Hilary Duff is stepping back into the music spotlight. Nearly ten years after her last studio album, the singer and actress has signed a new record deal and is preparing a comeback that will be chronicled in a documentary series. For fans who have been waiting patiently since 2015’s Breathe In. Breathe Out., the announcement signals the revival of one of the early 2000s’ most defining pop voices.

Duff has officially joined the roster at Atlantic Records, marking her first major label partnership since her RCA/BMG days. To document the process, she is teaming up with director Sam Wrench, whose recent credits include Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour concert film, Sabrina Carpenter’s A Nonsense Christmas, and Laufey’s A Night at the Symphony at the Hollywood Bowl. The yet-untitled series will capture her return to the recording studio, the making of new material, and preparations for live performances that will be her first in more than a decade. No release date has been confirmed.

The comeback has not arrived without clues. Over the past year, Duff has quietly dropped breadcrumbs on social media, sharing photos and behind-the-scenes glimpses of her time in the studio. One of the most notable hints came on August 26, when she marked the 22nd anniversary of her breakthrough sophomore album Metamorphosis. In a lengthy Instagram post reflecting on that period, she looked back on her teenage self with a mix of humor and nostalgia, admitting that while the record lacks the emotional layers she searches for now, it carried a sincerity that deeply resonated with listeners at the time.

“I was embarking on something I had no idea would make such an impact on people’s lives, and mine,” she wrote. She ended the post with a coy “To be continued…,” fueling speculation that new music was imminent.

Earlier this summer, Duff also acknowledged the ten-year anniversary of Breathe In. Breathe Out., the 2015 record that introduced her fans to a more mature, electropop-driven sound. Though the album didn’t deliver blockbuster chart numbers, it became significant for a personal reason: it led her to meet Matthew Koma, a songwriter and producer on the project who would later become her husband.

Reflecting on the era, Duff struck a playful note with her fans, joking about the album’s performance while praising the authenticity behind some of the songs. “While Breathe In. Breathe Out. didn’t have major success, there was still some work on the record that felt authentic,” she said, before teasing her audience not to “let it happen again…next time…okay.”

Though her music career paused, Duff remained highly visible over the past decade. She returned to television in Hulu’s How I Met Your Father, a spinoff of the long-running sitcom How I Met Your Mother. She also balanced acting with family life and selective public appearances, consistently maintaining a close relationship with her fanbase online.

The announcement of her musical return fills a void left when a highly anticipated Disney+ reboot of Lizzie McGuire was abruptly scrapped in 2020. Details remain under wraps, including the direction of the music and whether she will lean into the pop-rock sensibilities of her early records, the dance-pop of her later years, or a fresh sound entirely.