Maggie Andrew takes every 90s baby on a nostalgic journey with her latest single. “Come Clean” is a clever interpolation of Hilary Duff’s 2003 song of the same name. While Duff’s track tells the melancholic story about confessing the truth in a relationship even if it leads to a break-up, Andrew’s song is an angsty anger-fueled anthem that lets out her rage. Moreover, this song details the ending of a friendship, rather than a romantic relationship, which is often times even more damaging. The two songs contain a number of lyrical parallels that feed the comforting nostalgia while maintaining Andrew’s individual style and her personal storyline. The two songs start with the lyrics: “Let’s go back, let’s go back to the beginning.” However, the two songs diverge here as Andrew begins to detail the hurt and anger she is feeling in the verse. For the remainder of the song, the similarities and differences ebb and flow to provide the perfect amount of inspiration from Duff and unique lyricism from Andrew. “Come Clean” is a brilliantly written track that pays homage to one of our generation’s most iconic popstars while showcasing Andrew’s ingenious songwriting.
Although Andrew respectfully nods to Duff’s original track, she still ensures her song contains significant originality to call it her own. While Andrew’s “Come Clean” maintains the singer’s characteristic pop-rock sound, she interpolates the melody throughout the song. In Duff’s original track, she used G-sharp minor to create the gloomy atmosphere. Meanwhile, Andrew utilizes A-sharp minor to emphasize the intense and grim mood raging within her, embodied by the powerful storm found in the intro. Although the two melodies play similarly, Andrew’s twist on the song holds a heavy focus on the beat and more prominence on the bass, emphasizing the stark difference between the two tracks. Furthermore, in the chorus, she utilizes heavily distorted power chords to build a crescendo between each line. Her passionate, aggressive energy differs from Duff’s and unless you were an avid listener to her in the early 2000s, the interpolation may have gone unnoticed. Andrew’s version enhances her distinct sound with the pop-rock production and fiery vocal range. Each meticulous detail within “Come Clean” stands out, showcasing Andrew’s remarkable individuality and immense talent.
Maggie Andrew is an alternative-pop singer-songwriter from Halifax, Nova Scotia. Her sound is an innovative blend of punk, rap, R&B, and indie rock, making her music a style that is completely her own. In 2019, she released her debut single, “Sleep 4Ever.” Andrew released several remixes and collaborations, including her 2021 feature with blackbear. This version currently has over 4 million streams on Spotify alone, making it her most popular track. She has over 6 million streams globally across all platforms and has been recognized by industry tastemakers, such as Billboard, Rolling Stone, and AltPress. Additionally, she was awarded the SOCAN x Sirius XM Young Canadian Songwriters Award in 2021 and was nominated for the 2022 MNS Music Video of the Year Award, the 2023 African Canadian Artist of the Year ECMA, and was honored as a 2023 CBC Searchlight Top 10 Finalist.
Written By Karlee Skipper
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