Come Clean (song)
Encyclopedia
"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.
", "but it's not really pop
. It sounds sort of like techno
, but it's slow. It's really cool."
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—G#mj7 as its chord progression. Duff's vocals span from the note of F#3 to the note of B4.
was directed by Dave Meyers
and filmed in Los Angeles
on November 23, 2003. 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."
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, and spent twenty-five days on the countdown, peaking at number three.
. 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.
CD Single (Canada)
CD Single 1 (UK)
CD Single 2 (UK)
The Remixes (UK)
Source
Hilary Duff
Hilary Erhard Duff is an American actress, singer-songwriter, entrepreneur, and author. After working in local theater plays and television commercials in her childhood, she achieved fame playing the title role in the Disney Channel television series Lizzie McGuire. She also reprised her role in...
. The song was written by Kara DioGuardi
Kara DioGuardi
Kara Elizabeth DioGuardi is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, music publisher, A&R executive, composer and TV personality. She writes music primarily in the light pop-rock, dance, and R&B genres. DioGuardi has worked with many popular artists; her songs have appeared on more than 159...
and John Shanks
John Shanks
John Matthew Shanks is a modern rock writer and Grammy Award–winning producer.Born in New York City, Shanks moved to Los Angeles when he was 17....
, and produced by latter for Duff's second studio album, Metamorphosis
Metamorphosis (Hilary Duff album)
Metamorphosis is the second studio album by American recording artist Hilary Duff. Promoted as her debut album, it was released on August 26, 2003 by Buena Vista and Hollywood Records as a follow up to her holiday album, Santa Claus Lane...
(2003). The song contains influences of electronica
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
, 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
So Yesterday
"So Yesterday" is a song recorded by American pop singer Hilary Duff. The song was written by Lauren Christy, Scott Spock, Graham Edwards, and Charlie Midnight, and produced by The Matrix for Duff's second studio album, Metamorphosis...
" 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
Chris Cox (DJ)
Chris Cox is a dance music producer, remixer, and DJ from USA and has worked on over 400 records. He has had a total of 40 Billboard dance chart number ones as part of the hitmaking remix team Thunderpuss, and others with Pusaka and as a solo artist. He was nominated for a Grammy in 2004 for his...
was included on Duff's 2005 compilation album, Most Wanted
Most Wanted (Hilary Duff album)
Most Wanted is the first compilation album by American recording artist Hilary Duff. Released on August 10, 2005, through Hollywood Records, the album comprises ten previously released tracks , and three new recordings: "Wake Up", "Beat of My Heart", and "Break My Heart"...
, and in 2008, another remix of the song by Chico Bennett
Chico Bennett
Chico Bennett is an American record producer , musician, and songwriter. He created Zero 1 Entertainment, Inc., a music production company, in 2000. He has produced, remixed, and written for artists such as Madonna , Nelly Furtado, The Killers, Hilary Duff, Usher , and Destiny’s Child to name just...
& Richard "Humpty" Vission was included on Duff's second compilation album Best of Hilary Duff
Best of Hilary Duff
Best of Hilary Duff received mostly mixed reviews. Allmusic gave the album a positive review stating that The Best of Hilary Duff "is a flipside of her 2005's Most Wanted", which was "pitched squarely at bright, happy tweens". They also went on to say the album "is not a look back at the past but a...
.
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
MTV Video Music Awards
An MTV Video Music Award , is an award presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in music videos...
, but lost. The song was used in the theatrical trailer for the 2004 film A Cinderella Story
A Cinderella Story
A Cinderella Story is a 2004 American romantic comedy film. The film stars Hilary Duff, Jennifer Coolidge, Chad Michael Murray and Regina King and was directed by Mark Rosman. The film's plot revolves around two Internet pen pals who meet at a school dance and fall in love but two different worlds...
, which stars Duff. It was used as the theme song for the MTV reality television shows Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County
Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County
Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County, often referred to simply as Laguna Beach, is a reality television series which originally aired on MTV from September 28, 2004 until November 16, 2006. It documents the lives of several teenagers living in Laguna Beach, an affluent seaside community located in...
and Newport Harbor: The Real Orange County
Newport Harbor: The Real Orange County
Newport Harbor: The Real Orange County, also known simply as Newport Harbor, is the replacement show of MTV's Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County. Just like its predecessor, the show documents the lives of several teenagers living in Newport Beach, California, a beachside community located in...
, 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." "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. Duff cited the song as her favorite on Metamorphosis, saying it is "a little more mellow" than her previous single, "So YesterdaySo Yesterday
"So Yesterday" is a song recorded by American pop singer Hilary Duff. The song was written by Lauren Christy, Scott Spock, Graham Edwards, and Charlie Midnight, and produced by The Matrix for Duff's second studio album, Metamorphosis...
", "but it's not really pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
. It sounds sort of like techno
Techno
Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988...
, but it's slow. It's really cool."
Musically, "Come Clean" is a moderately fast song in a tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
of 120 beats per minute. Written in the key of B Major
B major
In music theory, B major is a major scale based on B. The pitches B, C, D, E, F, G, and A are all part of the B major scale. Its key signature has five sharps....
, it features the sequence of G#mj7—E2—G#mj7 as its chord progression. Duff's vocals span from the note of F#3 to the note of B4.
Development and release
The single's music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
was directed by Dave Meyers
Dave Meyers (director)
David "Dave" Meyers is an American music video director.-Career:Meyers has directed over 200 music videos including: P!nk's "There You Go", "Most Girls", "You Make Me Sick", "Get The Party Started", "Don't Let Me Get Me", "Feel Good Time", "Stupid Girls", "U + Ur Hand", "So What", "Please Don't...
and filmed in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
on November 23, 2003. 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."
In the U.S., the video premiered on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
's Total Request Live
Total Request Live
Total Request Live is a television series on MTV that featured popular music videos. TRL was MTV's prime outlet for music videos as the network continues to concentrate on reality-based programming. In addition to music videos, TRL featured daily guests...
on January 14, 2004. It entered the show's top ten video countdown the following day at number eight, and spent twenty-five days on the countdown, peaking at number three.
Synopsis
In the video, Duff is shown in her house during a rainy day (reflecting the rain reference in the song), 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." 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 AwardsMTV Video Music Awards
An MTV Video Music Award , is an award presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in music videos...
. 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)- "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)
- "Come Clean" (Radio Mix) – 3:27
- "Come Clean" (Rhythmic Mix) – 3:33
CD Single 1 (UK)
- "Come Clean" – 3:35
- "Why Not" – 2:59
CD Single 2 (UK)
- "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)
- "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
Weekly charts
| Chart (2004) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian ARIA Singles Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
17 |
| Belgian Singles Chart Ultratop 50 Ultratop 50 singles, often just Ultratop 50, is the weekly chart of fifty best-selling singles in Flanders, Belgium, and is produced and published by the Ultratop organization. The chart has existed since March 31, 1995... (Flanders) |
33 |
| Canadian Singles Chart Canadian Singles Chart The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays.... |
7 |
| Dutch Top 40 Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... |
8 |
| French Singles Chart Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
29 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
16 |
| New Zealand RIANZ Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... Singles Chart |
17 |
| Spanish Singles Chart | 12 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
18 |
| U.S. Billboard Pop Songs | 9 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
35 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Digital (Digital Songs) | 63 |
| U.S. Billboard Adult Pop Songs | 37 |
Certifications
| Country | Certification Music recording sales certification Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,... (sales thresholds) |
|---|---|
| United States Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States... |
Gold |