The year is 2003, “So Yesterday” is our newest tune to belt out in the shower and Lizzie McGuire, a sitcom about the typical teenage girl, has taken over our television sets. As we battled braces, breakouts and boy drama, Hilary Duff, with her golden locks and adoring personality, was our IT GIRL.
This summer, Duff had us blasting a new a tune as we hit the beach. “Chasing the Sun,” the 26 year old’s latest catchy hit, was the first song she’s released in six years.
But before we rave about Duff’s new single, let’s take a look back at why Hilary Duff was our childhood!
Lizzie McGuire
Remember the episode when Lizzie, Miranda and Gordo were featured on the news caught sneaking into an R rated movie, or the episode where Lizzie embarrassingly belted out to her family that she wanted her first bra? Hilary, who played the adorable corky Lizzie McGuire, with her animated persona and pals Gordo and Miranda, helped us get through our awkward years as she battled bullies like Kate Sanders, and got butterflies around guys like Ethan Kraft.
The Lizzie McGuire Movie
Hey now! Hey now! This is what dreams are made of!
Don’t lie, even if you weren’t a diehard fan, that catchy tune was sure to get stuck in your head! It all started when Lizzie goes on a class field trip to Rome and gets mistaken for Italian pop sensation, Isabella. Instead of studying the ancient ruins with her classmates, she’s pretending to be Isabella with her new acquaintance, Pablo, Isabella’s former singer partner. Pablo convinces Lizzie that Isabella has went MIA so Lizzie must take her place during an award show performance. Jokes on Pablo though, when the real Isabella shows up during the performance to reveal that Pablo can’t even sing! Woah, now that’s a movie plot!
The Music
It was hard not to get excited when one of Hilary’s catchy playful tunes came on the radio. “Come Clean,” “So Yesterday,” “Why Not,” “Wake Up” and “Stranger” were just a few of her hits throughout the years. Her songs just weren’t about dealing with love, however. Her music explored other topics, giving us advice even on dealing with life, in a way that was alluring to the ears. “Someone’s Watching Over Me” describes that even when everything goes wrong, Hil knows that she’s not alone..
Stuff by Duff
If we couldn’t be Hilary, we could at least wear her! Stuff by Duff was the star’s clothing, accessory, backpack and jewelry line featured at Target. Nothing made us feel cooler than walking into school with our new fashionable sparkly top or backpack, all inspired by Hil of course!
A Cinderella Story
Our favorite fairy tale was brought to life, as Duff played 21st century Cinderella in this feel-good remake. Hilary plays Sam Montgomery, your typical teenage girl, whose life crumbles when her father passes away and she must deal with her evil stepmother and stepsisters. Although she’s caught bussing tables at the diner for a portion of the film, she does eventually find her Prince Charming, the hunky Chad Michael Murray might I add. This not only made Hil our favorite pop sensation to listen to in the car, but also, the real life Cinderella in our hearts.
Besides starring in A Cinderella Story, Duff also starred in some other of our favorite childhood movies including “Agent Cody Banks,” “Cheaper By the Dozen,” “Cadet Kelly,” “Raise Your Voice” and “Material Girls”.
Hilary always brought us joy, whether it was on the screen or on our iPods. Hopefully, her new single “Chasing the Sun” is just a little taste of the bigger things she has in store for us. Fingers crossed that the era of Hilary Duff is not over! Because hey, we love you Hil!