We’re So Desperate For Nostalgia And Hilary Duff Knows It

My feed has been completely taken over by Aussies lamenting that they haven't been able to secure Hilary Duff tickets for The Lucky Me Tour. From fans sliding into the pop star's DMs to beg her to add more dates, to countless memes and TikToks from those who missed out, it's clear that Hilary Duff fever has landed in Australia. During the first Mastercard pre-sale, there were over 50,000 fans in the queue. Aside from the fact that Duff hasn't toured here for 18 years, the demand could tie into this interesting trend of pop culture selling nostalgia — a sure-fire way to tap into already established audiences.

According to psychologists, nostalgia is a powerful tool. It has the ability to increase self-esteem, help people form social bonds, soothe anxiety, boredom and stress, as well as being positive for your mental health. One fan tells me a connection with Hilary Duff transports her back to when times felt safer and easier. "They weren't lying when they said 'don't grow up'. I was really lucky growing up, I had a beautiful childhood, with a big family, everything was simple back then and the world felt beautiful and full of colour," fan Sakara Bell says. "I'll never forget the Christmas when I unwrapped her album Most Wanted. I played Beat Of My Heart on repeat for months and never got tired of it."

Anita Tran, who was lucky enough to purchase tickets, says nostalgia is "powerful" right now. "It transports me back to when my biggest worry was whether I'd make it back home in time to watch my favourite Disney Channel shows. A time where my first crush was Chad Michael Murray in One Tree Hill or I first understood what love meant watching Dawson's Creek. It's sweet, it's innocent, and it's just safe," Tran adds. "Hilary is my childhood. She takes me back to my youth, where a cartoon Lizzie McGuire narrated my exact teenage thoughts, and Metamorphosis was the album my besties and I blasted on the way home from school." Other fans echoed the same sentiment, with one wanting to "heal her inner teen", and another says Duff "genuinely influenced her personality as a child".

Duff's triumphant return to pop music is not only a reclaiming of her story, and finally being able to write the music she always wanted to write, but it ties into a larger theme of how we're seeing the world. The definition of nostalgia is wanting to return to a time of life where things seemed better than the present, and with the current political climate, consumers are more desperate for nostalgia than ever. With an ongoing genocide in Gaza, Trump rolling back women's rights, and the issues of ICE in the USA, it seems almost impossible to go through life without being faced with a new horrific truth. Shared nostalgia gives us an escape, where we can come together and bond as a community.

It's no surprise that brands have commodified nostalgia. If you were wondering why there have been endless amounts of reboots (did we really need Zoey 102?), and beloved childhood toys like Barbie getting the big-screen treatment, there's a reason. Research shows that nostalgia can "decrease people's desire for money". People are more willing to open their wallets and pay more for products. Culture Club co-host and writer Jasmine Wallis agrees, believing that while she loves nostalgia, a big part of it is capitalism. "Millenials and older Gen Z's (like Hilary's fans) are entering adulthood in a really tough economy. So, while having kids and buying a house feels like a huge struggle and sacrifice, attending concerts like Hilary's can offer a sense of joy for just $200," Wallis says. "It takes us back to childhood whilst also offering a reprieve from adulthood. Executives and corporations know this and so are playing into it." Duff fan Sakara Bell is aware of this marketing tactic, but it doesn't turn her off at all. "I don't really care. As cringy as it is, you only live once, and I'm a big believer in money comes and goes," Bell says. "Being able to experience something that is your childhood, is everything and more."

Nostalgia isn't even exclusive to your own childhood, either. Even Gen Z are tapping into nostalgia for the 1990s, including those who weren't alive at the time. The pre-digital era is coveted by those who believe we're spending too long doomscrolling. According to a study in the US, two-thirds of Gen Z adults wished to return to a world before we were all "plugged in".

Perhaps that's why Hilary Duff has completely taken over in Australia. It's about more than just her hits (but she has great bops, to be fair), and more about society and how we yearn for a simpler, kinder time in life.