Hilary Duff’s 4th Album “Dignity” – Her DVD Saved The Day

Before viewing the DVD that comes with the Deluxe Edition of Hilary Duff’s new album “Dignity”, the title of this blog would have been “Too Little Great Songs Too Late”. I like listening to (and writing about) artists who has a story to tell themselves. I can be both easy and difficult to satisfy. You don’t have to have a big voice like Celine Dion nor Mariah Carey (and so long as you don’t sing as repulsive as Lindsay Lohan). As long as I can hear an element of “you” inside your album, I am a happy audience.

I always enjoy listening to Hillary Duff’s music, especially her 2nd self-titled album. I like her Rock/Pop background. Though lacking of Avril Lavigne’s edge in terms of attitude and consistence song delivery within an album and even across albums, Hilary Duff does have something appealing underneath her good girl image. Something genuine. Something honest. Something that I could not pinpoint.

Then I sampled her DVD that by the way made the entire purchase worth it. The DVD came with 9 music videos that span across her career plus on top of that, an interview that lasted more than 30 minutes. It was that interview that changed my mind. Hilary is hands on with her singing career from songwriting to touring. In her mind, it is hard to relate to a song that is written by others. That, I agree totally. And in her interview, she talked about how she struggled in LA to become an artist and how she found her own manager without knowing the business at all. In a way, she has a great business mind. Leverage on her television success, she branched out into singing. Then subsequently having her own perfume and clothing line. With an earning of $15 million at the age of 18? What more do I need to say?

In her DVD, she stated that her new album is a deliberate move away from her Rock/Pop background and venture into the Pop/Dance genre. It took me a while to get used to. That is why songs like “Happy” (track 10) casts an immediate hook onto me because it is like her classic Rock/Pop genre. The last track “Play With Fire” is yet another outstanding title that I keep listening to. (Now you understand why the working title of this blog was as such).

Overall there are some good dance songs like the opening track “Stranger” (very Indian feel), “With Love” (featured below), and “Gypsy Woman”. Hilary Duff is only 20 this September and I have much faith in her.

Her 2nd single “With Love” that sums up what most of the tracks are like in “Dignity”.

Her 1st single “Play With Fire” was written before she has conceptualize “Dignity”. My 2nd favourite track from the album (my first being “Happy” that there is no video for that song). There is a remix edition on YouTube too but I prefer the original. The remix version may be appealing to some of you.