Come Clean (Hilary Duff Song) - Wikipedia

2004 single by Hilary Duff

"Come Clean"
Single by Hilary Duff
from the album Metamorphosis
B-side	"Why Not"
Released	January 12, 2004 (2004-01-12)
Genre	Pop rock
Length	3:35 (album version)3:26 (radio mix)
Label	Buena Vista Hollywood
Songwriters	Kara DioGuardi John Shanks
Producer	John Shanks
Hilary Duff singles chronology
"So Yesterday" (2003) "Come Clean" (2004) "Little Voice" (2004)
Audio video
"Come Clean" on YouTube

"Come Clean" is a song by American singer Hilary Duff for her second studio album, Metamorphosis (2003). It was written by Kara DioGuardi and John Shanks, while production was handled by Shanks. The song contains influences of electronica and techno, with the lyrics chronicling the protagonist wanting to "come clean" with her love interest, from a strained relationship. "Come Clean" was received by critics with positive reviews, with most praising its poetic lyrics and her vocal performance. The song was released on January 12, 2004, as the album's second single.

In the United States, the song peaked at number 35, becoming Duff's first top-40 single on the Billboard Hot 100. It would later go on to become her best-selling single in the United States.[1] However, the song failed to match the success of its predecessor "So Yesterday" in many other countries. It reached number 17 in Australia and number 18 on the UK Singles Chart while charting within the top 10 in Canada and The Netherlands, as well as the top 20 in the Irish Singles Chart, Spain, and New Zealand. A remix of the song by Chris Cox was included in Duff's 2005 compilation album, Most Wanted, this version was also included on her Dignity Walmart edition Remix EP as the Dance Mix in 2007, and in 2008, another remix of the song by Chico Bennett & Richard "Humpty" Vission was included on Best of Hilary Duff while the original version is included on the Japanese edition.

The song was accompanied by a music video, directed by Dave Meyers, which 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. 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.

Background and release

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Work on Hilary Duff's first high-profile album (following her Christmas debut record in 2002) started concurrently with the shooting of the films The Lizzie McGuire Movie and Cheaper by the Dozen.[2] Duff, the executive producer Andre Recke, and her mother Susan Duff, enlisted her to work with songwriters and producers such as Kara DioGuardi, The Matrix, Charlie Midnight and John Shanks.[3] Duff commented on the process, claiming, "Here were the very best writers, musicians, and producers ever and they were so open to my opinions. I got to talk with some of the writers and say, ‘You know, I feel like this’ and they got it. It is so cool. I loved the whole process."[4] The project would lean into pop rock songs, with pop influences as well.[3]

As DioGuardi recalled, she had written a song called "Come Clean" with John Shanks, which in her own words, it "was sort of this personal statement for me", since she felt uninspired after working on Marc Anthony's 2002 album, Mended. She continued: "I felt like it was very binding. The melodies had to be within the constraints of what was going on in the tracks. So 'Come Clean' was kind of this statement for me, as I’m getting away from all of that, I’m going to go back to the way it should be done in music. The song changed because she was young. I think the line originally was 'wet my dreams' [and became] 'wake my dreams'."[3] In November 2003, MTV News announced that "Come Clean" was set to be released as the album's second single in January 2004.[5] It was immediately released to US mainstream radio on January 12, 2004.[6]

Composition

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"Come Clean" The chorus of the song, backed by drums. It also incorporates elements of electronic music. Problems playing this file? See media help.

"Come Clean" was written and produced by Kara DioGuardi with songwriter John Shanks. Although written from DioGuardi's point of view, it was "adapted for Duff and fit the singer’s goal of sharing who she really was."[7] It is a pop song with a "hypnotic synth pattern" and a "driving tempo". Musically, "Come Clean" is a moderately fast song in a tempo of 120 beats per minute. Written in the key of B major, it features the sequence of G♯mj7—E2 as its chord progression.[8] Duff's vocals span from the note of F♯3 to the note of B4[8] As noted by Billboard writer Chuck Taylor and MTV News editor Joe D'Angelo, it is less "bratty" and "clichéd" than Duff's previous single, "So Yesterday" (2003).[5] Duff agreed, citing the song as her favorite on Metamorphosis, saying it is "a little more mellow" than "So Yesterday", "but it's not really pop. It sounds sort of like techno, but it's slow. It's really cool."[9]

Lyrically, the song talks about looking at a situation carefully to fully understand what's at the heart of the matter.[5] In it, she also sings about requiring honesty and transparency in a relationship.[10] D'Angelo noted that "it's her emotional portrayal that has matured in line with the song's reflective theme," with Duff singing at one point, "I'm shedding every color/ Trying to find a pigment of truth/ Beneath my skin," before launching into the chorus of "Let the rain fall down/I'm coming clean."[5] Some critics noted that it features "angst-ridden lyrics like "let it wash away my sanity, 'cause I wanna feel the thunder, I wanna scream"."[7][11] In a 2005 interview with News Times, Duff 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. 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".[12]

Chart performance

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The song debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 chart of February 28, 2004, at number 53, and eventually peaked at number 35, becoming Duff's first top 40 song in the United States.[13] As of July 27, 2014, the song had sold 655,000 digital copies in the United States and has been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for equivalent sales of 1,000,000 units.[1]

Music video

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Development and release

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The single's music video was directed by Dave Meyers and filmed in Los Angeles on November 23, 2003.[14] 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."[14]

In the United States, the video premiered on January 11, 2004, during Nickelodeon's TEENick block. The next day, it made its debut on MTV during an episode of Making the Video before premiering on Total Request Live two days later. It entered the show's top ten video countdown the following day at number eight,[15] and spent twenty-five days on the countdown, peaking at number three.[16][17] It also reached the top 5 of TRL UK. The video was nominated in the category of Best Pop Video at the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards.[citation needed]

Synopsis

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In the video, Duff is shown in her house during a rainy day (reflecting the rain reference in the chorus of the song[14]), 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, as right before the bridge, the power in her house goes out. The interior scenes are intercut with shots of Duff's boyfriend (played by Gavin Beasley) driving to her house in a car. At the end of the video, the boyfriend arrives at the house, and Duff ventures out into the rain to meet him; they kiss as the video ends.

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."[14] 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."[12]

Track listings

[edit] "Come Clean" – Australian maxi single[18]

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Come Clean" (Radio mix)	3:26
2.	"Come Clean" (Rhythmic mix)	3:32
3.	"Come Clean" (Acoustic version)	3:22
4.	"Hilary Speaks" (Exclusive Australian Interview)	6:13
5.	"Come Clean" (Music video)	3:26
Total length:		13:46

"Come Clean" – Canadian CD single[19]

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Come Clean" (Radio mix)	3:26
2.	"Come Clean" (Rhythmic mix)	3:33
Total length:		7:08

"Come Clean" – UK CD single 1[20]

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Come Clean"	3:35
2.	"Why Not"	2:59
3.	"Come Clean" (Music video)	3:33
Total length:		10:07

"Come Clean" – UK CD single 2[21]

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Come Clean"	3:35
2.	"Come Clean" (Joe Bermudez & Josh Harris Main Mix)	3:35
3.	"Come Clean" (Cut to the Chase Club Mix — Radio Edit)	3:29
4.	"Come Clean" (Music video)	3:33
Total length:		13:32

"Come Clean" – UK The Remixes EP[22]

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Come Clean" (Cut to the Chase Club Mix — Radio Edit)	3:29
2.	"Come Clean" (Flood Remix Radio)	3:44
3.	"Come Clean" (Joe Bermudez & Josh Harris Main Mix)	3:35
4.	"Come Clean" (Cut to the Chase Club Extended Club Mix)	5:31
5.	"Come Clean" (Chris Cox Flood Remix)	9:42
Total length:		25:21

Personnel

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Adapted from the liner notes[23]

• John Shanks – producer
• Rob Chiarelli – recording, mixing

Charts

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Weekly charts [edit] Chart (2004) Peakposition Australia (ARIA)[24] 17 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[25] 33 Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Wallonia)[26] 2 Canada (Nielsen SoundScan)[27] 7 France (SNEP)[28] 29 Ireland (IRMA)[29] 16 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[30] 8 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[31] 9 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[32] 17 Romania (Romanian Top 100)[33] 98 Scotland Singles (OCC)[34] 12 Spain (PROMUSICAE)[35] 12 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[36] 78 UK Singles (OCC)[37] 18 US Billboard Hot 100[38] 35 US Adult Pop Airplay (Billboard)[39] 37 US Pop Airplay (Billboard)[40] 9

Year-end charts [edit] Chart (2004) Position Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[41] 80 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[42] 65 US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[43] 53

Certifications

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Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[44]	Platinum	1,000,000‡
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

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Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Ref.
United States	January 12, 2004	Mainstream radio	Buena Vista Hollywood	[6]
Australia	January 19, 2004	Maxi single		[45]
United Kingdom	April 12, 2004	CD single maxi single		[46]
Germany	June 28, 2004	Maxi single		[47]
United States	October 19, 2004	Digital download		[48]

References

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1. ^ a b "Ask Billboard: How Has Enrique Iglesias' 'Bailando' Become Such A Big Hit?". Billboard. July 27, 2014. Retrieved July 27, 2014.
2. ^ Rosen, Craig (January 26, 2004). "Hilary Duff: A Performer's Metamorphosis". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 29, 2007. Retrieved November 22, 2025.
3. ^ a b c Menze, Jill (August 23, 2013). "Oral History: The Making of Hilary Duff's 'Metamorphosis'". MySpace. Archived from the original on October 1, 2015. Retrieved November 22, 2025.
4. ^ Reynolds, William C. (June 2004). "Cover Story - Hilary Duff: A Texas Metamorphosis" (PDF). Cowboys & Indians (105). Retrieved November 22, 2025.
5. ^ a b c d D'Angelo, Joe (November 24, 2003). "Hilary Duff To 'Come Clean' To Fans In Next Clip". MTV News. Archived from the original on November 26, 2003. Retrieved November 22, 2025.
6. ^ a b "Radio & Records" (PDF). Worldradiohistory.com. January 19, 2004. p. 26. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
7. ^ a b Merrill, Allison McClain (August 26, 2023). "Hilary Duff's Metamorphosis at 20: Reflecting on a Picture of Millennial Adolescence". Paste. Retrieved November 22, 2025.
8. ^ a b "Hilary Duff Digital Sheet Music: Come Clean". Musicnotes.com.
9. ^ Moss, Corey. "Hilary Duff Plans Break From Movies". MTV News. September 8, 2003.
10. ^ Waliszewski, Bob. "Metamorphosis - Plugged In". Plugged In. Focus on the Family. Retrieved November 22, 2025.
11. ^ Simon, Rachel (August 27, 2013). "Revisiting Hilary Duff's 'Metamorphosis'". Bustle. Retrieved November 22, 2025.
12. ^ a b "Hilary Duff comes clean". News Times. January 21, 2005.
13. ^ "The Hot 100". Billboard. January 2, 2013. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
14. ^ 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.
15. ^ "The TRL Archive - Recap - January 2004" Archived October 19, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. ATRL.net.
16. ^ "The TRL Archive - Recap - February 2004" Archived September 11, 2016, at the Wayback Machine. ATRL.net.
17. ^ "The TRL Archive - Recap - March 2004" Archived September 11, 2016, at the Wayback Machine. ATRL.net.
18. ^ Come Clean (Australian Maxi single liner notes). Hilary Duff. Hollywood Records. 2004. 021692.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
19. ^ Come Clean [Canada CD] - Hilary Duff | AllMusic
20. ^ Come Clean - Hilary Duff | AllMusic
21. ^ "Come Clean". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
22. ^ "Come Clean". Amazon.com. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
23. ^ Metamorphosis. Hollywood Records (Media notes). 2003.
24. ^ "Hilary Duff – Come Clean". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
25. ^ "Hilary Duff – Come Clean" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
26. ^ "Hilary Duff – Come Clean" (in French). Ultratip.
27. ^ "Hot Canadian Digital Song Sales". Billboard. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
28. ^ "Hilary Duff – Come Clean" (in French). Le classement de singles.
29. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Hilary Duff". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
30. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Hilary Duff" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
31. ^ "Hilary Duff – Come Clean" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
32. ^ "Hilary Duff – Come Clean". Top 40 Singles.
33. ^ "Arhiva romanian top 100 – Editia 9, saptamina 1.03 – 7.03, 2004" (in Romanian). Romanian Top 100. Archived from the original on February 20, 2005. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
34. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart on 18/4/2004 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
35. ^ "Hilary Duff – Come Clean". Canciones Top 50.
36. ^ "Hilary Duff – Come Clean". Swiss Singles Chart.
37. ^ "Official Singles Chart on 18/4/2004 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
38. ^ "Hilary Duff Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
39. ^ "Hilary Duff Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
40. ^ "Hilary Duff Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
41. ^ "Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 2004". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved January 11, 2020.
42. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 2004" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved January 11, 2020.
43. ^ "2004 The Year in Charts: Most-Played Mainstream Top 40 Songs". Billboard Radio Monitor. Vol. 12, no. 51. December 17, 2004. p. 22.
44. ^ "American single certifications – Hilary Duff – Come Clean". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
45. ^ Plastic Underground Melbourne Australia (April 10, 2004). "Hilary Duff - The Official Australian Hilary Duff Website". Archived from the original on April 10, 2004. Retrieved November 24, 2013.
46. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. April 10, 2004. p. 27.
47. ^ "Come Clean: Amazon.de: Musik". Amazon.de. September 9, 2009. Retrieved November 24, 2013.
48. ^ "AOL Broadband Rocks! November 22, 2003: Hilary Duff: MP3 Downloads". Amazon.com. Retrieved November 24, 2013.

v t e Hilary Duff
Awards and nominations Discography Songs Tours
Studio albums	Santa Claus Lane Metamorphosis Hilary Duff Dignity Breathe In. Breathe Out. Luck... or Something
Compilation albums	Most Wanted 4Ever Hilary Best of Hilary Duff
Live and video albums	All Access Pass The Girl Can Rock Learning to Fly Live at Gibson Amphitheatre
Singles	"I Can't Wait" "Why Not" "So Yesterday" "Come Clean" "Little Voice" "Our Lips Are Sealed" "Fly" "Someone's Watching Over Me" "Wake Up" "Beat of My Heart" "Play with Fire" "With Love" "Stranger" "Reach Out" "Chasing the Sun" "All About You" "Sparks" "Never Let You Go" "Mature" "Roommates"
Books written	Elixir Devoted
Retail	Stuff by Hilary Duff With Love... Hilary Duff Femme for DKNY
Related	Haylie Duff (sister) Matthew Koma (husband)
Category

Authority control databases	MusicBrainz work MusicBrainz release group