Copyright Newsweek
Millennial icon Hilary Duff is poised to drop her first album in 10 years—and, if a clue on her website is anything to go by, it is coming sooner than her fans may realize. In September, it was reported that Duff had signed to Atlantic Records. She was also reportedly working on a docuseries following her personal life and return to music. Though no dates were revealed for the projects, the actor and singer recently told Variety that she had been "hard at work in the studio" and said that fans would receive something new "so soon, like in the blink of an eye." On November 2, Duff posted an Instagram story linking to her official website, which displayed a second-by-second countdown set to end at 1 p.m. Eastern Time on November 3. No further information has been released, and neither Duff nor Atlantic Records responded to Newsweek's request for comment. Across social media, fans and commentators are speculating new music is imminent. Pop culture news account @PopCrave posted about the countdown on X and received over 8,000 likes. Many commenters rejoiced saying Duff was here to "save" pop music in 2025. Others expressed a sense of nostalgia for Duff's return to music given her breakout album Metamorphosis was released over two decades ago in 2003—an era that has become widely culturally relevant with the revival of Y2K style and artists like Tate McRae and Addison Rae incorporating its sonic influences into new music released this year. Duff rose to fame when she was cast in the title role in Lizzie McGuire, a tween Disney Channel show that premiered in 2001. Despite only running for two seasons, it was a huge hit and has remained firmly embedded in the cultural consciousness of those who grew up watching reruns. In 2024, pop star Sabrina Carpenter, then 25, dressed in a replica of a costume worn by Duff in the 2003 film The Lizzie McGuire Movie for Halloween. Duff's enduring cultural relevance is apparent on TikTok, too. Her Metamorphosis hit single Come Clean went viral earlier this year as part of a challenge to identify its beat, while the movie soundtrack song What Dreams Are Made Of is frequently used in videos where people receive good news or have everyday positive experiences. In 2019, it was reported that a Lizzie McGuire reboot featuring the original cast was on the cards; however, the project never came to fruition, and Duff cited a difference in creative vision with Disney+ executives, whom she said were not on board with the more-adult themes she wanted to explore. Little is known about the sound of Duff's new music. Her early albums drew inspiration from pop-rock, while her later projects took a more dance, electro-pop direction, in line with trends of the time. A new album would come hot off the heels of another 2000s singer's return to music—on October 24, Lily Allen released her first album in seven years, West End Girl; it chronicles the dissolution of a marriage following an infidelity and is widely rumored to be inspired by her divorce from Stranger Things actor David Harbour. It was met with cultural and critical acclaim for its raw lyricism and catchy, timeless melodies. Duff's docuseries will be executive-produced by Sam Wrench, who is also behind the hotly anticipated Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour movie, Variety reported.
