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"I Am" is a pop rock song written by Diane Warren, and produced by John Shanks for Hilary Duff's fourth album, Hilary Duff (2004). Jeff Rothschild and Shanks mixed the song,^[1] and it was one of several tracks on the album made available to request on Radio Disney in the United States.^[2] It is an empowerment song in which Duff lists positive and negative aspects about herself; she has said it is about being comfortable "with all those feelings ... being who you are".^[3] During Duff's performances of the song on her concert tour in early 2006, images of victims of the tsunami caused by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake were shown.^[4]

German band Die Happy covered the song for their 2005 album Bitter to Better. Their version was released as a single in late 2005 (see 2005 in music), and it reached number seventy-five on the Germany singles chart, remaining on it for six weeks.^[5]

Critical reception

Critics gave "I Am" mixed reviews. Ken Barnes of USA Today, who criticised Hilary Duff for the preponderance of "hackneyed self-affirmation messages", named the song the "prime offender" in conveying such messages.^[6] Slant magazine's Sal Cinquemani described "I Am" as "terminally sanguine ... what Alanis Morissette might sound like if she had a lobotomy (Duff is apparently a bundle of really cheesy contradictions)."^[7]

Todd Burns of Stylus magazine, in a negative review of the album, compared the song favorably to Ashlee Simpson's "Autobiography" (from Autobiography, 2004); he said "clearly a candidate for the second single, ["I Am"] is the requisite celebrity "but I'm so much more than that" plea, but as with Simpson's "Autobiography", it works quite well as a mission statement." Burns also commented positively on the song's neighboring tracks on Hilary Duff, writing "The triptych of "Shine", "I Am" and "The Getaway", wherein Duff goes from love-struck girl to confused young adult to independent woman is breathtaking."^[8]

Notes

1. ^ Unknown (2004). In Hilary Duff [CD liner notes]. United States: Hollywood Records.
2. ^ "Speak - Request A Song". Radio Disney.
3. ^ "Duff inspires magic moment from young fans". London Free Press. January 21, 2006. Retrieved October 27, 2006.
4. ^ Stevenson, Jane. "Hilary wows young Toronto fans". Toronto Sun. January 22, 2006. Retrieved October 27, 2006.
5. ^ "Die Happy - I Am". aCharts.us.
6. ^ Barnes, Ken. "Hilary Duff". USA Today. October 19, 2004.
7. ^ Cinquemani, Sal. "Hilary Duff - Hilary Duff". Slant. Retrieved October 27, 2006.
8. ^ Burns, Todd. "Hilary Duff". Stylus. September 24, 2004. Retrieved October 27, 2006.