Who had Hilary Duff as one of the hottest music stories of 2026 on their bingo cards?
Certainly not most people, including this critic and presumably Duff herself, who comes across as more than just thrilled to resurrect her career after years away from the celebrity spotlight.
However, Duff is definitely considered the Comeback Queen of the Year.
There was plenty of evidence of that when a huge crowd of fans – sporting butterfly clips in their hair, low-rise flared jeans, body glitter and other early-aughts fashion paraphernalia – filled Mountain View’s 22,000-capacity Shoreline Amphitheater to the brim on Saturday night (July 11).
Actor and singer Hilary Duff took fans on a two-hour nostalgia trip to Mountain View’s Shoreline Amphitheater on Saturday, July 11. (Chris Polk/Atlantic Records)
It’s one of many sold-out crowds Duff, 38, has booked as part of her “Lucky Me Tour,” which is the pop star’s first large-scale global roadshow in nearly two decades. Traveling in support of the singer’s sixth studio album, Luck… or Something, the long-awaited follow-up to 2015’s Breathe In. Breathe Out.” it was received well by both listeners and (much more surprisingly) critics.
Much of this success can be attributed to the current wave of heavy nostalgia for all things early aughts—Duff perhaps represents the millennial dream of that era better than anyone else.
But that’s not all. Over the past couple of decades, something has simply been missing. And now we understand that something—or rather, someone—was Hilary Duff.
In the first half of the 2000s, she wasn’t just a music star, but rather an entire industry, initially led, like many before and after her, by the folks at Disney, and she influenced many different areas of pop culture. She is best remembered for her role as the title character in the television show “Lizzie McGuire,” which ruled the Disney Channel during its original run from 2001-2004, and for her roles in such era-defining films as “The Lizzie McGuire Movie,” “Cheaper by the Dozen” and “A Cinderella Story.” She also sold millions of albums, had her share of hit singles and was a true fashion icon.
Kids who grew up watching Lizzie McGuire wanted to watch her, listen to her and dress like her. And many even dreamed of becoming one. Duff’s influence as a teen idol has been overlooked in recent years—as original fans have aged and the singer has focused on being a mom and raising a family—but in 2026, it will be seen everywhere. That certainly happened Saturday among the crowd of thirtysomething women who filled Shoreline.
Hilary Duff, the Disney star of the early 2000s, is one of the biggest comeback stories in 2026. (Chris Polk/Atlantic Records)
Taking the stage in the Bay Area for the first time since performing on her 2007 Dignity Tour at what is now known as the Toyota Pavilion in Concord, Duff put on an enjoyable 21-song show that lasted just under two hours. The concert was rarely spectacular or flashy—which is fitting, given that those qualities have never been Duff’s signature—but it was as easy to enjoy as the star herself. It didn’t hurt that Duff’s singing voice, freed from the strain of constant touring over the years, was impeccable.
Following opening performances from Jade LeMac and La Roux—two talented artists fans might want to check out on Myspace—Duff connected with her fans for the first time on their favorite platform, returning to their beloved ’00s to play the fun double-song “Wake Up” (from 2005’s Most Wanted) and “So Tuesday” (from the quad-platinum 2004 blockbuster Metamorphosis). From there, she transported listeners straight from Nostalgialand into the present with “Roommate” and “Weather for Tennis” from the new album.
And guess what? The fans didn’t seem to mind one bit. In total, Duff highlighted nine of the 11 tracks from “luck… or something like that” (only “Tell Me That Won’t Happen” and “The Optimist” didn’t make the cut), and fans ate it all up with almost as much enthusiasm as longtime favorites like “Come Clean” and “Beat of My Heart.”
The new tunes blend quite seamlessly with the older material, giving a slightly more mature sound while still remaining effortlessly poppy. However, the few expletives sprinkled throughout the new songs definitely feel forced, as if it’s Duff’s way of distancing herself from Lizzie McGuire. There are also some mature storylines – especially on the track “Roommate” – that can leave the listener with a bit of topical pain when taken in context with the Disney-era material.
There were some wardrobe changes, a few pyrotechnic displays and a couple of nostalgic video montages. But mostly it was just Duff working steadily with a five-piece backing band that proved the perfect platform for her to showcase her greatest asset: her attractiveness.
She did this in a variety of ways, but almost all of them had to do with how she interacted with fans. On one occasion, she played the glamorous emcee, inviting a small handful of lucky guests to come on stage and dance with her, as well as receive lots of hugs. At other times, she interacted with a fan over a handmade sign or an expensive stuffed animal. Somehow, standing in front of a huge crowd of over 20,000 people, Duff was able to make everyone feel like they mattered.
It was reflected in the way she spoke to the crowd, coming across as so humble and so grateful for the outpouring of love she witnessed at Shoreline Amphitheater.
“You guys have been there for me for decades,” Duff said with sincerity and emotion. “Definitely some career highs and some career lows. Thank you for supporting me and lifting me up and being so kind. Letting me go away and have kids. Letting me live my life with integrity and honesty and loving me and accepting me.
“If I ever have to do this for you, I really won’t take it lightly. If I ever have to be by your side—or soundtrack one of your chapters—it would be an honor.”
Duff closed out the main set with a mix of old and new, placing the “luck…or something” standout “Adult Size Medium” between Metamorphosis standouts “Why Not” and “Come Clean” before returning for a two-song encore that capped off this magical night of millennial nostalgia.
However, the evening was actually more than just nostalgia, as Duff used the presentation to prove that she still has what it takes to create plenty of new musical memories, and can do so for many years – and new albums – to come.
Hilary Duff set list
1. “Wake up”
2. “So, yesterday”
3. “Roommates”
4. “Weather for tennis”
5. “Playing with Fire”
6. “Breathe. Exhale.”
7. “Sparks”
8. “Future Journey”
9. “With love”
10. “The Beat of My Heart”
11. “You’re on your honeymoon”
12. “Anywhere but here”
13. “Growing Up”
14. “Flight”
15. “Holiday Party”
16. “We don’t talk”
17. “Why not”
18. “Adult size medium”
19. “Admit it”
Encore:
20. “Mature”
21. “What dreams are made of”