Album Review: Paris Hilton’s ‘Infinite Icon’ Arrives and It’s Worth the 18 Year Wait!

After nearly two decades since her debut, Paris Hilton has re-emerged on the music scene with Infinite Icon, her long-anticipated follow-up to 2006’s Paris. Known for her influence in pop culture and fashion, Hilton has long dabbled in music, delivering catchy, carefree tunes that reflect her glamorous persona. With her latest release, she steps back into the spotlight with a refreshed sound and an arsenal of high-profile collaborators. Infinite Icon not only reaffirms Hilton’s place in the pop world but also showcases her growth as an artist, blending modern production with her signature playfulness.

Paris Hilton showcased her charisma as a pop star back in 2006 with her undeniably brilliant debut album Paris, which housed hits such as Stars Are Blind, Nothing in This World, and Turn It Up. Consistently brilliant from start to finish, Paris presented a bona fide pop star with her debut opus referenced and adored by numerous pop talents of the moment. The star would pause her recording career until the 2013 Lil Wayne collaboration Good Time, leading to a decade of sporadic but welcome standalone releases, whilst Hilton teased her long-awaited follow-up album.

However, the single I’m Free with Japanese-British star Rina Sawayama would mark the start of the businesswoman and pop culture icon’s album campaign for Infinite Icon—her first album since her self-titled 2006 debut. Showcasing a delightful contemporary pop cool with a hint of nineties influence, the track sees Paris’s sultry vocal paired with slick production from Sia, House of Wolf, Naliya, Jesse Shatkin, and Alex Frankel. Sia’s presence is felt throughout the whole LP, with the star serving as Executive Producer of the set, as well as vocal collaborator on tracks Fame Won’t Love You (originally from Sia’s 2024 album Reasonable Woman) and Hilton original If the Earth Is Spinning—a electropop-soaked number that feels like Paris doing a synthwave track.

Starry collaborations also appear in Bad Bitch Academy—featuring a bolshy rap from Megan Thee Stallion—and tropical pop hints which radiate from the Meghan Trainor collaboration Chasin. Hilton shared back in July that the album was for “the gays”, and the abundance of pop divas brought together on the set suggests exactly that. Paris packs her personality into the record, with a knowing camp, as heard in tracks like the aforementioned Bad Bitch Academy, where Paris notes: “Step one, when you’re gettin’ ready, look hot / Step two, gotta catch a cab to the bar / Step three, get a drink with a cherry and tie it in a knot / Step four, dance your ass off.” It’s cheeky, playful, and undeniably catchy electronic dance-pop with a sense of humour intact.

Even when Paris is not accompanied by big-name collaborators, she still manages to deliver addictive sugary pop that ensures Infinite Icon is brimming with earworms. A standout is Legacy, which feels like a contemporary update of Stars Are Blind, laced with an introspective flair where Paris sings: “I know they all remember me / All the glamour and fantasy / You know in reality / That loving you is my legacy” tapping into the woman behind the Paris persona of fame and glamour. Stay Young, a surprisingly heartfelt pop number, tackles the desire to live life to the fullest in the face of the ageing process, whilst Infinity is a futuristic EDM smash that soars with Paris’s heavenly vocal.

Energy remains high on album closers Without Love (featuring Spanish vocals from Maria Becerra) and Adored, which deliver contemporary takes on Paris’s classic sound. The latter is bolstered by near marching-band percussion, taking Infinite Icon to an impactful, yet poppy close. There’s a greater depth apparent in Infinite Icon, giving us a snapshot of the Paris of today, with tracks such as ADHD and Legacy delving into Paris’s post-2006 story as a mother and wife.

Infinite Icon shows us that Paris Hilton is far more than just a pop culture figure or business mogul—she’s a fully realised artist with a voice and vision that reflect both her past and her present. Infinite Icon is a testament to her evolution, packed with sleek production, infectious hooks, and a sense of playful self-awareness that only Paris could pull off. The album presents a cohesive mix of modern pop anthems, nostalgic nods to the 2000s, and deeper, more reflective moments that offer a glimpse into her personal growth. Infinite Icon is the triumphant return fans have been waiting for, and it was well worth the wait.

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Photos: Brian Ziff