Hilary Duff Albums (4)
What The Critics Say
From the soft-focused, impeccably styled, tasteful cover photo -- better suited for Harper's Bazaar than a pop album -- to the haughty implications of the title, Hilary Duff's third album, Dignity, appears to be the teen star's self-styled, self-conscious adult album. Almost too adult, actually, since the packaging makes it seem like Hilary skipped over her wild, restless years and headed straight toward polished adult contemporary blandness. But, as Bo Diddley once sang, you can't judge a book by looking at its cover, and Dignity isn't quite what it seems. To be sure, it's an adult album, but it's a young adult album, driven almost entirely by gleaming electronic beats, consisting almost entirely of dance songs, and never once seeming as stuffy as that ill-conceived cover. While it is never as stylish and brittle as the cold, robotic funk of FutureSex/LoveSounds, Dignity surely strives to be a happier, friendlier spin on that electro-pop sound -- dance-pop for people who never set foot in clubs, which also means that even if the rhythms are pushed to the forefront, the tracks are built upon a strong songwriting foundation that, thanks to teen pop impresario Kara DioGuardi, are sturdy, hooky, and memorable. It's the kind of music made be somebody who knows what's fashionable but isn't by any means a trend-setter, but that, in a nutshell, is who Hilary Duff is: she's not the coolest kid around, but she's the popular girl who's still friendly to the misfits, nerds, and burnouts, so everybody still likes her even if it's at times begrudging. That persona shines strongly on Dignity, which bears a stronger autobiographical imprint than almost any other teen pop album of the 2000s. Despite that glossy photo, Hilary comes across as contradictory and conflicted as any 20-year-old in the throes of a messy, public breakup would. At its core, Dignity is the sound of the most popular girl at school shedding her long-time boyfriend and her old friends and starting life all over again. The ex-friends she takes completely unveiled swipes at are Lindsay and Britney, who earn Hilary's disdain as they party away in the Hollywood Hills, while the boyfriend is Good Charlotte's Joel Madden -- and knowing all this via tabloids and gossip blogs actually makes Dignity's literal lyrics more interesting, since when she sings about being tempted by dangerous older men or rediscovering a part of her she lost or even fending off stalkers, they play like confessions, not inventions. Having these journal entries married to sleek wannabe club beats gives this an appealingly fresh, contemporary feel, as the sound matches the ideas behind the lyrics; it's the sound of teen pop growing old in the late 2000s. Too bad, then, that Hilary still sounds like a girl. She doesn't quite sound like the spunky Lizzy McGuire, but her voice is thin, sweet, fragile, not at all like a woman, so Dignity can occasionally feel like she's trying on her big sister's clothes as she imagines what her life will be like once she's all grown up (which also gives the Madden back-story a real creepy predatory undercurrent). Even if it's hard not to wish Hilary sounded closer to her age, with this small voice she still sounds relatable and, most of all, likeable -- perceptions that are only enhanced by her determined desire to hold onto her dignity in this tabloid age. She may still be caught between childhood and womanhood, but on Dignity she makes some serious headway into turning into a mature recording artist, which makes this an effective, strangely endearing album. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
What a difference a year makes! In 2003, Hilary Duff crossed over from television to music with the light, effervescent Metamorphosis, a post-Britney teen pop album that kept things bubbly and cheerful. Not only was its innocence a bit of a relief after the highly charged sexuality of Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, it was a hit, embraced by a new generation of preteens who were born in the waning days of The New Mickey Mouse Club. Despite its success, it seemed a little antiquated by the spring of 2004, when Avril Lavigne returned with a somber sequel to her trendsetting debut, Let Go, and when Jessica Simpson's little sister Ashlee turned into a star with her rock-based Autobiography, ushering in a new phase of teen pop -- one that was more mature than the bubblegum of Metamorphosis, but only in the sense that it dealt with the angst and preoccupations of early adolescence. Gone were the fluffy party tunes -- gone too was the overamped sexiness of Britney and Xtina -- and in were heavy guitars, anthemic choruses, rock beats, and songs about growing up and finding your identity. Hilary Duff and her producers were smart enough to have her go with the flow, shedding all the bubblegum trappings of her debut and releasing a second album that's a virtual companion to Ashlee Simpson's Autobiography, from its rock/dance-pop fusion to its earnest demeanor, right down to Ashlee's producer John Shanks helming a couple of tracks. This makeover may be trendy, but it's also admirable since it results in a varied, ambitious album, even if that ambition sometimes gets the better of Hilary. At 17 tracks, the album is way too long and its straight-faced seriousness can be a little oppressive at this length, particularly since Duff can't quite pull off everything she tries. While she has a likeable, girlish voice, she's not a great singer and that occasionally hurts the album -- witness how she struggles to reach her lower register on the dirge "Hide Away." Nevertheless, those very limitations are quite appealing when they're matched to the right song, whether it's a sweet ballad or on the heavy rockers, of which there are many. There's silliness here, such as the hipster putdown "Mr. James Dean," but that makes the album feel endearingly adolescent. And that's the greatest charm of Hilary Duff -- it might take itself a little seriously, it might be a little uneven, but it feels like the soundtrack to the life of a smart, ambitious, popular teenager trying to sort things out. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Hilary Duff's debut, Metamorphosis, is what teen pop should sound like in 2003. It picks up on mainstream trends, particularly those spearheaded by Avril Lavigne, but turns them light and sweet, making for a very good modern bubblegum album. One of the keys to its success is that Duff is never sexed up, the way that Britney Spears was right from the start of her career. This is also true of Hilary in her acting career, since her TV alter ego, Lizzie McGuire, is a regular teenager with teenage concerns, including (but not limited to) crushes on unattainable boys, getting along with her pest of a little brother, understanding her parents, worrying about money, and negotiating the cliques at her school. Metamorphosis is the musical equivalent of Lizzie McGuire, only splashier and savvier and not as silly or Disneyfied as the show. In other words, it's the sound of a preteen turning teenager, finding inspiration in the tough-girl pose of Avril but also being in the fortunate position of being able to work with the Matrix as well. The three songs helmed by the Matrix -- "So Yesterday," "Where Did I Go Right?," and "The Math" -- bear their trademark beats, acoustic guitars, and ridiculous spoken interjections, and they all sound a bit more natural coming from a teenager than they do coming from, say, Liz Phair, but Avril's influence can be heard throughout the record, particularly in how Duff has absorbed how Lavigne appeals to average girls while singing insidiously catchy songs. Hilary does that here, too, but she has a sweeter, more appealing voice than Avril, and the rest of the record follows her cheerful charisma, resulting in a charmingly effervescent listen. While some songs shine brighter than others, there is no dullness here, and the whole thing clocks in at a breezy 43 minutes, which helps keep things light and engaging. Metamorphosis isn't a record that will change the world, but like the best teen pop, it sounds right in its moment, which means it's about as good as this kind of music gets. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
