2000s Pop Stars, Then and Now: Hilary Duff and More

Pop perfection! Hilary Duff, Rihanna, Jesse McCartney and more singers from the 2000s have come a long way since their pop star beginnings.

Duff skyrocketed to superstardom as the lead character on Disney Channel’s Lizzie McGuire in 2001. Two years later, she released her first album, Metamorphosis, filled with hits like “So Yesterday” and “Come Clean.”

She hasn’t released a new record since 2015, but her acting career has continued to soar. Rihanna on the other hand has remained a staple in the music industry since popping onto the scene in 2005. The Barbados native has since launched a beauty company and fashion brand, which she’s maintained in between touring for her music.

McCartney kicked off his pop star status as a member of Dream Street in 1999. Although the boy band didn’t last very long, the exposure jumpstarted the Summerland alum’s solo career. In 2003, he released an album with three songs, including “Beautiful Soul.”

The New York native hasn’t forgotten about his boy band roots though.

“Never say never!” the “Yours” singer told Us Weekly in May 2020 about a possible group reunion. “Dream Street was so important for me for the building blocks in my life about recording music, singing and dancing, collaborating and working well with others, so yeah. I’ll never say never, crazier things have happened!”

The music industry churned out a handful of acts after the turn of the new millennium — most of which have remained in the industry in some way.

From Nelly Furtado to Shakira, the 2000s artists who once dominated MTV have evolved over the past two decades. Pink and Taylor Swift have reinvented themselves more than once since their pop star beginnings.

Meanwhile, Ashlee Simpson and Lindsay Lohan starred on reality shows, among other ventures, after breaking onto the scene.

“There are way too many cringeworthy moments from my MTV reality show,” Simpson told Us in June 2018, recalling her time on 2004’s The Ashlee Simpson Show. “But hey, it’s all about putting yourself out there!” She later appeared on Ashlee + Evan with her husband Evan Ross in 2018.

Scroll down see how the singers have transformed since the early aughts.