"Fly" is a song recorded by the American singer Hilary Duff for her self-titled third studio album (2004). Kara DioGuardi co-wrote the track with its producer John Shanks. "Fly" was released on August 10, 2004, via Hollywood Records as the album's lead single. It was re-released on March 13, 2006, via Angel Records, in the United Kingdom as the third and final single from Duff's first compilation album, Most Wanted (2005). In Italy, it was re-released via EMI on May 5, 2006, as the lead single from Duff's Italy-exclusive compilation, 4Ever Hilary Duff (2006).
The single received a positive reception from critics. Commercially, it reached the top 30 in Australia, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Scotland, and the United Kingdom. An accompanying music video contains rehearsal footage and a live performance of the track.
Composition The song's protagonist encourages listeners to "let go of your yesterday" and "reach for something when there's nothing left". Hilary 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".Sony Music. "Hilary Duff - Hilary Duff". The Star. Retrieved October 27, 2006.
Critical reception Todd Burns from Stylus Magazine said the song was very similar to Duff's previous single, "Come Clean" (2004), but called it "an easily excusable offense, as it improves on the template ... [it] rightfully leads off the album."Burns, Todd. "Hilary Duff" . Stylus Magazine. September 24, 2004. Retrieved October 27, 2006. Blender magazine said the song is "Urgent and theatrical" and "sounds like Evanescence—but the inspirational lyrics are pure Duff.""Editors' Picks: October 2004". Blender. September 24, 2004. Retrieved February 23, 2007. Chuck Taylor of Billboard responded favorably to "Fly", writing that the song "addresses all that is close to young listeners' hearts...with a sing-along chorus that firmly sticks to the ears." 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."47th Annual Grammy Awards - Winners: Production" . VH1. Retrieved October 27, 2006.
Chart performance "Fly" failed to enter the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S., but peaked at number 29 on Billboards Mainstream Top 40 chart. As of July 27, 2014, the song had sold 284,000 digital copies in the United States.
Music video The single's music video, 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. Footage of the crowd was from the opening night of the tour in Worcester. 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."The TRL Archive - August 2004", "The TRL Archive - September 2004", "The TRL Archive - October 2004". popfusion.net. Retrieved March 23, 2007. The making of the video and her tour in Worcester were documented on the 2004 DVD Learning to Fly. The music video is also included as a bonus feature on the Raise Your Voice DVD.
Live performances Duff performed "Fly" on the 2004 World Music Awards.World Music Awards 2004 (TV 2004) – IMDb
Track listingsDigital download "Fly" – 3:45Australian CD single "Fly" – 3:45 "Fly" (Remix by Dan Chase) – 3:27European CD single "Fly" – 3:44 "Fly" (Remix) – 3:44UK CD single "Fly" – 3:43 "Fly" (Live AOL Session) – 3:44UK maxi single' "Fly" – 3:43 "Metamorphosis" – 3:28 "Fly" (Remix) – 3:44 "Fly" (Video) – 3:43
Charts Chart (2004–2006) Peakpositionscope="row"scope="row"scope="row"Canada CHR/Pop Top 30 (Radio & Records)26scope="row"scope="row"scope="row"scope="row"scope="row"scope="row"scope="row"scope="row"US CHR/Pop (Radio & Records)27
Release history Region Date Format Label(s) United States August 9, 2004 Hollywood United States October 19, 2004 Digital download Australia November 8, 2004 CD single United Kingdom March 13, 2006 Hollywood Italy May 5, 2006 Digital download EMI Canada May 9, 2006 Hollywood
References