Kendrick Lamar's 'GNX' Lizzie McGuire Reference: Why Celebs Are Obsessed With Beloved Disney Show

Kendrick Lamar surprised everyone with the release of his new album GNX on Friday (Nov. 22), and even though it only dropped a hot minute ago, listeners have already quickly zeroed in on a Lizzie McGuire reference in the album's title track.

Curiously, the nod to Lizzie — the title character of the beloved 2000s Disney Channel comedy series portrayed by actress and singer Hilary Duff — arrives amid a wave of Lizzie McGuire nostalgia recently crystalized by some celebrity callbacks. After all, don't you remember Sabrina Carpenter throwing it back to Lizzie's igloo dress for Halloween?

Indeed, just last month, the "Espresso" singer embodied her inner Lizzie McGuire when she showed off the Lizzie-themed dress on TikTok. The stunning garment — yes, it 100% looks like an igloo, complete with a doorway-shaped opening at the hem — was a spot-on redux of the igloo dress Duff wore as McGuire in 2003's The Lizzie McGuire Movie, per People.

And Carpenter isn't the only high-profile celebrity who referenced Lizzie McGuire in a Halloween costume this year — Kendall and Kylie Jenner also dressed up as Duff's characters from The Lizzie McGuire Movie for Halloween.

What does Lamar's song say about Lizzie McGuire? It's not actually Lamar who raps the words. In fact, the Lizzie name drop comes from Young Threat, who gives the song its final verse among several features on the track, as Genius shows. "Been comin' back-to-back hits / How this n***a ain't tired?" Young Threat raps at the tune's close. "I'm with some rockstar b***hes, they want Lizzy McGuire."

Why all the Lizzie nostalgia? It's part of a broader cultural wave of 2000s nostalgia that's been dominating fashion, music and media of late. From Y2K-inspired outfits making a comeback to reboots of beloved shows like Zoey 101, the early 2000s are more relevant than ever. Lamar, always a master at tapping into the zeitgeist, seamlessly weaves this sentiment into his music.

By referencing Lizzie McGuire, he not only nods to a simpler, formative era for many of his listeners but also positions himself as a curator of cultural memory, blending nostalgia with contemporary commentary. The rapper's ability to acknowledge these cultural undercurrents while maintaining his artistic integrity is what sets him apart.

While others may merely lean on nostalgic callbacks as gimmicks, Lamar incorporates them into a larger narrative about identity, growth, and the influence of pop culture on self-expression. For many millennials and Gen Zers, Lizzie McGuire represents more than a Disney show — it's a symbol of awkward adolescence, self-discovery, and chasing dreams, themes that resonate with Lamar's larger body of work.

"GNX" is one of 12 tracks on the new Lamar effort of the same name, and it's the penultimate song on the album. Other tunes include "Wacced Out Murals," "Squabble Up," "Reincarnated" and "Heart Pt. 6." However, Kendrick's other singles released through this year, such as the culture-shifting "Not Like Us," aren't included on the new album.

Tags

Kendrick Lamar, Hilary Duff