Hilary Duff
w/ La Roux & Jade LeMac
Ascend Amphitheater; Nashville, TN
July 30, 2026
Review by Philip Obenschain. Photos by Sophie Harris, courtesy of the artist.
When Hilary Duff took the stage at her recent sold-out appearance at Ascend Amphitheater, it marked the beloved pop star and actor’s first Nashville performance in an unbelievable 22 years (astonishing, especially, since the former teen idol is only now just 38). That is, if you don’t count her show just one night earlier at FirstBank Amphitheater in nearby Franklin, making her the first artist to headline FirstBank and Ascend on consecutive nights (and, consequently, the first to sell both out consecutively). A handful of promotional appearances in 2015 notwithstanding, in support of that year’s fourth album, Breathe In. Breathe Out., Duff has not embarked on a proper tour at all since way back in 2008, slowing down her musical career to focus on family, to find some distance from her teen pop shadow, and to continue to act (her most recent high-profile project was Hulu’s How I Met Your Father, and I will forever mourn a would-be adult Lizzie McGuire reboot ultimately rejected by Disney+ several years back).
I would describe my relationship with Hilary Duff’s music as casual. We’re the same age, and I never missed an episode of Lizzie McGuire in the early 2000s (even if, at the time, I was going through a pop punk phase and pretending to be too cool for Disney Channel). Like all of the Disney stars at the time (and notable ones from before, like Britney and Justin, and since, like Miley and Oliva), parlaying acting success into a music career seemed almost mandatory, though sometimes with mixed results. Duff was, certainly, the biggest icon from that era of Disney though, and I had such a soft spot for her 2003 original debut, Metamorphosis, which yielded some insanely catchy teen pop bangers, and found its way into regular rotation on my iPod. Her pop rock sound would mature and help bring her out of the shadow of Lizze with 2004’s Hilary Duff and 2007’s more dance-leaning Dignity, neither of which I remember spending much time with (by ’07 my punk phase had given way to a hipster phase), but that I must have absorbed through culturual osmosis, becuase I knew every word when she played those songs live.
Until that would-be Lizzie McGuire reboot’s announcement seven years ago, I admittedly hadn’t really kept up with Duff in the 2010s, and didn’t even really know about her fourth album, but that was enough for me to start following her career once more. Finding her way back to music- now, firmly as an adult, many years later, and because she wanted to, not out of obligation- has been a really inspiring and heartwarming journey to witness, and when she took the stage for the first time in a decade for a series of intimate shows early last year, the positivity and excitement from her fans was incredible. Returning this year with fifth (some would count sixth, but I doubt she personally views a teen Christmas album as her real debut) LP, luck… or something, Duff has never sounded more confident, more true to herself, or more comfortable allowing her songs to grow up with her, and the record and this comeback as a whole has served as a perfect way to reconnect with fans who, too, have grown up and are at a whole different stage of life. When I saw that this tour was coming to Nashville, I jumped at the chance to relive the teen nostalgia, but what I experienced was something even more fulfilling.
Arriving at Ascend a little late, I unfortunately missed first opener Jade LeMac. I did get to catch second opener La Roux, though, who, like Duff, is an artist I hadn’t really kept up with, but who evokes some great late 2000s noslagia. The singer (born Elly Jackson) and her minimalist band sounded great, and played a music of new and old tunes, prompting singalongs especially for tunes like “In for the Kill,” and, of course, set closer and breakout single “Bulletproof.” She warmed up the stage aptly for Hilary, and the sold-out crowd was absolutely buzzing during the changeover, packed in and waiting for the millennial icon to take the stage.
As the lights swelled purple and pink and her band emerged and began to play the intro, immediately eliciting screams from everyone around me, Duff appeared in the center of the stage, a silhouette in the middle of a spotlight, striking a pose before launching into classic tune “Wake Up,” before ramping up the nostalgia even more with Metamorphosis track “So Yesterday” (I wasn’t expecting to hear that one so early, but it was an effective way to really hype up the crowd at the top). It should come as no surprise, since she’s been doing this since she was a literal kid, but Hilary Duff is a very, very good performer, and her magnetic stage presence, effortless cool, and sincere gratitude for her fans’ response to this new chapter were all on full display from note one. Even having largely retreated from touring for close to 17 years, Duff’s return feels like it hasn’t skipped a beat (and though I never saw her back in the day, I’d imagine her stage presence now is something a lot more vulnerable, confident, and true-to-self).
I’ve seen other artists who, like Hilary, had such an influential teen career, that they too will be playing those songs that they likely can no longer relate to or might not musically enjoy, forever. And many times, you can feel the disconnect, either through an impulse to aesthetically change them, or by performing them with an almost disinterest or awkwardness (even Taylor Swift, on her Eras Tour, omitted including songs from her teen debut). I’m pleased to say this was not the case with Hilary Duff. Sure, some of the themes of those old songs are a little silly, but she never sounded silly singing them, largely preserving their original vibe in an almost walk-down-memory-lane kind of way- a shared feeling of immense nostalgia for both her and the fans who grew up with her. That made it less jarring then, when performing songs like “Roommates” and “Weather for Tennis” from luck, which were next in the setlist, Duff pivoted to more stylish, contemporary pop with themes of the complicated realities, desires, and insecurities of adulthood. Keeping a good pace of new and old, she next played “Play with Fire,” which included some pretty epic pyrotechnics from the back of the stage- not something I expected at a Hilary Duff show, and not something I’ve seen often at Ascend (from the lighting to the visuals to the stylishly understated stage design, production for the whole show was excellent).
Several times throughout the night, Duff briefly exited the stage to change outfits, and during that time the video screens played a mix of new and old clips, such as candid moments with her husband and children with some Beyonce-esque voiceover, behind-the-scenes footage from the studio as she found her voice once more after ten years away, and my favorite, a really sweet compilation of her Lizzie McGuire days, and navigating the seemingly-overnight fame that came with it. The first such break was quick, with Duff changing into a more sparkly top, but keeping the cool, baggy jeans she opened the show in, ahead of the night’s two Breath In. Breath Out. songs, the title track and “Sparks.” As mentioned, that album slipped by me, so I didn’t really know them, but it was cool hearing that sonic bridge that marked that period between her old and new material. A little audience participation for synced-up clapping came next for catchy newer song “Future Tripping,” before the night’s most participatory song of all, “With Love.” For those not up to date on their memes- videos of Duff’s somewhat awkward choreography for the song from almost 20 years ago resurfaced and went viral on TikTok. Instead of reacting with embarrassment, though, the singer leaned into it, just as her fans have, and has been picking people out of the audience to join her on stage for a dance break throughout the tour; a fun, self-aware moment of blissful camp. “Beat of My Heart” kept the nostalgia going strong as well as the energy, with Hilary singing into a portable camera and her guitarist flexing some impressive solos (the whole band was really killer), before exiting for an outfit change as that aforementioned Lizzie-era clip played.
Returning rocking a white gown, and backed by some of the night’s coolest visuals, she next played “You, from the Honeymoon,” one of my favorite songs from her latest record. The rest of the show was essentially a 50/50 mix of new and old, which, I think struck a great balance- satisfying the nostalgia while also expressing herself as the artist she is today. Taking it back next to Metamorphosis slow tune “Anywhere But Here,” before jumping back to 2026 with “Growing Up” (another one that really hits my millennial heart with how it interpolates Blink-182), then dialing it back again, powerful pop jam “Fly,” before another new track, vibey, anxious meditation “Holiday Party,” followed by another wardrobe change, accompanied by a clip of tour rehereasls and her initial return to stage. When Duff returned, this time back in jeans and rocking a very Nashville-appropriate Dolly Parton shirt, there was a green, vintage-looking couch on stage, from which she gave a really powerful performance of another vulnerable newer tune, “Don’t Talk.”
Apparently a part of every show during this couch segment, Duff’s crew surprises her with something every night in a mini fridge- maybe a drink to drink, a food with some local connection, or some other surprise. At Ascend, she was met with a note about hot chicken, at first with confusion, until country star Kelsea Ballerini emerged from backstage with a plate of Hattie B’s, which the pair proceeded to sample from the couch. Sticking around for a few seconds of jumping together on the couch to kick off classic hit “Why Not,” before departing, I thought for a moment Ballerini might properly duet, rather than just serve as a hot chicken delivery guest. “Why Not” was, of course, met with a ton of enthusiastic singing along, and featured the most up-close and personal crowd interaction of the show. One of luck’s most earnest songs, “Adult Size Medium” brought the tone back to one of more self-reflection, and as the crowd held up paper butterflies during the bridge- an act organized by fans without Duff’s knowledge- it felt like such a powerful, shared moment (afterwards she interogated the audience about how that moment was orchestrated, at first believing it was a surprise from her crew).
As the couch was removed and she walked around the stage’s top platform, Hilary played one more Metamorphosis hit- the big one- “Come Clean,” which has really settled into one of the most iconic pop songs of the 2000s. I feel like a broken record, but I was just so bowled over by how seamlessly the singer has managed to incorporate these teen songs into her very tasteful, modern show, and how flawlessly she still sounds singing them. I honestly didn’t expect to have this much to say about a Hilary Duff show- a performer I’ve always been fond of, but have, as mentioned, really only followed casually. Maybe it’s my own feeling of rapidly approaching 40, and feeling more nostalgia than ever for my teen years in the 2000s, maybe it’s the fact that Duff is a legitimately talented and mesmerizing performer, and a far-cry from a 2000s novelty act, but I was a lot more moved (and had even more fun) than I expected, seeing these pop songs live, which have been seared into my brain for decades, for the first time. Following one more outfit change- this time into a beautiful, sparkly dress- and forgoing a traditional encore, Hilary reached the end of the show, performing one last new one, the single that kicked off this new era, “Mature.” Giving one last expression of sincere gratitude (throughout the night, Hilary came across so down to earth and appreciative), she introduced the evening’s last song, “What Dreams Are Made Of,” one of her most popular 2000s singles which she never really played back in the day (since it’s not really a Hilary Duff song, but rather a Lizzie McGuire one).
Duff’s relationship with that single now feels reflective of her relationship with her fans- appreciative of everything that gave her the life she has and made her the artist she is, even if that era of her life might feel like it happened to a different person entirely. Huge, inflatable plastic balls bounced around the crowd and the scream-singalongs were defeaning as the show came to a triumphant conclusion, while “lucky me”- both the name of a tour, and something of a mantra for the reception to this comeback- flashed on the screen. A perfect end to one of the most fun shows I’ve seen all year.
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Setlist:
Wake Up
So Yesterday
Roommates
Weather for Tennis
Play With Fire
Breathe In. Breathe Out.
Sparks
Future Tripping
With Love
Beat of My Heart
You, from the Honeymoon
Anywhere but Here
Growing Up
Fly
Holiday Party
We Don’t Talk
Why Not
Adult Size Medium
Come Clean
Mature
What Dreams Are Made Of
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