Hilary Duff - "Dignity"

With all of the bad media coverage surrounding falling starlets these days, it's refreshing to see one teen star hasn't sacrificed her dignity. Hilary Duff's album, “Dignity”, named after what seems to be lacking around Hollywood these days, is a fresh start for Duff in its new musical direction of dance floor fluff. After two albums and two multi-platinum albums filled with bubblegum, the new sound had not only updated with the ages of the fans, but with Duff herself, who demonstrated a growth of musical maturity by co-writing all but one of the song on the album.

“Dignity” opens up with the single “Stranger”, an electronic groove that immediately strips any left-over “Lizzie McGuire” image still entertained in the minds of fans, while the title track derides her fellow celebrities for their loss or morals - “Can't buy respect, but you can pick up that bill.”

Duff shines in the beat-happy second single “With Love”, her catchiest song to date. In between the surging synths and crunching guitars, she coos, “I wanna be there for you, the way you've been there for me, always help me walk the line.” The ode to unconditional love earned unconditional praise from fans and critics alike, making the song soar to her highest chart position to date.

Other songs that shine throughout the album include “Gypsy Woman” in which a piece of a historical speech is integrated; “Between You and Me”, which has tubas sounding throughout the chorus; “Happy” with a slow refrain that leads to a romping chorus; and “Play With Fire”, the first single released from “Dignity”.

The album overall showcases potential for future albums and scores a few hit songs, but it suffers from a rather boring middle section that weaken the album.