Hilary Duff has reflected on a past age-gap relationship she was in on her new single Mature.
The track is a semi-autobiographical ode to Duff’s younger self and a romance she once had with a mystery older man, leaving some fans to speculate on whether the tune could be about Joel Madden.
Duff, now 38, dated the Good Charlotte frontman, 46, when she was 16 and he was 25.
‘It is definitely about a brief experience that I had in my—a long, long time ago,’ she told Vogue of the song, which she wrote with current husband Matthew Koma.Â
‘But it is not totally autobiographical. I took a few artistic liberties just to make the song work structurally, but the gist is the gist,’ she continued.
Hilary Duff has reflected on a past age-gap relationship she was in on her new comeback single Mature, which was released this week
‘I was looking back on this relationship and thinking about whether this guy had a habit of dating younger women or whether I was “special.”
‘The whole experience was super therapeutic to write about, but being so vulnerable through your music can be really scary.’
In the pop-rock song, Duff wails, ‘I can’t put it on her, she’s a sweet kid / But she’s taking the bait like we all did / She looks like all of your girls but blonder / A little like me, just younger.’
She continues, ‘Bet she loves when she hears you say / “You’re so mature for your agе, babe” / She looks like shе could be your daughter / Like me before I got smarter.’
The controversial track has caused quite the stir online, with some fans claiming that Duff was ‘calling out’ Madden on the song.
However, it looks like Mature may actually be about an entirely different relationship altogether.
On Friday, Madden promoted the song on Instagram by sharing a photo of himself and Koma, indicating that they’re friends and that he’s still on good terms with Duff.
‘So mature,’ Madden captioned the photo, before tagging Koma, Duff, and his wife Nicole Richie.Â
Duff, now 38, dated Good Charlotte frontman Joel Madden, 46, when she was 16 and he was 25
Madden promoted the song on Instagram by sharing a photo of himself and her husband Matthew Koma, indicating that they’re friends and that he’s still on good terms with Duff
Another fan explained on social media how Mature couldn’t possibly be about Madden given that he started dating Richie, 44, after splitting with Duff.
‘Y’all Mature by Hilary Duff is not a diss track. Joel Madden dated then married Nicole Ritchie right after Hilary, who was only 2 years younger than him,’ the fan explained.
‘Also, Hilary is really good friends with Nicole now – they’re neighbors. It’s just about predatory men in general. Anyway stream Mature!’Â
The So Yesterday hitmaker and the Good Charlotte rocker dated from 2004 to 2006, beginning when she was 16 and he was 25.
Their relationship recently sparked outrage online after an old Cosmopolitan interview with Duff resurfaced on Reddit.
In the interview, the former child star was asked who she lost her virginity to.
‘I had a 26-year-old boyfriend,’ she replied, in reference to Madden. ‘So everyone can make their own assumptions about what I was doing.’
Duff is currently launching a return to music and has hinted that she has plans to tour again
A number of fans expressed their disapproval, with one writing, ‘It’s gross how these age gaps were normalized back then. I don’t remember if there was any outrage over this relationship.’Â
Other comments called the age-gap relationship ‘nasty’.
Another fan pointed to the fact that Hilary is still friends with Joel and his current wife Nicole.
‘The fact that she’s friends with him and his wife Nicole Richie today is crazy, like dinner dates and everything.’
Duff and Madden’s split was amicable after two years of dating, and they decided to call it quits in 2006.
