![]() The former, written by DioGuardi and Patrik Berger, was originally sung by Swedish artist Sahlene but with much more suggestive lyrics. I view “Little Voice” and “Party Up” as companion songs. The chant-like interlude of “rain fall down” and “let the rain fall” has a cleansing quality before Duff again pleads, “Let it wash away / My sanity / ‘Cause I wanna feel the thunder / I wanna scream / Let the rain fall down / I’m coming clean.” Each note in the chorus is well-placed, rising with “let the rain” and descending to “fall down.” There’s no better music for plumbing the depths of the soul. An abridged version of the music video (directed by Dave Meyers) played on Disney Channel-with Duff in a white sweater, surrounded by candles as the rain pours-while the MTV crowd heard the song as the intro to Laguna Beach. “I’m shedding / Shedding every color / Trying to find a pigment of truth / Beneath my skin,” she sings. Though it was reflective of DioGuardi’s journey as a songwriter, “Come Clean” was adapted for Duff and fit the singer’s goal of sharing who she really was. ![]() As vivid as that image is, her next single is ingrained as much, if not more, in the collective millennial consciousness.įrom its hypnotic synth pattern to its angsty chorus, “Come Clean”-written by Kara DioGuardi and John Shanks-was perhaps one of the most serious songs Hilary Duff’s fanbase would encounter in 2003. Now, at 29, the message is no less comforting and can still be applied to life in general, not just a breakup: “Laugh it off, let it go, and when you wake up it will seem so yesterday, so yesterday.” This guitar-driven lead single set up Duff’s pop-rock sound and look, making it easy for us to sing along and nail those spoken bits: “You can change your life- if you wanna / You can change your clothes- if you wanna.” She wears jeans and a black top and blazer in the music video (directed by Chris Applebaum), complete with a single black glove. I still have my original copy of Metamorphosis, which spun in my boombox as I sang along to “So Yesterday” at age nine. Lavigne had worked with The Matrix on “Complicated,” “Sk8er Boi,” “I’m With You,” “Anything But Ordinary” and “Things I’ll Never Say” for her debut record Let Go-so Duff and the trio made complete sense. She worked with sought-after producers The Matrix (Lauren Christy, Scott Spock and Graham Edwards)-who wrote “So Yesterday,” “The Math” and “Where Did I Go Right?” with Charlie Midnight. Metamorphosis, in retrospect, changed her life and shaped the musical tastes of a generation. Selena Gomez, Miley Cyrus and Demi Lovato have all expressed their admiration for Duff, as she walked a path worth studying and made it to the other side of child stardom without the public trials that some of her peers faced. It was totally new for someone to start a music career on Disney’s record labels from the foundation of starring in a Disney Channel series. The Jonas Brothers were even signed to Columbia Records before becoming affiliated with Hollywood Records and Disney Channel. Her contemporary, Raven-Symoné, had a full music career before working with Disney and lending her voice to The Cheetah Girls. With the right collaborators on board, Hilary Duff helped redefine Disney Channel stardom. The former senior VP of A&R at Walt Disney Records, Jay Landers, saw her synergistic potential. She was inspired by the teen artists in her Hollywood circle. As a singer, Duff gave them an edgy but approachable role model, a young woman who was candid about trying something new while also remaining confident in her own work ethic and abilities. The album’s title captured pivotal changes we saw in her artistic trajectory-from television actress to musician and feature film star, from Lizzie McGuire to platinum-certified powerhouse.ĭuff’s young fans were presented with many prospects while forming identities in their tween years: They could go punk and channel their inner Avril Lavigne, or they could take style cues from the burgeoning reality TV stars of the day and the established pop powerhouses. ![]() ![]() Released just over a month before her 16th birthday, Metamorphosis represented much of Duff’s lived experience. August 26 marks the 20th anniversary of her breakout album Metamorphosis, which followed her 2002 holiday record Santa Claus Lane. Many of us found a friend in Lizzie McGuire, and Duff’s music added new dimensions to our devotion. Hilary Duff helped an entire generation through the odyssey of growing up.
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