanted. The collection included three new songs -- including the single "Wake Up," written by Benji and Joel Madden from Good Charlotte -- as well as remixed versions of past Hilary hits like "So Yesterday" and "Come Clean." There was also the Most Wanted tour, which stretched into September, ending just in time for her 18th birthday. By this point, the Hilary Duff promotion machine was in overdrive: her website offered a pay-as-you-go mobile phone branded with her name and bundled with Hilary-themed ringtones and wallpapers. During 2006, Duff worked on the films War Inc. and Material Girls, and also found time to work on her fourth album, Dignity, which was inspired in part by her breakup with Joel Madden. Dignity was released in spring 2007, inspiring favorable reviews from critics but relatively lukewarm sales from the public. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide
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