Haylie Duff's New Record Deal: $250,000

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(Free-Press-Release.com) April 6, 2010 -- Music industry in crisis? It's not as far as sister of teen pop sensation Hilary Duff, Haylie, is concerned. The actress, singer and songwriter, who goes by Haylie Kat (short for middle name Katherine) in the recording industry, has reportedly signed a $250,000 deal to release an upcoming album, "Landmines," with The Island Def Jam Recording Group.

The agreement, which guarantees the release of the record as well as three singles, marks the first time Haylie has branched out on her own - away from sibling Hilary. Like Hilary, Haylie was signed to Disney's Hollywood Records from 2003 to 2006, however reports suggested Hollywood lost faith in her ability to be successful and dropped the Houston-born starlet. Apparently they then proceeded to keep all of Haylie's self-written material, not allowing Ms. Duff the rights whatsoever. A song even went to Paris Hilton, for her 2006 self-titled LP on Warner Bros. Records. None of that boded too well for Lizzie McGuire's big sister, and she became somewhat of a Hollywood joke, only appearing in the press as a clingy D-lister riding Hilary's coattails to modest celebrity.

All of that, thankfully for Haylie, is now old news and she is set to release her debut single on Island Def Jam, a dance track entitled "Something Sexy," today (April 6, 2010) on Amazon, Napster, Rhapsody, and other digital retailers. The song has been doing well on the radio, having been played by Ryan Seacrest on Los Angeles' KIIS FM, and it looks as if this summer's "Landmines" could, surprisingly, be a successful venture, boasting production and writing credits from OneRepublic's Ryan Tedder, current pop princess Ke$ha, Max Martin, Scott Storch, American Idol's Kara DioGuardi, Ester Dean, Polow da Don, Toby Gad, and Christina Aguilera-collaborator Linda Perry. Some fans are reluctant, however, to accept the "Haylie Kat" brand, having said it seems as if Haylie is trying to intentionally move away from lil' sis Hilary without appreciation for the person who made her famous-by-association. On the other hand, many fellow listeners praised the move, suggesting it showed maturity, a desire to be seen as a separate artist, and artistic inspiration.

One thing is for sure: since Haylie obviously had the skills to sign a contract positioning her with label-mates such as Rihanna, Mariah Carey, and Amy Winehouse, executives must think she has at least a fair amount of mainstream appeal... $250,000 is a healthy chunk 'o change for a first-time musician by recording industry standards. And alright, all of us here at Hollyscoop will admit it (fair is fair) - songs on Haylie's demo such as "Don't Miss You," "Vertigo," "Suddenly I See," "Body Control," and even the overtly sexual, Heidi Montag-esque "Cream" have proved to be ridiculously catchy, surprisingly well performed, and current with trends set by mega pop icon Lady Gaga, winning us over - for now.

Only time will tell if the rest of Haylie Kat's "Landmines" and all material to follow will live up to the hype and receive enough acclaim to give Ms. Duff an identity of her own and prove her a $250,000 worthy musician. Island Def Jam / Universal International saw potential, and so do we, so lets hope we'll be humming hits more memorable than previous pop fluff such as "Our Lips Are Sealed" and "So Yesterday."

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