Breathe in. Breathe out. Now scream, cry, jump around and dance — because Hilary Duff just released a new single for the first time in a decade, and it’s exactly what I needed as a mom. It’s nostalgic, catchy, fun, and powerful all at once.
Duff’s music was the soundtrack to my life. From scream-singing “What Dreams Are Made of” into my hairbrush at sleepovers to staring moodily out the window while “Come Clean” played on my portable CD player in the car, the Lizzie McGuire star was my introduction to pop music and fan-girling and teenage angst and a bubbly, blonde personality. I idolized her, I put her poster on the wall, and I’ve remained a huge fan, even as she left the music industry and focused on raising her four kids. Now, I’ve grown up a lot — and have three kids of my own — and so has she. And her brand-new single “Mature” reflects that in the best possible way.
THE LIZZIE MCGUIRE MOVIE, Hilary Duff, 2003. © Walt Disney / Courtesy Everett Collection
©Walt Disney Co./Courtesy Everett Collection
In her words: “’Mature’ speaks to my mature self calling my not so mature self on the phone many years ago, and she’s letting her know we landed softly,” Duff wrote on Instagram. “This was a brief time with a lover that left me with so many questions… It felt like a good place to start. How are we feeling… Mature?”
The song is a powerful return to pop music, with mature vocals, a catchy melody, and words that speak to being taken advantage of when she was younger. The chorus succinctly calls out this predatory behavior from a past, undisclosed relationship: “She looks like all of your girls but blonder, a little like me, just younger. Bet she loves when she hears you say, ‘You’re so mature for your agе, babe.’ She looks like shе could be your daughter. Like me before I got smarter. When I was flattered to hear you say, ‘You’re so mature for your age, babe.’”
Argh, it’s so good! She’s a woman now — a mom! — and this new song sounds so damn good. Looking at it through the eyes of a mom, I love how she is calling out men while showing gentleness and grace to the girls who’ve been taken advantage of (“I can’t put it on them, it’s his best trick. And they’re taking the bait just like I did). She’s no doubt speaking out in part because of her own daughters — Duff is mom to daughters Banks, 7, Mae, 4, and Townes, 1, with husband Matthew Koma and son Luca, 13, with ex Mike Comrie. I love that she’s not just returning to pop music, she’s returning with something to say.
“Now that I have 10 more years of life experience under my belt, I really feel like I have something to say and that I have a safe space to do it,” the Younger star told Vogue today. “To be 38 and have built a family that looks the way I always dreamed it would, I feel like I can step away and take some time to do this for myself. I’ve had a forward-facing life for such a long time, but I’m ready to connect with people again on a level that feels authentic to who I am now. It feels like a victory lap.”
Hilary Duff in attendance for CULT OF LOVE Opening Night on Broadway, The Hayes Theater, New York, NY, December 12, 2024. Photo By: Simon Lindenblatt/Everett Collection
Simon Lindenblatt/Everett Collection
She also chatted about the docu-series she’s making about her return to music, and how she’s balancing that as a mother in a world where traditionally women aren’t mothers.
“When I look at all the big pop stars, not too many of them are also mothers,” Duff told the outlet. “I chose a different path, so achieving my dreams is going to look a whole lot different now that I have four kids at home. There’s an honesty and an ‘I don’t give a fuck’ mentality that comes with it.”
Yes, yes, yes! Everything about this is amazing and powerful and strong, and I am so here for it. Here’s to Hilary Duff’s next era — may it heal the inner child in all of us.
Before you go, check out this list of celebrities you didn’t realize are parents.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.sheknows.com ’
