Hilary Duff - Luck… or Something

Album review by: Lindsay Carson

The first ever CD I owned was Metamorphosis by Hilary Duff, so I think I am the most qualified person when it comes to a Hilary Duff album review. The Disney Channel alum released her sixth studio album, Luck… or Something, on the 20th of February, 2026, after almost eleven years of not releasing music. That alone piqued my interest, and I had to give this album a listen.

Weather for Tennis 

Surprising only to me, this song has nothing to do with the film Challengers? Regardless, it’s a girlie pop bop! It reminded me of songs from the early 2000s, with an upbeat tune mixing classic instruments and electronic production. It made me want to put on low-rise bootcut jeans and layer a tank top over a long sleeve top. Y2K kids get it. It’s also clear Hilary is grown up now, as she uses the word “batshit” in the lyrics. She sounds like a more mature version of the Hilary I listened to as a kid. Now singing about domestic spats and how her relationship looks like a recipe for fighting and friction. See, so in a way, this song is about Challengers because tennis is allegory for relationships. That being said, I’d describe this song as catchy and cute, despite having a darker tone lyrically. It’s the type of song you listen to in the car, singing along with the windows rolled down.

Roommates

Okay, I hear the Taylor Swift inspiration in this song. It’s 1989 production meets The Life of a Showgirl type of lyrics. Perhaps, because of that, it tainted my listening experience. My review of The Life of a Showgirl was quite blunt, I didn’t hold back in expressing my opinions on the decline of Taylor Swift’s writing. I liked the production of this album, as I like the production of this song, but lyrically, it didn’t do anything for me. It came across as juvenile, when I prefer worldly and deeper lyrics. It’s just a personal taste. I can understand Hilary Duff trying to replicate what is popular, but I would’ve rather she tried to make her own sound.

Mature

While the lyrics continue to be on the nose, which isn’t my favourite type of song writing, the message of this song goes hard. This song is about a man who dates a girl much younger than him, way too young for him, as he is a man and she is a girl. She seems to be referencing her own past relationship, being groomed by older men as a teenager. I appreciate her not shying away from controversial topics, as ones like this are important to discuss.

Future Tripping 

I hear Cyndi Lauper's influence on this song, and I like it. The melody is so fun, it’s definitely a ‘dance in your room while singing into a hairbrush’ type of song. (That’s a Lizzie McGuire Movie reference, for those of you without culture). This song is all about stressing out while thinking about the future. I think it’s an incredibly relatable topic. She seems to focus on how thinking about how the future of a relationship can cause her doubt and anxiety. I think a lot of women, especially women who date men, have experienced this. I think there’s a lot of ideals we are fed that causes us to spiral about these things. For such an anxious topic, it was still a song I could only describe as fun!

You, From the Honeymoon 

See, so it’s giving Taylor Swift lyrically again. This is not a compliment; it's a reference to her recent (word) to use current slang. It comes off as chronically online, and I prefer poetic. To Hilary Duff’s credit though, she was never marketed as someone who writes poetically. As Duff sang in this song, “it’s unfair to compare” so I will refrain from now on, but that really reminded me of The Life of a Showgirl. It’s a pretty song melodically, Hilary Duff’s voice sounds quite airy and angelic. It’s not my favourite song on the album, but I could understand how someone may like it. It’s a chill, easy listening type of song.

Adult Size Medium 

So… I just simply didn’t like this song. I do understand it’s a very raw song from the singer, about growing up in the entertainment industry and the way that’s affected her self-image. I do appreciate the honesty and the vulnerability put into not just this song, but the album as a whole. This song though, I do not want to listen to again. It references the album name though, ending on the repeated question “was it luck or something?”

We Don’t Talk 

“We come from the same home, the same blood.” It is clear this song is about Hilary Duff and her sister Haylie Duff being estranged. Its straightforward chorus notes how they don’t talk about anything anymore. She seemingly feels like the relationship is so strained, she can’t even think of a single way to fix it. It’s concise, to the point, and I’m sure very relatable to anyone who is estranged from a family member. I thought it was fine, but not my favourite on the album.

Growing Up

It’s obvious the main theme of this album is growing up. All different facets of getting older, in Hilary Duff’s experience. I do love how she sampled Blink-182 in this song. She did that for the Millennials. Anyway, this song seems to be about how, in her adult life, people seem to get too busy to have the social lives they once did. Hilary’s best friend, she knows, will always be there for her though. It’s a cute song.

Holiday Party 

This song is about Duff worrying about her husband cheating on her at a holiday party. She gives her unfiltered, anxious thoughts, where she can’t help but imagine the worst. It’s a catchy, and once again raw song. I did like it better than others, but my favourites at this point are “Future Tripping” and “Weather for Tennis”.

The Optimist

Hilary Duff continues to be vulnerable and spill her truth on this album. She sings about her father and how she wishes he was a better father towards her. It seems the lack of love from her father still affects her, but she remains optimistic about her life. It’s definitely not as fun and upbeat as other songs. It almost has a folky tone to it. It’s quite pretty, and I did like it. Perhaps it can be in my top three songs of this album. There’s still one more to go, so we’ll see.

Tell Me That Won’t Happen

Hilary Duff doesn’t shy away from singing about all her anxiety. As I stated before, I can see the songs about relationship anxiety to be relatable. Before, I mentioned it being relatable for women because of the ideals fed to us, but I imagine it can be relatable to anyone who dates. In the day and age of social media, it’s completely understandable to wonder if what you’re experiencing is authentic and will last. Hilary Duff doesn’t seem immune to that. The production reminds me of the sound The1975 had on their first couple of albums, and I don’t mind that. Sorry, “The Optimist”, this song is in my top three. It’s raw, has fun production, and is relatable.

The word I repeatedly used for this album was ‘cute’ because I think it really embodies a cute Y2K aesthetic, musically. It’s the kind of album that reminds me of summer break, laughing with friends, and dancing in front of the mirror.