Come Clean (Hilary Duff song)

"Come Clean"
Single by Hilary Duff
from the album Metamorphosis
B-side	"Why Not"
Released	January 20, 2004 (2004-01-20)
Format	CD single
Recorded	2003
Genre	Pop rock, electronica
Length	3:35
Label	Buena Vista, Hollywood
Writer(s)	Kara DioGuardi, John Shanks
Producer	John Shanks
Certification	Gold (RIAA)
Hilary Duff singles chronology
"So Yesterday" (2003) "Come Clean" (2004) "Little Voice" (2004)

"Come Clean" is a song recorded by American recording artist Hilary Duff. The song was written by Kara DioGuardi and John Shanks, and produced by latter for Duff's second studio album, Metamorphosis (2003). The song contains influences of electronica, with the lyrics chronicling the protagonist wanting to "come clean" with her love interest, from a strained relationship. The critics received "Come Clean" with mixed reviews. The song was released on January 20, 2004 as the album's second single.

The song peaked at number thirty five, becoming Duff's first top forty single in the US and also her best charting single at the time. But, the song failed to match the success of its predecessor "So Yesterday" in many other countries. It reached a peak of number seventeen in Australia and eighteen in the UK, while charting inside top twenty in Canada, Netherlands, Ireland and New Zealand. A remix of the song by Chris Cox was included on Duff's 2005 compilation album, Most Wanted, and in 2008, another remix of the song by Chico Bennett & Richard "Humpty" Vission was included on Duff's second compilation album Best of Hilary Duff.

The accompanying music video directed by Dave Meyers showed Duff inside a house on a rainy day, waiting for her love interest. The video was nominated in the category of Best Pop Video at the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards, but lost. The song was used in the theatrical trailer for the 2004 film A Cinderella Story, which stars Duff. It was used as the theme song for the MTV reality television shows Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County and Newport Harbor: The Real Orange County, and it is included on the soundtrack album for Laguna Beach.

Composition

In a 2005 interview with News Times, Duff described said that the song is "obviously about a boy and a girl's relationship and it's just talking about how somebody thinks they're in the dark."^[1] "She's tired of it and he's tired of it and they're coming clean, whether it means they're gonna be together or not. They're laying all the cards out on the table and coming out with everything that hasn't been said basically.", she said.^[1] Duff cited the song as her favorite on Metamorphosis, saying it is "a little more mellow" than her previous single, "So Yesterday", "but it's not really pop. It sounds sort of like techno, but it's slow. It's really cool."^[2]

Musically, "Come Clean" is a moderately fast song in a tempo of 120 beats per minute. Written in the key of B Major,^[3] it features the sequence of G#mj7—E2—G#mj7 as its chord progression.^[3] Duff's vocals span from the note of F#3 to the note of B4.^[3]

Music video

Development and release

The single's music video was directed by Dave Meyers and filmed in Los Angeles on November 23, 2003.^[4] Meyers said of the video, "I'm trying to do something where you're taking her [Duff] very seriously ... very dramatic and very feminine, and sort of almost sensual. I don't think we've ever seen that from her. She's been a bit of a pop icon, so I'm just trying to give her a bit more credibility on an artist front."^[4]

In the U.S., the video premiered on MTV's Total Request Live on January 14, 2004. It entered the show's top ten video countdown the following day at number eight,^[5] and spent twenty-five days on the countdown, peaking at number three.^[6][7]

Synopsis

In the video, Duff is shown in her house during a rainy day (reflecting the rain reference in the song^[4]), walking from room to room. Her friends arrive and watch television with her in the living room. The rainstorm intensifies over the course of the day, and the interior scenes are intercut with shots of a man in a car. At the end of the video, the man arrives at her house, and Duff ventures into the rain to talk to him. According to Meyers, "We never do know if the guy in the end is a boyfriend or friend or what the drama is. It's just all very photogenic and sophisticated and not too colorful."^[4] Duff said that the video "really shows that she's kind of in this monotone mood throughout the whole thing. She doesn't show too much emotion except that she's waiting for this boy, this guy, to come. You can't tell when they're running toward each other if they're gonna kiss or they're gonna hug or they're gonna hit each other. It's a bunch of different emotions."

Reception

The video was nominated in the category of Best Pop Video at the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards. The song won her a TMF Award in the Fake ID Category, and assisted her in winning the 2004 World Music Award for Best New Artist. The song was also shortlisted for the 47th Annual Grammy Awards in the category for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.

Track listing

CD Single (Australia)[8][9] "Come Clean" (Radio Mix) – 3:25 "Come Clean" (Rhythmic Mix) – 3:31 "Come Clean" (Acoustic Version) – 3:21 Hilary Speaks – 6:14 "Come Clean" (Music Video) CD Single (Canada)[10] "Come Clean" (Radio Mix) – 3:27 "Come Clean" (Rhythmic Mix) – 3:33 CD Single 1 (UK)[11] "Come Clean" – 3:35 "Why Not" – 2:59

CD Single 2 (UK)[12] "Come Clean" – 3:35 "Come Clean" (Music Video) "Come Clean" (Joe Mermudez & Josh Harris Main Mix) – 3:35 "Come Clean" (Cut to the Chase Club Mix - Radio Edit) – 3:29 The Remixes (UK)[13] "Come Clean" (Cut to the Chase Club Mix - Radio Edit) – 3:29 "Come Clean" (Flood Remix Radio) – 3:44 "Come Clean" (Joe Bermudez & Josh Harris Main Mix) – 3:35 "Come Clean" (Cut to the Chase Club Extended Club Mix) – 5:31 "Come Clean" (Chris Cox Flood Remix) – 9:42

Credits and personnel

• Songwriters: Kara DioGuardi, John Shanks
• Production: John Shanks
• Recording and mixing: Rob Chiarelli

Source^[14]

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts Chart (2004) Peak position Australian ARIA Singles Chart[15] 17 Belgian Singles Chart (Flanders)[16] 33 Canadian Singles Chart 7 Dutch Top 40[15] 8 French Singles Chart[15] 29 Irish Singles Chart[15] 16 New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart[15] 17 Spanish Singles Chart[17] 12 UK Singles Chart[15] 18 U.S. Billboard Pop Songs[15] 9 U.S. Billboard Hot 100[15] 35 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Digital (Digital Songs)[15] 63 U.S. Billboard Adult Pop Songs[15] 37

Certifications Country Certification (sales thresholds) United States Gold[18]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "Hilary Duff comes clean". News Times. January 21, 2005.
2. ^ Moss, Corey. "Hilary Duff Plans Break From Movies". MTV News. September 8, 2003.
3. ^ ^{a b c} "Hilary Duff Digital Sheet Music: Come Clean". Musicnotes.com.
4. ^ ^{a b c d} D'Angelo, Joe and Moss, Corey. "Hilary Duff To 'Come Clean' To Fans In Next Clip". MTV News. November 24, 2003.
5. ^ "The TRL Archive - Recap - January 2004". ATRL.net.
6. ^ "The TRL Archive - Recap - February 2004". ATRL.net.
7. ^ "The TRL Archive - Recap - March 2004". ATRL.net.
8. ^ Amazon.com: Come Clean: Hilary Duff: Music
9. ^ Come Clean - Hilary Duff | AllMusic
10. ^ Come Clean [Canada CD] - Hilary Duff | AllMusic
11. ^ Come Clean - Hilary Duff | AllMusic
12. ^ Come Clean [CD 2]: Hilary Duff: Amazon.co.uk: Music
13. ^ Amazon.com: Come Clean: Hilary Duff: Music
14. ^ (2003) Album notes for Metamorphosis.
15. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j} "Hilary Duff - Come Clean". aCharts.us.
16. ^ "Hilary Duff - Come Clean". Ultratop 50 Chart. http://www.ultratop.be/nl/showitem.asp?interpret=Hilary+Duff&titel=Come+Clean&cat=s. 
17. ^ Chart Data: Hilary Duff
18. ^ RIAA Certifications

External links