Fly (Hilary Duff song)
Encyclopedia
"Fly" is a song by American recording artist Hilary Duff
. The song was written by Kara DioGuardi
and John Shanks
, and produced by Shanks for Duff's self-titled third studio album, Hilary Duff
(2004). The song received mixed reviews from music critics, comparing the song to her previous single, "Come Clean
" (2004).
"Fly" was released to CHR
and top 40 radio on August 9, 2004. During the early release of the song, radio stations were adding it to their playlists more than any other song. The song was released digitally
on October 19, 2004, as the album's lead single
.
magazine said the song was very similar to one of Duff's previous singles, "Come Clean" (2004), but called it "an easily excusable offense, as it improves on the template ... [it] rightfully leads off the album." Blender
magazine said the song is "Urgent and theatrical" and "sounds like Evanescence
—but the inspirational lyrics are pure Duff." John Shanks received a 2005 Grammy Award
for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical
for his work on "Fly" and recordings by Ashlee Simpson
, Kelly Clarkson
, Sheryl Crow
, Robbie Robertson
and Alanis Morissette
.
. As a digital download
, the song reached the top forty on the Hot Digital Tracks
chart, but download sales statistics were not included in Hot 100 calculations until February 2005, thus making the song not eligible for charting on the Billboard Hot 100
.
The song was also a success on Radio Disney
. It quickly climbed to the number-one spot on the station's weekly Top 30 Countdown, where it stayed in that position for six months. It then had a sudden drop to number fourteen and eventually exited the chart.
In Australia, where the single was released in November 2004, it was more successful: it reached number twenty-one in its second week of release and stayed on the chart for fourteen weeks. It also reached the top forty in New Zealand
and the Netherlands
. In the United Kingdom
the single "Fly" was released in March 2006, when it served as the second single from Duff's 2005 compilation album, Most Wanted. It peaked at number twenty on the UK Singles Chart
, failing to match the success of the album's first single, the top ten hit "Wake Up
"; it spent five weeks on the chart. The single was released in Ireland
where it spent 7 weeks and reached number ten in the Irish charts.
, directed by Chris Applebaum
, combines black-and-white
backstage footage with colorized shots of Duff performing the song live. The video was filmed in Worcester, Massachusetts
during rehearsals for her Most Wanted Tour
. The video premiered on MTV
's Total Request Live
on August 26, 2004, debuted on the show's countdown on August 30 and reached number one on the countdown for one day. It spent twenty-eight days on the countdown, until October 27. Scott Chitwood called it "your standard forgettable pop music video. I'm just amazed that Hilary Duff could perform in front of as big a crowd as is in the video. Is it CGI
?". There was about 100 or more fans there who won a contest to watch her perform and be in the video as a crowd. The making of the video and her tour in Worcester, Massachusetts is on the 2004 DVD: Learning to Fly.
It is also featured on the Raise Your Voice
DVD under Bonus Features.
UK CD single
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 Shanks for Duff's self-titled third studio album, Hilary Duff
Hilary Duff (album)
Hilary Duff is the eponymous third studio album by American recording artist Hilary Duff. The album was released on September 28, 2004 by Hollywood Records as a follow up to the internationally successful, Metamorphosis . Duff cited the album as being more mature than her previous, stating...
(2004). The song received mixed reviews from music critics, comparing the song to her previous single, "Come Clean
Come Clean (song)
"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 . The song contains influences of electronica, with the lyrics chronicling the protagonist wanting...
" (2004).
"Fly" was released to CHR
Contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts...
and top 40 radio on August 9, 2004. During the early release of the song, radio stations were adding it to their playlists more than any other song. The song was released digitally
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
on October 19, 2004, as the album's lead single
Lead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
.
Composition
The song's protagonist encourages listeners to "let go of your yesterday" and "reach for something when there's nothing left". Duff has described it as "an uplifting song in the face of all the negativity going around these days. It's about how people are scared to open up and show who they are inside because they're afraid of what others are going to say".Critical reception
StylusStylus Magazine
Stylus Magazine was an online music and film magazine launched in 2002. It featured long-form music journalism, four daily music reviews, movie reviews, a number of different podcasts, an MP3 blog, and a text blog....
magazine said the song was very similar to one of Duff's previous singles, "Come Clean" (2004), but called it "an easily excusable offense, as it improves on the template ... [it] rightfully leads off the album." Blender
Blender (magazine)
Blender was an American music magazine that billed itself as "the ultimate guide to music and more". It was also known for sometimes steamy pictorials of celebrities....
magazine said the song is "Urgent and theatrical" and "sounds like Evanescence
Evanescence
Evanescence is an American rock band founded in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1995 by singer/pianist Amy Lee and guitarist Ben Moody. After recording private albums, the band released their first full-length album, Fallen, on Wind-up Records in 2003. Fallen sold more than 17 million copies worldwide...
—but the inspirational lyrics are pure Duff." John Shanks received a 2005 Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical
Grammy Award for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical
The Grammy Award for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical has been awarded since 1975. The award had several minor name changes:*from 1975 to 1977, the award was known as Best Producer of the Year...
for his work on "Fly" and recordings by Ashlee Simpson
Ashlee Simpson
Ashlee Nicole Simpson is an American singer and actress. In 2004, she rose to prominence with the success of her number-one debut album Autobiography and the reality series, The Ashlee Simpson Show. In October 2005, following a North American concert tour and a film appearance, Simpson released...
, Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Brianne Clarkson is an American pop rock singer-songwriter and actress. Clarkson came into prominence after becoming the winner of the inaugural season of the television series American Idol in 2002 and would later become the runner-up in the television special World Idol in 2003.In 2003,...
, Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Suzanne Crow is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, and actress. Her music incorporates elements of rock, folk, hip hop, country and pop...
, Robbie Robertson
Robbie Robertson
Robbie Robertson, OC; is a Canadian singer-songwriter, and guitarist. He is best known for his membership as the guitarist and primary songwriter within The Band. He was ranked 59th in Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time...
and Alanis Morissette
Alanis Morissette
Alanis Nadine Morissette is a Canadian-American singer-songwriter, guitarist, record producer, and actress. She has won 16 Juno Awards and seven Grammy Awards, was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards and also shortlisted for an Academy Award nomination...
.
Chart performance
In spite of the initial success of "Fly", the song peaked outside the top twenty on the Billboard Top 40 Mainstream chart and failed to chart on the Billboard Hot 100Billboard 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...
. As a digital download
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
, the song reached the top forty on the Hot Digital Tracks
Hot Digital Tracks
The Hot Digital Tracks chart is a song popularity chart that ranks the best selling digital tracks in the United States according to Billboard magazine...
chart, but download sales statistics were not included in Hot 100 calculations until February 2005, thus making the song not eligible for charting on the 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...
.
The song was also a success on Radio Disney
Radio Disney
Radio Disney is a radio network based in Burbank, California and headquartered out of the Disney Channel headquarters on West Alameda Ave., from where it has been based since November 2008. Prior to that, the network was based in Dallas, Texas...
. It quickly climbed to the number-one spot on the station's weekly Top 30 Countdown, where it stayed in that position for six months. It then had a sudden drop to number fourteen and eventually exited the chart.
In Australia, where the single was released in November 2004, it was more successful: it reached number twenty-one in its second week of release and stayed on the chart for fourteen weeks. It also reached the top forty in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. In the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
the single "Fly" was released in March 2006, when it served as the second single from Duff's 2005 compilation album, Most Wanted. It peaked at number twenty on the 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 ...
, failing to match the success of the album's first single, the top ten hit "Wake Up
Wake Up (Hilary Duff song)
"Wake Up" is a song by American recording artist Hilary Duff from her first compilation album, Most Wanted. It was released as the lead single from the album on July 12, 2005 by Hollywood Records...
"; it spent five weeks on the chart. The single was released in Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
where it spent 7 weeks and reached number ten in the Irish charts.
Music video
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...
, directed by Chris Applebaum
Chris Applebaum
Chris Applebaum is an American music video director, who has worked with a diverse range of artists, among them Rihanna, Hilary Duff, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Mandy Moore, Natasha Bedingfield, Fountains of Wayne and Britney Spears...
, combines black-and-white
Black-and-white
Black-and-white, often abbreviated B/W or B&W, is a term referring to a number of monochrome forms in visual arts.Black-and-white as a description is also something of a misnomer, for in addition to black and white, most of these media included varying shades of gray...
backstage footage with colorized shots of Duff performing the song live. The video was filmed in Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
during rehearsals for her Most Wanted Tour
Hilary Duff concert tours
This is a description of the concert tours that American pop singer-songwriter Hilary Duff has embarked on during her professional career.- Metamorphosis Tour :Metamorphosis Tour is the first concert tour by the American pop singer Hilary Duff...
. 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 August 26, 2004, debuted on the show's countdown on August 30 and reached number one on the countdown for one day. It spent twenty-eight days on the countdown, until October 27. Scott Chitwood called it "your standard forgettable pop music video. I'm just amazed that Hilary Duff could perform in front of as big a crowd as is in the video. Is it CGI
Computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
?". There was about 100 or more fans there who won a contest to watch her perform and be in the video as a crowd. The making of the video and her tour in Worcester, Massachusetts is on the 2004 DVD: Learning to Fly.
It is also featured on the Raise Your Voice
Raise Your Voice
Raise Your Voice is a 2004 American teen musical drama film directed by Sean McNamara-Plot:Terri Fletcher , a teenager with a passion for singing, has been accepted into a music program in Los Angeles to compete for a $10,000 scholarship shortly after her brother Paul 's tragic death in a car crash...
DVD under Bonus Features.
Track listing
Australian CD single- "Fly" (Album Version)
- "Fly" (Remix)
UK CD single
- "Fly" – 3:43
- "Metamorphosis" – 3:28
- "Fly" (Remix) – 3:44
Charts
| Chart (2004/2005) | 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... |
21 |
| 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... |
32 |
| 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 |
24 |
| 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... |
10 |
| Italian Singles Chart | 13 |
| 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 ... |
20 |
| U.S. Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... Pop Songs |
29 |
Radio dates and release history
| Country | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
August 9, 2004 | Contemporary hit Contemporary hit radio Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts... and Top 40 radio |
Hollywood Records Hollywood Records Hollywood Records is an American record label owned by Disney Music Group, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company.-History:Hollywood Records was founded in 1989 by then-Disney CEO Michael Eisner with the idea of expanding the music operations of the company and to develop and promote... |
| Canada Canada Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean... |
October 19, 2004 | Digital download Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... |
|
| United States | |||
| Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... |
January 11, 2005 | CD single CD single A CD single is a music single in the form of a standard size Compact Disc, not to be confused with the 3-inch CD single, which uses a smaller form factor. The format was introduced in the mid-1980s, but did not gain its place in the market until the early 1990s... |
Mushroom Records Mushroom Records Mushroom Records is an Australian recoJrd company formed by Michael Gudinski and Ray Evans in Melbourne in 1972. After its sale in 1998, it merged into Festival Mushroom Records. From 2005 to 2009, it is one of the record labels operated by Warner Bros... |
| Unknown | EMI EMI The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major... |
||
| Unknown | |||
| Ireland Ireland Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth... |
March 13, 2006 | Digital download | |
| United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |