My really long Dignity Review

So where do I start. I guess the first thing to say is that the wait is finally over. It’s been almost 3 years since Hilary Duff released her last full-length album and I am definitely happy to hear some new music.

As expected the sound of Dignity is significantly different than any of Hilary’s previous albums. Just like the sound of Hilary Duff was significantly different than the sound of Metamorphosis. I’m not really sure what to make of the change in musical style. Is Hilary just changing herself to fit in to what’s popular at the moment? Or is she experimenting with new sounds in an effort to grow as an artist? After hearing Dignity it seems like a little bit of both.

Hilary Duff is definitely growing as a musical artist. She co-wrote 13 out of the 14 tracks on Dignity, and she seems much more polished as a singer than in previous outings. I think it’s kind of ironic that my favorite song on Dignity is the one song she didn’t write, because Hilary’s writing is good if not great. It’s not that she’s an expert wordsmith or anything, but what makes the writing so good is that Hilary’s songs are so personal.

In countless radio and television interviews leading up to the album release date Hilary said that she really opened herself up to write this album, and didn’t hold anything back. She wasn’t kidding. The lyrics are serious, deep, and at times almost haunting. That seems like a crazy way to describe a Hilary Duff album, but listen to Burned, Dreamer, or Gypsy Woman and you will get a glimpse of Hilary’s life that we have never seen before. When we see Hilary Duff on TV or in pictures she often looks like a perfect picture of beauty and elegance, but the songs on Dignity show a much different person who feels emotions of fear, anger and regret. This was briefly explored on Hilary Duff with songs like Dangerous to Know and Underneath This Smile, but it seems so much more powerful on Dignity because Hilary actually wrote the songs and they are connected to specific events in her life.

Did I mention this is a dance album? Yeah, it’s kind of weird that most of the songs on Dignity have serious meanings, but the lyrics are surrounded by fast, upbeat electronic dance music. It certainly provides for an interesting contrast. Many people have talked about how this album is so much more “grown up” than Hilary’s other albums, but I actually think this record will be very popular with younger fans because most of the songs are catchy and fun despite the sometimes serious undertones.

I’ve probably written too much and over analyzed this, so I’ll just finish up by saying that I really like the album. I like the fact that Hilary is experimenting with different genres of music. I like the fact that she is starting to write her own stuff. I like the cool and different sounds of each song on this album. I like Outside of You. I like Hilary’s voice, and I had actually forgotten how much I liked it. I don’t know if this is Hilary’s best album but it is certainly a huge step in her musical development, and more than anything makes me wonder where Hilary will go from here. I just hope we don’t have to wait 3 more years to find out.

Tags: Hilary Duff, Dignity, Review