Hilary Duff looked back on a busy 2026 during an interview with Billboard’s Delisa Shannon at Los Angeles café Loose Cannon. The singer discussed her return to touring, surprises in her setlist and the routines she uses before performances.

Duff released Luck… or Something, her first new album in more than a decade, and returned to touring after a break of more than two decades. Her four-show Small Rooms, Big Nerves run visited London, Brooklyn, Toronto, Los Angeles and Las Vegas, before the Lucky Me world tour, which has been extended into next year.

She said the title Small Rooms, Big Nerves reflected how she felt ahead of the shows, describing herself as “truly terrified.” At the Toronto date on Jan. 24, she also had the stomach flu. Duff said she ultimately found a different gear and came away feeling capable of handling the challenges of touring again.

The crowds helped build her confidence, she said. Fans arrived in concert outfits and showed their support, encouraging Duff to perform “The Math,” a song from her 2003 album Metamorphosis. Asked which song she would never put in her setlist, Duff took a long drink of white wine and changed the subject.

Duff also described her pre-show habits, including vocal warm-ups in bathrooms with good acoustics, deep squats, foot stomps and shoulder rolls. She calls one mental exercise her “pink bubble,” which she said she uses more often for social or work situations involving people she does not know. Before shows, she also talks to her angels.

During a game of truth or drink, Duff joked that some nights out with friends can get “spicy.” She recalled a prank from her late teens, before she had children, involving a friend’s boyfriend who had treated her badly. Duff said she drove by his house while drunk and dumped cans of tuna on his lawn.

Duff named Alanis Morissette as her dream collaborator, calling her “my god and my guide.” She also said a collaboration with Morrissey would be cool, though she thought it was unlikely. Asked which show she would like to reboot, Duff chose the Nickelodeon horror anthology Are You Afraid of the Dark?

Duff is scheduled to take part in an exclusive conversation at the 2026 Billboard Live Music Summit. She will also receive Billboard’s Outstanding Pop Tour of the Year award at the event on Nov. 10 at 1 Hotel West Hollywood.

Sources: Billboard.