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Sure, the announcement dropped—but let’s be honest, it felt like something was missing: Lizzie McGuire herself, that bobble-headed, cartoon blonde forever perched as this Y2K queen’s sparkly mini-me. Picture her twirling a bite-sized disco ball around her finger, cherries within arm’s reach, haloed by glittering sparkles (all emojis straight out of Hilary Duff HQ’s Instagram 🪩✨🍒, because yes—the resurgence has officially begun). Cue the puff of pink clouds and fresh brand iconology: Hilary has signed with Atlantic Records, and excitement levels are off the charts. Even better? An intimate docuseries is on the way, directed by pop-girlie whisperer Sam Wrench (yes, the same mastermind behind Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour and A Nonsense Christmas with Sabrina Carpenter). But until the new era officially lands, we’re leaning into nostalgia—with a mini five-song playlist of Hilary bops to tide us all over.
‘All About You’
It’s been a decade-long trek through the Hilary music desert, but remember the last oasis? Breathe In. Breathe Out.—a 17-track diary that sparkled with pop confessions and heartbreak ballads, all while sneaking in a twangy, country-folk treasure called ‘All About You.’ Produced by Carl Falk (the icon who also handed hits to One Direction and 5 Seconds of Summer), it marked Hilary’s true glow-up era: mature, self-assured, and finally stepping into the spotlight with a cheeky little shoulder shimmy.
‘Wake Up’
Serving as the perfect GPS to figure out if you’re in “London, Paris, or maybe Tokyo,” this track has Dead Executives’ fingerprints all over it (yes, that era when the Madden Brothers were firmly tangled in Hilary’s sonic web). With both producer and co-writer credits, it’s basically an invitation to ditch the stuffy co-workers and their boxed-in perceptions, and instead hunt down the nearest dance floor on a gloriously sticky Saturday night.
‘Someone’s Watching Over Me’
Hilary booked Raise Your Voice (2004)—and booked it hard. The film gave us one of her most unexpectedly emotional performances, melting hearts with the aching, grief-stricken tones of ‘Someone’s Watching Over Me.’ It’s a rare moment in her discography where she leans into darker themes of loss and resilience, though, true to Hilary’s form, it’s still wrapped up in a glossy, motivational pop bow. The track itself carries that mix of fragility and fight—like a diary entry sung out loud, but dressed for radio.
Behind the scenes, it had a powerhouse pedigree: produced by John Shanks (the same hitmaker who helped Miley Cyrus scale ‘The Climb’ and steered Kelly Clarkson through ‘Breakaway’) and co-written with pop architect Kara DioGuardi. Together, they built a ballad that stood out not only in the film, but also in Hilary’s catalogue as a rare, emotionally raw gem—proof that even a teen pop queen could channel heartbreak with surprising depth.
‘With Love’
If you weren’t spritzing Hilary’s With Love perfume while belting this Vada Nobles–produced number (behind Rihanna’s ‘Pon de Replay’), then were you really living the authentic experience? This was her moment of parking the squeaky-clean Disney persona at the gates of a theme park and stepping into something far more sultry. The music video doubled down on the glow-up: Hilary struts through it in a jet-black wig, eyes smoldering, while a pre-Twilight Kellan Lutz can’t help but trail after her—until, of course, the two collide in an elevator for a smoky, slow-burn rendezvous. It’s Hilary unbottling her grown-up side, spritz by sultry spritz.
‘Why Not’
‘Why Not’ wrap things up on a Lizzie McGuire note? It doesn’t get much more iconic than this—one of Hilary’s earliest defining tracks and the very first of her videos to land on MTV, officially crowning her as more than just a Disney darling. The pop-rock anthem became a rite of passage for a generation, equal parts carefree and cathartic, like shouting your diary entries from the rooftops.
What makes ‘Why Not’ even more legendary is its shapeshifting journey. Version one: the definitive single from The Lizzie McGuire Movie soundtrack, a glittery send-off for the character that made her a star. Version two: a reworked take with a brand-new first verse for Metamorphosis, signaling Hilary’s leap into full-fledged pop stardom. And then version three: a remixed, polished-up entry on Most Wanted, a greatest-hits-meets-reinvention collection. Three versions, same irresistible message—because, honestly, why not?
So, what’s your ultimate Hilary anthem—the one that has you belting into a hairbrush before tripping straight into the bathtub because, of course, your meddling sibling can’t resist stealing the spotlight? Tell us on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook, and we’ll keep you floating in that nostalgic glitter bubble just a little longer…at least until new music comes along to pop it.
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Rachel Finucane
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