Avril Lavigne
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 12: Avril Lavigne attends the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards at Barclays Center on September 12, 2021 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for MTV/ ViacomCBS)

2021 is the unspoken tribute to the early noughts it would seem. Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck are partly to blame when they rekindled an old flame earlier this year and Bella Hadid is still trying to make low-rise jeans happen (unfortunately, it’s happening as evidence by Irina Shayk). Now, the queens of polarising ’00s style, Avril Lavigne and Paris Hilton, have both stepped onto the red carpet at the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards. And it kind of, sort of feels like 2002 all over again.

Hilton was one of the first stars to arrive to red carpet at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York City in a pink Mini Cooper convertible (we’d expect nothing less). She posed alongside a mask-clad Kim Petras wearing a rhinestone-encrusted mini dress and Aquazzura pumps. It is a far cry from her 2002 ensemble which featured a floral halter neck top and a-symmetric midi skirt.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 12: Paris Hilton attends the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards at Barclays Center on September 12, 2021 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/MTV VMAs 2021/Getty Images for MTV/ ViacomCBS)
Paris Hilton arrives for the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, August 29, 2002. Photo by Frank Micelotta/ImageDirect.

Hilton has had a huge 12 months. In early 2021 the reality star released a bombshell documentary, This Is Parisdetailing the horrific abuse she endured as a young teenager. She also just recently released her new cooking show, Cooking with Pariswhich is binge-able viewing for anyone that’s wondering – chaotic good.

Elsewhere on the VMAs red carpet, Avril Lavigne made her long-awaited return in a public couple debut with Mod Sun (real name, Derek Ryan Smith). The pair recently released an acoustic iteration of “Flames” and if you’re a fan of the pop queen’s early work, you’ll love this single. Lavigne is one of many presenters for the evening.

In an ode to her punk sensibilities, the 36-year-old wore a plaid cut-out suit and sparking bralette. The 12-year-old me is screaming.

Avril Lavigne
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 12: (L-R) Mod Sun and Avril Lavigne attend the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards at Barclays Center on September 12, 2021 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/MTV VMAs 2021/Getty Images for MTV/ ViacomCBS)

It comes 19 years after Lavigne performed her ’00s hit “Sk8ter Boi” at the the MTV VMAs pre-show atop the Radio City Music Hall balcony. She wore low-slung camo cargo pants and a white tank top – iconic.

Avril Lavigne
Avril Lavigne during 2002 MTV Video Music Awards – Arrivals at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, United States. (Photo by Jim Spellman/WireImage)