Breathe In. Breathe Out.
Breathe In. Breathe Out. is the fifth studio album by American singer Hilary Duff. It was released on June 12, 2015, by RCA Records. Duff began work on the album in January 2012, but after scrapping the songs she recorded, she resumed the sessions in September 2013, continuing throughout 2014 and 2015. After being signed to RCA Records in 2014, she released the singles, "Chasing the Sun" and "All About You". Following the release of them, Duff recorded more songs in Sweden on February 2015 and released the album's lead single, "Sparks".
Duff worked with a number of famous singers and songwriters; she teamed up with British singer Ed Sheeran for the track "Tattoo" and with Tove Lo for the single "Sparks", apart from working with Matthew Koma for the title track among others. Singer-songwriter Kendall Schmidt is featured on the final cut "Night Like This", and Duff's fellow long time collaborator Kara DioGuardi on "Rebel Hearts". Duff promoted Breathe In. Breathe Out. only by appearances on television talk-shows and through radio interviews, and did not tour in support of the album.
Musically, Breathe In. Breathe Out. is a dance-pop record with EDM and folk-pop elements. It received generally positive reviews from music critics, praising the album's production quality and the mix of genres on the record. The album charted within the top 10 in Australia, Canada, and the United States as well as the top 20 in Mexico and Spain.
Background and production
On November 16, 2008, Duff told MTV News at the Total Request Live finale that she would begin working on her fifth studio album in "two weeks". When asked about how the new music would sound, Duff said: "I like so many different kinds of music. Something poppy and catchy — I'm girly but I think I'm kind of tough, so maybe a little rock influence." The plan however never materialized, and Duff went on a long hiatus from music. In January 2012, she announced that she was recording new material with musicians during her pregnancy, such as Jason Evigan and Ali Tamposi, and again in September 2013, including Billy Mann. Early recording sessions for the album consisted of EDM tracks that were later scrapped in favor of songs with a folk-pop feel, as Duff felt that "it wasn't the push that wanted to have out there". Later sessions resulted in the singles "Chasing the Sun" and "All About You', both heavily influenced by the folk-pop and acoustic pop that Duff was aiming for.By October 2014, she had recorded numerous tracks in which the titles made it online through social media. In 2015, pictures from the scrapped album's photoshoot leaked online via Twitter. In February 2015, Duff once again decided to take the album in a different direction, starting to work in Sweden with Christian "Bloodshy" Karlsson and Tove Lo on new dance-oriented tracks for the album. Duff remarked that she "really wanted some of those super strong pop songs that Sweden really seems to have their finger on right now". Some of the folk-influenced tracks originally intended for the album before the change in direction, namely "Tattoo", "Brave Heart", and "Belong", managed to make it on to the album despite the change.
Artistic direction
Duff described the change in the album's musical direction in an interview with MTV in 2015, stating that "the album is a range of stuff", noting that it was initially "pretty heavy" when she began writing, drawing from the previous year of her life. She added that the material later "changed", reflecting her view that she was not "this super heavy girl", but rather "one for the sunshine", and said the overall tone shifted accordingly and "feels a lot better" to her. A track titled "This Heart", which was about her son, was going to be on the album, however, it finally scrapped from the final cut.Duff said regarding the album's lyrical content that she wanted listeners to feel as though they were getting a "glimpse" into her life and who she is, describing herself as a "normal girl" who has lived a "not-so-normal life". She suggested that her fans have remained with her because they can "relate" to her, and expressed a desire for them to feel a sense of closeness, as if they could "go out and have a fun night together". She also noted that while her "heart has been broken", it is "not the end of the world", emphasizing that "life goes on", and added that she wants listeners to feel that she is "there for them", that she "cares", and that she wants them to feel "happy".
Release and title
In July 2014, Duff announced that she had signed a recording contract with RCA Records, and that she would finish and release her then-untitled fifth studio album in between filming of her new television show, Younger; she planned to do small promotion for the album during its period, but revealed that she would not begin a "full press push" until filming of the show wrapped on December 12. The track "Outlaw" was first used in the ninth episode of the Younger and was later made available on the Fanjoy edition as well as Japanese edition of Breathe In. Breathe Out. She announced in late August that the album would not be released in October as originally planned, and that fans would have to wait a "few more months" for it to be released.Duff announced the title of the album and revealed its cover artwork on May 13, 2015. Prior to the release of the title and artwork, she announced that fans would have the opportunity to pre-order the album and have their name printed in a special edition of the album's booklet. She mailed several fans who had been among the first to pre-order the album white balloons that have the album artwork printed on it. The packages also included a handwritten note from Duff about the album. A few of the fans tweeted about the packages that they had received, and a rep for Duff confirmed that they were official.
Breathe In. Breathe Out. is named after a song that she recorded with Matthew Koma, which according to Duff, "stuck with " throughout the recording process of the album. She further explained that over the past few years, the act of taking a "deep breath in" and letting it out had been something that helped her, describing it as both a "good thing" and at times a "struggle" or a source of "power". She characterized it as a simple reminder and a form of "relief".
Composition
In an interview with MTV, Duff described the Tove Lo-penned track "One in a Million" as a "'f-- you' anthem about a guy who's not treating you right". She also said that "Tattoo", written by Ed Sheeran, is "a beautiful song about a relationship ending and what it leaves behind".Duff explained that a number of songs, written early in the process, were ultimately left off the album, as she wanted the project to function as a "feel-good" record for her fans. "Picture This" was described as a "sexy" song about obsession driven by physical chemistry, with the relationship understood as not lasting forever. The album's final track, "Night Like This", a duet with former Big Time Rush member Kendall Schmidt, was written and described by Duff as the song about "being stuck in a cab in New York with someone". The track "Belong" which appears on the deluxe version of the album is co-written by Toby Gad. In an interview, Duff said that she particularly liked it, describing the track as not "cheesy" although how it might sound when discussed, and explained that it focuses on not waiting for anything, instead encouraging listeners to "just" go for it without holding back.
Duff described "If I Fall" as reflecting a period in which she took a step back and largely "shut down" her career, during which others did not believe in her and she was "really scared" of being alone after spending five years surrounded by people. She added that the remaining tracks include party-oriented songs, one about her son Luca, and another addressing her separation and love for someone with whom she may or may not be meant to be. She characterized the material as "very, very personal", while noting that it maintains a "happy spirit", which she identified as herself.
Promotion
According to Duff, she was disappointed that she never got a chance to "properly promote" the singles "Chasing the Sun" and "All About You", but that their releases gave her "a little taste of it again" after "being out of the music game for seven years". During the week of the album's release, the singer made several appearances on Good Morning America, Live! with Kelly and Michael and The View. In 2015, she was scheduled to perform at a number of events, however, many of them were cancelled, along with a scheduled performance in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.Duff released two videos at her official Vevo page, in the two months following the album's release. The first was an acoustic performance of "Tattoo", released on June 18 and recorded live in her backyard. The following month, she released a montage music video for "My Kind". It documents her rehearsals for the choreography of "Sparks". Initially speculated as the album's next single, it was debunked by her manager on Twitter. Duff told E! during January 2016 that she would not be touring for the album.
Singles
Duff found the process of choosing her "comeback" single to be "really tough". According to Duff, it was a close tie between "All About You", "Chasing the Sun", and "Tattoo". "Chasing the Sun" was eventually selected, being released as digital download in the United States on July 29, 2014. Less than a month after of its release, Duff announced that she would release a next single, "All About You". In the United States, it was digitally released on August 12, and was sent to contemporary hit radio on August 26. They are only included in the Japanese and Fanjoy editions of the album, as the bonus tracks.On April 7, 2015, Duff released "Sparks" as the lead single from the album. Originally, Duff released a video for it on May 14 that featured her dancing while simultaneously chronicling her experiences on Tinder dates. On May 28, a "fan-demanded version" of the video was released in which the Tinder portions were cut.