Chasing the Sun (Hilary Duff song)

"Chasing the Sun"
Single by Hilary Duff
from the album Breathe In. Breathe Out.[a]
ReleasedJuly 29, 2014 (2014-07-29)
RecordedApril 24, 2014
Genre
Length2:42
LabelRCA
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Toby Gad
Hilary Duff singles chronology
"Reach Out"
(2008)
"Chasing the Sun"
(2014)
"All About You"
(2014)
Music video
"Chasing the Sun" on YouTube

"Chasing the Sun" is a song recorded by American singer Hilary Duff. It was written by Colbie Caillat, Jason Reeves, and Toby Gad, the latter of whom also produced the track.[3][4] It was Duff's first single release under her new recording contract with RCA Records.[3][4] Undecided between "Tattoo", "All About You" and "Chasing the Sun" as her first single with RCA, Duff and the label eventually chose the latter as the first single, describing it as a "top-down, carefree, super catchy singalong song".[5] The song is featured in a March of Dimes public service announcement.[6]

Critical reception

The song received mostly positive reviews from music critics. Jason Scott at PopDust praised the song for "show[ing] a more mature side to the singer, without completely abandoning her roots."[7] Michelle McGahan of PopCrush likewise appreciated the song's sonic references to the era that made Duff a star: "We love the retro feel of the tune, which totally takes us back to the late '90s/early 2000s with its bubblegum sound."[1] Jeff Benjamin of the music network Fuse gave the single a more mixed review, in which he praised the arrangement and "feel-good" vibe but was less impressed with Duff's singing. "It's not the vocal performance of a lifetime," writes Benjamin, "but it is that same peppy singer so many kids fell in love with hearing on TV everyday in the early '00s."[8]

Vulture writer Lindsey Weber was more critical in her brief review. Describing the song as sounding "like Paris Hilton doing Sheryl Crow karaoke," Weber found "Chasing the Sun" to be an unsatisfying comeback and wrote that she "hope[s] there's more to come."[9] Carolyn Menyes at Music Times was complimentary of the song musically but also questioned the song's viability as a vehicle for Duff's return to pop stardom saying "[If] Duff is expecting to move forward in her career, she's going to have to stop looking back and make music with a little more edge."[10] VH1 writer Christopher Rosa said "'Chasing the Sun' swaps the bubblegum kitsch of 'Metamorphosis' (2003) and nightclub naughtiness of 2007's 'Dignity' for a softer acoustic sound," but that the song "still honors Duff's knack for summery pop froth."[11]

Music video

Duff shot the music video in Malibu on July 11, 2014.[12] The official music video debuted on Vevo on July 29, 2014.[3][4][13] It shows Duff as a frustrated office worker who dreams of being on the beach with another man, played by actor Daniel Sobieray. Eventually, she begins to re-enact her dreams in real life, causing havoc between the other office workers. After a freak accident that almost leads to her throwing a hamster ball with the hamster in it, she ends up being fired and takes her stuff back home. Lucas Villa of AXS complimented the video's theme, writing, "[k]nowing that most of her demographic has moved on from classrooms to entry level jobs, [Duff] smartly plays with an office daydreaming scenario."[14]

Chart performance

The song debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 chart of August 16, 2014, at number 79.[15] It is also her first entry on the Hot 100 since 2007’s “ Stranger”.

Charts

Chart (2014) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[16] 72
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[17] 59
France (SNEP)[18] 197
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[19] 46
US Billboard Hot 100[20] 79

Release history

Country Date Format Label
Austria[21] July 29, 2014 Digital download Sony
Belgium[22]
France[22]
Germany[21]
Italy[23]
Spain[24]
Switzerland[21]
United States[25] RCA
Italy[26] July 30, 2014 Contemporary hit radio Sony
Russia[27] August 19, 2014
Japan[28] August 27, 2014 Digital download
United Kingdom[29] June 22, 2015 RCA

References

  1. ^ Only included on the Japanese edition and 2022 digital reissue
  1. ^ a b McGahan, Michelle (28 July 2014). "Listen to Hilary Duff's New Single 'Chasing the Sun'!". PopCrush. Townsquare Media. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
  2. ^ Feeney, Nolan (August 12, 2014). "Hilary Duff New Single: "All About You"". Time.
  3. ^ a b c Trakin, Ray (July 23, 2014). "Hilary Duff Signs to RCA Records". The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved July 23, 2014.
  4. ^ a b c Trakin, Ray (July 23, 2014). "Hilary Duff Signs to RCA Records". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved July 23, 2014.
  5. ^ "Hilary Duff interview: "I'm an all or nothing kind of girl"". PopJustice. 25 July 2014. Retrieved 4 August 2014.
  6. ^ "Hilary Duff's New Song Featured in March of Dimes PSA". Pharmiweb.com. August 19, 2014. Archived from the original on August 21, 2014. Retrieved August 19, 2014.
  7. ^ Scott, Jason (28 July 2014). "Hilary Duff's 'Chasing The Sun' Captures Our Imaginations: Listen". PopDust. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
  8. ^ Benjamin, Jeff. "Hilary Duff Comeback Single "Chasing the Sun" - Song of the Day". Fuse. The Madison Square Garden Company. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
  9. ^ Weber, Lindsey (28 July 2014). "This Is Hilary Duff's Comeback Song: 'Chasing the Sun'". Vulture. New York Media, LLC. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
  10. ^ Menyes, Carolyn (28 July 2014). "REVIEW: Hilary Duff 'Chasing The Sun' is Easy, Breezy, Innocent and Not a Comeback Single [LISTEN]". MusicTimes. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
  11. ^ Rosa, Christopher. "Hilary Duff's New Single "Chasing the Sun" Debuts Online". VH1. Viacom Media Networks. Archived from the original on August 1, 2014. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
  12. ^ "Hilary Duff Announces New Single Chasing the Sun and Sets an Album Release Date for Fall 2014". E! Online. 23 July 2014. Retrieved 2014-08-02.
  13. ^ Johnson, Zach (July 23, 2014). "Hilary Duff Announces New Single "Chasing the Sun" and Sets an Album Release Date for Fall 2014". E!. NBCUniversal. Retrieved July 23, 2014.
  14. ^ Villa, Lucas. "Hilary Duff battles the office blues in music video for 'Chasing the Sun'", AXS, Retrieved on 29 July 2014.
  15. ^ Trust, Gary (August 6, 2014). "MAGIC! Maintains No. 1 Perch on Hot 100; 'Bang Bang,' Meghan Trainor Soar Into Top 10". Billboard. Retrieved August 6, 2014.
  16. ^ "The ARIA Report - Issue #1275" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. 9 September 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-08-06.
  17. ^ "Hilary Duff Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved August 7, 2014.
  18. ^ "Hilary Duff – Chasing the Sun" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved August 12, 2014.
  19. ^ "Hilary Duff – Chasing the Sun" Canciones Top 50. Retrieved August 12, 2014.
  20. ^ "Hilary Duff Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved August 7, 2014.
  21. ^ a b c "Chasing the Sun: Hilary Duff: Amazon.de: MP3-Downloads" (in German). Amazon.de. Retrieved August 2, 2014.
  22. ^ a b "Chasing the Sun: Hilary Duff: Amazon.fr: Téléchargements MP3" (in French). Amazon.fr. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
  23. ^ "Chasing the Sun: Hilary Duff: Amazon.it: Musica Digitale" (in Italian). Amazon.it. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
  24. ^ "Chasing the Sun: Hilary Duff: Amazon.es: Tienda MP3" (in Spanish). Amazon.es. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
  25. ^ "Chasing the Sun: Hilary Duff: MP3 Downloads". Amazon.com. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
  26. ^ "Hilary Duff — Chasing the Sun (Radio Date: 30-07-2014)". Earone.it. 28 July 2014. Retrieved August 2, 2014.
  27. ^ "Hilary Duff — Chasing the Sun". Tophit.
  28. ^ "音楽ダウンロード・音楽配信サイト mora ~WALKMAN®公式ミュージックストア~".
  29. ^ "Chasing the Sun". Amazon UK.