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\u201cI got to show them what real queso tastes like \u2018cause L.A. is not the same,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Duff got emotional a few times during her sold-out show at the Woodlands Pavilion \u2013 but it wasn\u2019t just because she was home. The Lucky Me Tour marks her first trek in 18 years, though local fans have waited even longer. Her last Houston date was 21 years ago at\u00a0RodeoHouston.<\/p>\n
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Hilary Duff onstage for her sold-out show at the Woodlands Pavilion, June 27, 2026.<\/p>\n
@MichaelBPerea<\/p>\n
\u201cI keep saying it over and over again, but I mean it from the fiber of my being that I didn’t know this was possible for me again,\u201d Duff told the cheering crowd.<\/p>\n
They rarely stopped screaming and showed up in full Y2K teen\u00a0glam. There were \u201cLizzie McGuire\u201d-inspired butterfly clips and boas, microphone headsets, pink and orange everywhere. There were even fans dressed as Duff\u2019s \u201cCadet Kelly\u201d character and Isabella Parigi from \u201cThe Lizzie McGuire Movie.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Duff released \u201cLuck \u2026 or Something,\u201d her first album in more than a decade, in February. It\u2019s self-aware and sunny\u00a0synth-pop that has been received warmly by fans and critics.<\/p>\n
\u201cI took such a long break from this part of my life. I just didn’t know what I was going to be met with \u2013 and I was met with you,\u201d Duff said, her face welling up with emotion.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe spent a lot of decades together. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else but here right now.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Hilary Duff onstage for her sold-out show at the Woodlands Pavilion, June 27, 2026.<\/p>\n
@MichaelBPerea<\/p>\n
The\u00a0setlist was a balance of teen favorites and new songs, and it worked beautifully as an extension of Duff herself. At 38 years old, she\u2019s at ease with where she\u2019s been. It gave a deeper resonance to older songs \u201cSo Yesterday\u201d and “Breathe In. Breathe Out.”<\/p>\n
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\u201cWhy Not,\u201d one of Duff\u2019s early singles, was a perfect example. It\u2019s an unabashedly\u00a0bubblegum bit of pop-rock \u2013 \u201cYou cannot be cool during this song. It\u2019s against the law!\u201d But Duff honored it with a grounded, genuine reclamation of its message.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I sing it now, I\u2019m just like, \u2018Do the thing you\u00a0wanna do, talk to the person you wanna talk to, take that wild chance and don\u2019t be afraid to fall flat on your face.\u2019 We never get to stop growing and learning,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
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Hilary Duff onstage for her sold-out show at the Woodlands Pavilion, June 27, 2026.<\/p>\n
@MichaelBPerea<\/p>\n
A rush of emotion swept over her face as she sang, and it segued perfectly into \u201cAdult Size Medium,\u201d a new song about reflecting on her past and not recognizing that person. (\u201cThe twenty year old me is still in here \u2026 Sometimes I can’t see me in it.\u201d)<\/p>\n
Much of the 95-minute show, in fact, was an affecting study in contrasts. She kicked off \u201cFuture Tripping\u201d by playfully drawing the iconic Disney Channel wand logo in the air, then tossing it into the crowd. She twice repeated the localized \u201cPlay With Fire\u201d lyric \u2014 \u201cI don’t have time for this\/I’m off to play in Houston!\u201d Duff invited several fans onstage to recreate the viral \u201cWith Love\u201d dance, and she powered through \u201cBeat of My Heart\u201d with pure joy.<\/p>\n
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Hilary Duff onstage for her sold-out show at the Woodlands Pavilion, June 27, 2026.<\/p>\n
@MichaelBPerea<\/p>\n
Duff was backed by a sharp five-piece band \u2013 the end. No chorus of background singers or army of dancers. No moving set pieces or aerial stunts. That sense of focus prioritized her connection with the audience. There were just a few costume changes, from baggy jeans and a Hannah Montana T-shirt to sleek gowns.<\/p>\n
The final run of songs \u2013 \u201cCome Clean,\u201d \u201cMature\u201d and the \u201cLizzie McGuire\u201d anthem \u201cWhat Dreams Are Made Of\u201d \u2013 were a blast of euphoria that crystallized Duff\u2019s message. It was glowing off her, the comfort that only comes with age, experience and the ability to understand and accept all the parts that make you who you are.<\/p>\n
The word \u2018healing\u2019 keeps getting thrown around on the\u00a0internet. It\u2019s totally being reciprocated by me. This is such a healing moment for me,\u201d she said. \u201cI feel so seen and so loved, and it\u2019s made me be able to go back and celebrate the old stuff. I guess I\u2019m trying to say that I\u2019m 100% honored to be able to soundtrack any portion of your life.\u201d<\/p>\n
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