Hilary Duff Performs Iconic Song After 18-Year Break

After nearly two decades away from touring, Hilary Duff proved some dreams are worth the wait.

The actress and singer kicked off her "Small Rooms, Big Nerves" tour in London Monday night, delivering the performance fans have been requesting for years. For the first time ever, she sang "What Dreams Are Made Of" live, the iconic track from "The Lizzie McGuire Movie" that became a cultural touchstone for millennials.

The setlist was a perfect blend of nostalgia and new beginnings. Duff performed early 2000s favorites like "Come Clean" and "Fly," songs that soundtracked countless teenage memories. She also shared tracks from her 2015 album and debuted three songs from her upcoming record "Luck... or Something."

The tour marks Duff's return to music after releasing "Mature" in November 2024, her first single in nearly a decade. Last week, she dropped "Roommates," a passionate track about keeping relationships exciting, showing her willingness to grow beyond her Disney roots.

Fans flooded social media with emotional reactions to the concert. Many shared videos of themselves singing along, tears streaming, transported back to their childhoods while celebrating who Duff has become as an artist.

Sunny's Take

What makes this comeback so heartwarming is the authenticity. Duff didn't try to recreate her teenage persona or ignore her past. Instead, she honored where she came from while showing who she is now, a 37-year-old woman with new stories to tell. She performed the song fans begged for while confidently introducing music that reflects her current life. That takes courage and shows real respect for the people who grew up with her.

The tour continues in Toronto before hitting New York, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas for a six-show residency. Duff is bringing small, intimate venues to this tour, creating spaces where longtime fans can reconnect with the music that shaped their youth while discovering what she's creating now.

Sometimes the best part of growing up is watching the artists who shaped your childhood grow up too.