Hilary Duff (Houston, 38 years old) has become one of the most popular faces of early 21st century television thanks to her starring role in Lizzie McGuire (2001). She was only 13 years old when she became a celebrity and, since then, the singer and actress has been part of international pop culture. But the last decade has been marked by his absence: he decided to take a small step back in his public visibility, to put his musical side aside and barely appear in film projects. Until now. Duff is back: he just released his first song in 10 years, Maturewith which a new professional stage begins.
It was last September when he revealed that he had signed with Atlantic Records – a record label home to artists such as Bruno Mars, Ed Sheeran and Coldplay – and that he also had a docuseries on the way. According to a press release, the project is directed by Sam Wrench, a Grammy-nominated British director for Taylor Swift: The Tou erasR– and will chronicle “her long-awaited musical return and personal journey, offering an unfiltered view of Hilary’s world.” “She will showcase her highs and lows, and fans will accompany her as she raises her family, records new music, rehearses for live concerts, and prepares to perform on stage for the first time in more than a decade,” the writing explains.
Duff’s intentions are clear: to return with a project that signifies a before and after in his career. Currently, the singer accumulates 1.8 million monthly listeners on Spotify a day after the release of Mature (this November 6), a song written and produced by her husband, Matthew Koma. It’s not just another topic – it’s a conversation between your current self and your younger self. “We both remember a past experience and exchange affection. It’s a smile, a wink and the gratitude of being well settled where we are,” he explained in an interview for the podcasts Therapuss. She continued, “I feel like, being where I am now, it’s really nice to reciprocate the love for everything I’ve overcome to get here. I like those little gestures and those little gifts that you can send yourself to say, ‘Hey, that was awesome. We’ve come this far.’
Little else is known about Duff’s next steps. And that mystery is essential to rebuilding his star image that he lost after a decade of musical silence. His latest album, Inhale. Exhale, She did not obtain the data that was expected of her and, since then, she has preferred to distance herself from an aspect that had given her so much joy years before. “Now 10 years of life experience have passed, I feel like I finally have something to say and have space to do it. At 38, with a family I’ve always dreamed of, I feel like I can switch off a little and dedicate some time to myself. I’ve lived a life very focused on the future, but I’m ready to connect with people again on an authentic level, which reflects who I am now. It’s like a lap of honor,” she explained in an interview with Rowingreleased on the same day as the release of his new song.
Taking advantage of the promotion of MatureDuff also remembers her time as Lizzie McGuire. In the aforementioned interview with Therapuss, The singer and actress says she doesn’t remember some episodes of her adolescence: “I don’t even remember recording that song (What dreams are made of). Now I can say that I love it. It was a strange moment.” At 17 she suffered from an eating disorder: “I weighed about 44 kilos. I was totally obsessed with everything I put in my mouth. “I was too skinny,” she explained Women’s health in 2024.
The singer was 24 years old when she welcomed her first child from her first marriage to Mike Comrie. After the separation she met Matthew Koma, with whom she had three more children. Her upbringing is one of the reasons, she says, why she disappeared from the scene. “My children will always be my priority. But as the years go by, it’s easy for your personal interests to take a backseat until you end up putting yourself in last place,” she explains in Rowing. “I’m ready to never face something like this again and give it my all again. I wanted to document what it would be like to try to do this again with my family. When I look at all the big pop stars, not many of them are also mothers. I chose a different path, so achieving my dreams will be very different now that I have four children at home,” she continues.
He says he didn’t expect this welcome from the fans who had also lost hope in his return. “It’s been a very emotional few weeks. I wonder: Does anyone still care? Does anyone even remember that I made music? That Texas girl in me still feels like she has to fake it ’til she makes it.” Following his new song, he has yet to set a release date for his documentary and his return to the stage.
