Words Sam Damshenas
Photography Alfred Marroquin
Creative Director Sarah Chiarot
Executive Producer Ashley Soloman 
Makeup Kelsey Deenihan
Hair Barb Thompson
Styling Caroline DeJean

“I cried the second the first song was over!” Hilary Duff says of her first live performance in over a decade. The crowd – overwhelmingly millennial, overwhelmingly gay – belted sacred classics like ‘Come Clean’, ‘Wake Up’ and The Lizzie McGuire Movie’s ‘This Is What Dreams Are Made Of’ with religious devotion. Nostalgia? Absolutely. But this wasn’t just a victory lap. It was a homecoming, a relaunch. New hits such as ‘Mature,’ ‘Roommates’ and ‘Weather for Tennis’ prove that Hilary is writing forward, and with the acclaim and commercial success of her sixth album luck… or something, the audience is right there with her. 

“To have the opportunity to stand there again in front of people that I know were at my show 20 years ago is…  I don't know how many people get that chance, and that opportunity,” Hilary tells Gay Times two days after the London show (21 January), a set that also pulled deep cuts from Metamorphosis, Dignity and Breathe In. Breathe Out., and even invited audience members on stage to reenact her now-iconic, deeply camp ‘With Love’ choreography. “I've had really loyal people through all the ups and downs of my career, and to want to be there and celebrate me and listen to [my] music, old and new, it's just my absolute honour. I don't know why I got to be chosen to do this, but it just means a whole lot to me.”

While the Small Rooms, Big Nerves tour wraps in May, Hilary will hit the road globally from June through February 2027. With luck… or something smashing charts — currently on track for her highest UK peak ever — she talks to Gay Times about weaving nostalgia with fresh energy as she reclaims her pop throne. And yes, rainbow moments aplenty: she reflects on ending homophobia with her PSA, how other LGBTQIA+ allies can use their voice, and why the Drag Race judges’ table is finally calling her name.

Hilary, that show on Monday… Honestly, wow. I’m pretty sure every gay in London was there.

That makes me so happy! Mission accomplished. I just wanted everyone to have the best, most carefree, fun and nostalgic night of their life.

It truly was. Tears might have been shed. You looked like you had a lot of fun too? 

So much fun. My first show before that was just friends and family, and it was incredibly nerve-racking to look out and see all the faces of the people that are in my daily life all the time. They know that's not who I am. I mean, it is a part of who I am, but they know me so differently. So, of course, they were cheering and excited, but it’s really scary to do it in a room full of people you know. It’s much more fun to do it in a room full of people who are really excited to see you. 

You were visibly quite emotional, as were the rest of us. It was your first show in 18 years, so what was it like being on stage in front of fans who have been supporting you for over two decades? 

I mean, I cried the second the first song was over. I might cry again right now talking about it. To have the opportunity to stand there again in front of people that I know were at my show 20 years ago is…  I don't know how many people get that chance, and that opportunity. I've had really loyal people through all the ups and downs of my career, and to want to be there and celebrate me and listen to my music, old and new, it's just my absolute honour. I don't know why I got to be chosen to do this, but it just means a whole lot to me. Part of it was like, ‘Yeah, this is muscle memory. This is in my body.’ But I'm me now, and I'm so much happier being this version of me than the old version of me that didn't have as much life under my belt.