The early 2000s were such a fun time for music lovers, especially for those of us who were pre-teens or teens at the time. That decade gave birth to the rise of pop queens like Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera and the solo careers of previous ensemble performers like Gwen Stefani and Beyoncé. But it's been 20 years since 2000 (we know that's hard to hear), and most of the 2000s music icons have grown up, become moms, and kept on killing it in their careers.
It's hard for any famous person to sustain a career over decades, but these musical mothers have done just that. Some of them have seen more success than others, but all of them kept at it in the industry they love. It's inspiring to see the people we grew up listening to go on to become working moms just like many of us.
Keep reading to catch up with all the '00s faves now.
Jessica Simpson
Jessica Simpson's first album came out at the end of 1999 and within months of the new millennium, she was becoming one of the hottest singers in the business. She eventually even landed her own reality show with her then-husband, Nick Lachey, and Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica premiered in 2003. Jessica and Nick didn't last, but she went on to marry football player Eric Johnson in 2014, with whom she now has three children. She's since expanded her career to include not just music, but a fashion line, best-selling book, a makeup line, and more. She's worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
Ashlee Simpson
Jessica's younger sister, Ashlee Simpson, soon joined her in the music industry, with her own first album debuting in 2004. Like her sister, she also had a reality series — The Ashlee Simpson Show. It ran for two seasons from 2004 until 2005. In 2008, she married Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz and had her first child. The duo split up in 2011, and she's now married to musician (& Diana Ross's son) Evan Ross and has had two more children. She and Evan continue to make music together.
Alicia Keys
The New York City-born singer tried to get her career off the ground in the '90s, but it wasn't until her 2001 album Songs in A Minor that Alicia Keys really gained attention. It won Best R&B Album at the Grammys and kicked off a career that's still on fire. Alicia now has two children with her husband, Swizz Beatz, and is a frequent mentor on The Voice. She also released her most recent album Alicia in 2020.
Christina Aguilera
Christina Aguilera began positioning her career in the late '90s with hits like "Reflection" for the 1998 Mulan movie and "Genie in a Bottle" in 1999. In February 2000, she won Best New Artist at the Grammys, and she would go on to net 11 nominations and three more wins between 2000 and 2007. A year later, she welcomed her first child with then-husband Jordan Bratman. She now has another child with her partner Matthew Rutler. She later served as a mentor on The Voice for several seasons and continues to make music to this day.
Hilary Duff
Although she emerged into the Hollywood scene as an actor first, Hilary Duff eventually added singing to her résumé. Her breakout album was the 2003 hit Metamorphosis with its popular single "So Yesterday." Her most recent album came out in 2015 and she's continued to act in projects like the TV show Younger. She's also now a mother to two kids with a third on the way.
Norah Jones
In 2002, Norah Jones blew up with her album Come Away with Me and her hit single "Don't Know Why." Her soft, sultry tone captivated fans, and she even collaborated with Ray Charles for her 2004 album Feels Like Home. Norah isn't quite as well-known today, but she's still busy making music like her 2020 album Pick Me Up Off the Floor. She's also a mother now to two kids.
Michelle Branch
Her two biggest albums were The Spirit Room and Hotel Paper, which came out in 2001 and 2003, respectively. As she rose to fame, Michelle Branch got married and had a daughter in 2005. She had a second child with her second husband in 2018. Although she wasn't able to sustain her 2000s fame, she's continued writing and recording music all the while. She recently announced that for The Spirit Room's 20th anniversary, she'll be re-recording the iconic songs.
Britney Spears
Britney Spears was the pop icon of the 2000s. Nearly everything she released was an instant hit. But after giving birth to her sons in 2005 and 2006, she went through some personal struggles and a bit of a breakdown. She's rebounded at various times since, judging the X-Factor, performing in Vegas, and releasing hits like "Work, B—h." She'll always be a star in our hearts.
Vanessa Carlton
Most people know Vanessa Carlton as the singer of the 2002 hit "A Thousand Miles." She's been active in the music world ever since, although never with quite as much fame as that first song brought her. In 2015 she became a mother and she's kept working ever since. She even made her Broadway debut in 2019 in the lead role of the Carole King musical Beautiful.
Pink
Pink, real name Alecia Beth Moore, began her career in the '90s, but she didn't blow up until the early 2000s with hits like the 2001 single "Get the Party Started." She's maintained a comfortable level of fame ever since, with her most recent album dropping in 2019. She's also become a mother in 2011 and now has two kids — Willow Sage and Jameson Moon — with her husband Carey Hart.
Beyoncé
Beyoncé achieved success in the late '90s thanks to her girl group Destiny's Child. But it wasn't until she left for a solo career that things really exploded for her. Her first solo album Dangerously in Love launched in 2003 and she's never looked back. She's arguably the most famous female singer to come out of the 2000s whose success has only increased since then. In addition to continually producing hit songs and making history with groundbreaking performances (Coachella wasn't nicknamed Beychella in 2018 for nothing!), she's since become a mother to Blue Ivy and twins Sir and Rumi with husband Jay-Z.
Kelly Clarkson
In 2002, Kelly Clarkson became the first American Idol winner. The name recognition she got from appearing on the show helped buoy her career in a different way than the winners of later seasons who often faded into obscurity. By contrast, Kelly, who has her own talk show The Kelly Clarkson Show, is even more famous now and people love listening to her new music just as much as her old. She's also since become a mother to her kids River and Remington. She is unfortunately going through a nasty divorce at the moment, but maybe it will lead to some inspiration for new songs.
Carrie Underwood
Another American Idol winner who achieved long-lasting success is Carrie Underwood. She won the show in 2005 and has been producing hit albums ever since. Her latest record My Savoir is her first gospel album, and it's due out in 2021. When she's not making music, she's being a mom to her two sons.
Gwen Stefani
In 2000, No Doubt singer Gwen Stefani was dubbed "The Queen of Confessional Pop" by Rolling Stone. She'd made it big with the band in the late '90s and early 2000s, but struck out on her own to equal success in 2004. Her debut solo album Love. Angel. Music. Baby. was an instant hit with tracks like "Hollaback Girl" and "What You Waiting For?" She's stayed in the music industry ever since, going on to coach The Voice where she met her fiancé Blake Shelton. Gwen is also a mother to her three kids from her previous marriage to Gavin Rossdale.
Jennifer Lopez
J.Lo rose to fame first as a dancer and actress in the 1997 movie Selena, where she played the titular role. She actually didn't sing in that movie at all. But she did go on to claim singing success in the early 2000s with hits like the 2002 song "Jenny from the Block." These days, she's just as known for her acting (we loved Hustlers) as her singing, and she even performed the halftime show at the 2020 Super Bowl alongside Shakira. When she's not busy being a triple threat (actor, dancer, singer) or killing it as a businesswoman (hello JLo Beauty skin care line!), she's raising her twins from her previous marriage to Marc Anthony.
