All About You (Hilary Duff song)

Did You Know?

• The song debuted at number 21 on the ARIA Charts before climbing to number 20.
• Duff performed the song live for the first time on The X Factor Australia on September 8, 2014.

Background and release

After a six-year hiatus from releasing new music, Hilary Duff announced she was recording a new album. She described the project as having an "earthy, indie-pop vibe" and stated a new single would be out "soon." On July 29, 2014, Duff released "Chasing the Sun," which received mostly favorable reviews and debuted at number 79 on the Billboard Hot 100. Less than a month later, she announced a new single, "All About You," to be released on August 11, 2014. Duff tweeted the cover art, which showed her in a black hat, low-cut black dress, capelet, and silver rings. The song appeared as track 18 on Now That's What I Call Music! 52 on October 27, 2014.

Composition

"All About You" is a folk pop and pop rock song written by Duff, Kristian Lundin, Savan Kotecha, and Carl Falk. Its instrumentation includes a banjo, handclaps, and a "heavy hand" drum, which Carolyn Menyes of Music Times said makes the song sound like "a big ol' stomping party." Kristin Harris of Seventeen magazine found it a mix of Taylor Swift, The Lumineers, and "old-school Hilary." Emily Blake of MTV News noted the guitar-driven track begins like a Lumineers or Mumford & Sons piece but "builds into something far more peppy, poppy and, well, Hilary Duff."

Lyrically, the song incorporates romantic innuendos, with Duff expressing how hooked she is on her boyfriend and her willingness to prove her love by "turning the lights down." Blake described the song as being about "that honeymoon-phase kind of love." Lucas Villa of AXS observed that "lyrically and vocally, Hilary shows a more mature side."

Critical response

The song received universal acclaim from music critics. Nolan Feeney of Time magazine wrote that "All About You" is in the "same twangy folk-pop vein" as "Chasing the Sun" but is a "huge improvement," possessing the "kind of rowdy punch" needed for a comeback. He noted that comparisons to Taylor Swift are inevitable but that Duff's "nod to her Texan roots" is "attention-grabbing" and effortless. Jason Lipshutz of Billboard praised the song as "a no-nonsense pop tour de force" with folk undertones, handclaps, a shout-along chorus, and deliriously enjoyable melodies.

Carolyn Menyes of Music Times praised Duff's voice for wandering "into its own territory" and the "sing along 'Hey baby baby' refrain." Lucas Villa of AXS said the song "certainly sounds like it could be Hilary's next big hit." Mike Wass of Idolator called it "the kind of sassy, sing-a-long summer anthem" expected from Duff. Michelle McGahan of Pop Crush complimented the folk-rock tone for adding "a rich depth and maturity to Duff's sound."

Music video

On August 19, 2014, Duff released a lyric video for "All About You" on YouTube. It features a succession of extreme close-ups of Duff belting the lyrics, appearing to be in the nude, with dancing embers and subtle flashes of orbs. Bradley Stern of Idolator praised the lyric video for showing a sexy side of Duff. Mandi Salemo of Pop Crush called it "a cute, flirtatious vid." On September 4, Duff tweeted that she was filming the official music video, directed by Declan Whitebloom. On September 18, she posted a picture indicating the video would be released on September 24 and that it would include choreography. Duff told MTV News that the choreography was "pretty easy" but required many rehearsals, and she wanted it to be "different" and "more me."