NEW YORK, April 8 (UPI) -- Hilary Duff is back, and blue! This triple threat actress, musician, and mother returns to the public spotlight with the debut of her dance track "Sparks," released Monday.
The new jam's striking sound can be attributed to co-writer Tove Lo, the Swedish artist behind popular radio hit "Habits (Stay High)."
"Sparks" follows Duff's more subdued singles "Chase the Sun" and "All About You," which exude more of a folksy, girl-next-door vibe. Bloodshy, the producer behind Britney Spears' "Toxic", helped the returning star refresh her music and image. It's eight years since she released a new album, making her upcoming collection all the more important.
"The album has taken on a lot of different lives, which I guess is to be expected when you've taken such a big break," Duff explained in an interview with Time. Eight years is quite a while, but Duff has had her hands full in other areas of her life, considering her role on Gossip Girl, her son and recent divorce.
Not only is Hilary Duff back in the music business, she now appears as the ambitious, young Kelsey on the current season of Younger, TV Land's quirky new show about a 40-something leading a double-life as a younger woman in Brooklyn.
"[The show is] dealing with a lot of women's issues in humorous ways," she told Time, "When I read the episode about my character's DivaCup getting stuck, that was like, 'Wow, okay, we're really going to go there.'"
This is a huge year for Duff as she moves forward professionally, which may be a reason why she decided to dye her hair blue. "I love that you can just take on a different role," she told People directly after the change, "it brings out a tone in your personality and you get to play with that."
