Hilary Duff<\/a> being one of the hottest music stories of 2026 on their bingo cards?<\/p>\nCertainly not most people, including this critic and presumably Duff herself, who comes across as more than just a bit in awe of the resurgence in her career after many years out of the white-hot celebrity spotlight.<\/p>\n
Yet, Duff definitely ranks as the Comeback Queen of the Year.<\/p>\n
The proof of that was in very ample supply as an enormous turnout of fans \u2014 wearing butterfly clips in their hair, low-rise flare jeans, body sparkle and other early aughts fashion staples \u2014 filled the 22,000-capacity Shoreline Amphitheatre at Mountain View to the absolute brim on Saturday night (July 11).<\/p>\n
![\"Actor](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.mercurynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/SJM-L-DUFF-0713-01.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&ssl=1\")
Actor and singer Hilary Duff took fans on a two-hour trek through nostalgia at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View Saturday, July 11. (Chris Polk\/Atlantic Records)\u00a0<\/p>\n
It\u2019s one of many sell-outs that the 38-year-old Duff has posted on \u201cthe lucky me tour,\u201d which is the pop star\u2019s first major-scale global road show in nearly two decades. The trek supports the singer\u2019s sixth studio album, \u201cluck\u2026 or something,\u201d the long-awaited follow-up to 2015\u2019s \u201cBreathe In. Breathe Out.\u201d that has been embraced by both listeners and (far more surprisingly) critics.<\/p>\n
Much of this success can be chalked up to the current wave of heavy nostalgia for all things early aughts \u2014 with Duff representing the millennial tween dream of the era arguably better than anyone.<\/p>\n
But there\u2019s more to it than just that. Something has just felt missing over the last couple of decades. And now we are realizing that something \u2014 or, more accurately, someone \u2014 was Hilary Duff.<\/p>\n
She wasn\u2019t just a music star during the first half of the 2000s, but rather a whole industry \u2014 initially shepherded, like so many before and after her, by the folks at Disney \u2014 and she impacted so many different areas of pop culture. She\u2019s best remembered for playing the title character in the TV show \u201cLizzie McGuire,\u201d which ruled the Disney Channel during its initial go-around from 2001\u20132004, as well as for starring in such era-defining films as \u201cThe Lizzie McGuire Movie,\u201d \u201cCheaper by the Dozen\u201d and \u201cA Cinderella Story.\u201d She also sold millions of albums, had her share of hit singles and was a true fashion icon.<\/p>\n
The kids raised on \u201cLizzie McGuire\u201d wanted to watch her, listen to her and dress like her. And many even dreamed of being her. Duff\u2019s impact as a teen idol has been overlooked in recent years \u2014 as the original fans aged and the singer concentrated on being a mom and raising a family \u2014 but it\u2019s everywhere to be seen in 2026. It certainly was on Saturday in the throng of mostly-female thirtysomethings that packed the Shoreline.<\/p>\n
![\"Hilary](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.mercurynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/SJM-L-DUFF-0713-03.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&ssl=1\")
Hilary Duff, a Disney star in the early 2000s, has been one of the hottest comeback stories of 2026. (Chris Polk\/Atlantic Records)\u00a0<\/p>\n
Taking the stage in the Bay Area for the first time since a 2007 date on her Dignity Tour at what\u2019s now known as the Toyota Pavilion at Concord, Duff put on an enjoyable show that consisted of 21 songs spread over a little less than two hours. The concert was rarely spectacular or flashy \u2014 which is appropriate, given that those qualities have never really been Duff\u2019s selling points \u2014 but was as easy to like as the star herself. It didn\u2019t hurt that Duff\u2019s singing voice, spared from the strain of constant touring over the years, was pristine.<\/p>\n
Following opening sets by Jade LeMac and La Roux \u2014 two talented acts that fans might want to try to check out on Myspace \u2014 Duff first connected with her fans on their preferred ground, going back to their beloved \u201900s for a fun double shot of \u201cWake Up\u201d (from 2005\u2019s \u201cMost Wanted\u201d) and \u201cSo Yesterday\u201d (from the 2004 quadruple-platinum blockbuster \u201cMetamorphosis\u201d). From there, she took listeners right out of Nostalgialand and into the present with \u201cRoommates\u201d and \u201cWeather for Tennis\u201d off the new album.<\/p>\n
And you know what? Fans didn\u2019t seem to mind one bit. In total, Duff would highlight nine of the 11 tracks off \u201cluck\u2026 or something\u201d (with only \u201cTell Me That Won\u2019t Happen\u201d and \u201cThe Optimist\u201d not making the cut) and fans ate up all of it with pretty much the same enthusiasm shown to such longtime favorites as \u201cCome Clean\u201d and \u201cBeat of My Heart.\u201d<\/p>\n
The new tunes fit in fairly seamlessly with the older material, boosting a slightly more mature sound, but still comfortably coming across as unapologetically pop. The few expletives scattered across the new songs, however, definitely feel forced, like they are Duff\u2019s way of distancing herself from Lizzy McGuire. There are also some mature storylines \u2014 especially on the track \u201cRoommates\u201d \u2014 which might give a listener a bit of topical whiplash taken in context with the Disney era material.<\/p>\n
There were some wardrobe changes, a few pyrotechnic displays and a couple of nostalgic video montages. But mainly, it was just Duff, working steadily alongside a five-piece backing band, which proved to be the ideal setting for her to showcase her greatest asset \u2014 her likability.<\/p>\n
She did so in a variety of ways, yet almost all of them had to do with the way she interacted with the fans. In one instance, she played the charming host as she invited a small handful of lucky fans to come up on stage and dance with her \u2014 as well as get plenty of hugs. In other moments, she\u2019d connect with a fan over a handmade sign or a prized plushy toy. Somehow, standing in front of a mammoth crowd that numbered over 20,000 strong, Duff was able to make each and every individual feel like they mattered.<\/p>\n
That carried through to the way she spoke to the crowd, coming across so humble and so appreciative of the outpouring of love that she was witnessing at Shoreline Amphitheatre.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou guys have been by my side for decades,\u201d Duff said with sincerity and emotion. \u201cDefinitely some career highs and some career lows. Thank you for holding me and lifting me up and being so kind. Letting me go off and have my babies. Letting me live my life authentically and honestly and loving me and accepting me.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf I ever got to do that for you, I really don\u2019t take that lightly. If I ever got to be there for you \u2014 or be a soundtrack to one your chapters \u2014 it\u2019s an honor.\u201d<\/p>\n
Duff closed up the main set with a mix of old and new, placing the \u201cluck\u2026 or something\u201d standout \u201cAdult Size Medium\u201d between the surefire \u201cMetamorphosis\u201d winners \u201cWhy Not\u201d and \u201cCome Clean\u201d before returning for a two-song encore that capped off this magical night of millennial nostalgia.<\/p>\n
Yet, this evening was more than just about nostalgia, really, as Duff used the showcase to prove that she still has what it takes to make plenty of new musical memories and could be doing so for years \u2014 and new albums \u2014 to come.<\/p>\n
Hilary Duff setlist<\/strong><\/p>\n1. \u201cWake Up\u201d
2. \u201cSo Yesterday\u201d
3. \u201cRoommates\u201d
4. \u201cWeather for Tennis\u201d
5. \u201cPlay With Fire\u201d
6. \u201cBreathe In. Breathe Out.\u201d
7. \u201cSparks\u201d
8. \u201cFuture Tripping\u201d
9. \u201cWith Love\u201d
10. \u201cBeat of My Heart\u201d
11. \u201cYou, from the Honeymoon\u201d
12. \u201cAnywhere but Here\u201d
13. \u201cGrowing Up\u201d
14. \u201cFly\u201d
15. \u201cHoliday Party\u201d
16. \u201cWe Don\u2019t Talk\u201d
17. \u201cWhy Not\u201d
18. \u201cAdult Size Medium\u201d
19. \u201cCome Clean\u201d
Encore:
20. \u201cMature\u201d
21. \u201cWhat Dreams Are Made Of\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.mercurynews.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Who had Hilary Duff being 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 a bit in awe of the resurgence in her career after many years out of the white-hot celebrity spotlight. Yet, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2499992,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25173],"tags":[349102,22691,349105,21751,241467,22005,21741,366282,308544,372122,21800,21738,23846,352215,22056,23083,370769,370771,22482],"class_list":["post-2499991","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-artists","tag-bay-area","tag-california","tag-california-news","tag-celebrities","tag-coffee-break","tag-concerts","tag-entertainment","tag-keywee","tag-latest-headlines","tag-mountain-view","tag-music","tag-news","tag-nightlife","tag-pm-report","tag-pop-culture","tag-pop-music","tag-santa-clara-county","tag-south-bay","tag-things-to-do"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Review-Hilary-Duff-concert-tour-draws-sold-out-crowd-to-Mountain.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2499991","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2499991"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2499991\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2499993,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2499991\/revisions\/2499993"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2499992"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2499991"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2499991"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2499991"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}