Who is the greatest pop star of the 21st century?
Billboard, the popular music magazine, has released its answer, and it’s no other person than multiple Grammy Award-winner Beyoncé. The Crazy in Love crooner clinched the prestigious position after beating 25 other A-listers, including rave-of-the-moment Taylor Swift. Billboard also gave reasons why they gave Queen Bey the award.
Aside from Taylor Swift, Beyoncé trumped other pop sensations like Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Justin Bieber, and Canadian rapper Drake in the shortlist. While these other artists have achieved incredible success in the past few decades, Beyoncé stood out.
According to Billboard’s statement during the December 4, 2024 announcement, she won the award for her “Full 25 years of influence, evolution, and impact.” In the words of Andrew Unterberger, the magazine’s deputy editor, the Halo diva remained consistent throughout the period.
“She’s been Beyoncé for 25 years now, and as she continues to challenge herself (and by extension, the rest of the pop world) to find new and different ways to redefine [sic] greatness,” he stated. Yet, she isn’t showing signs of slowing down. “it doesn’t seem like she’s going to stop being Beyoncé anytime soon,” he added.
To spice up the announcement, Billboard released a write-up that described Beyoncé’s journey to stardom. The essay mentioned her rise in the industry beginning from her efforts as a member of Destiny’s Child. The statement detailed her dominance through the 2000s and 2010s up to the release of her latest album, Cowboy Carter.
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Who Are Billboard’s Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century?
After Beyoncé, Billboard recognized other great achievers in the music industry. Second on the prestigious list is Taylor Swift, followed by Rihanna, Drake, Lady Gaga, and Britney Spears. Kanye West, Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, and Adele completed the top 10.
Usher, Eminem, Nicki Minaj, Justin Timberlake, Miley Cyrus, Beyoncé’s husband Jay-Z, and Shakira follow them. Then came The Weeknd, BTS, Bruno Mars, Lil Wayne, and One Direction. Bad Bunny, Ed Sheeran, and Katy Perry rounded off the intimidating list. Indeed, one had to be an enigma to clinch the top spot, and Beyoncé deserves that tag.
Other reasons Billboard offered for Beyoncé’s triumph included her versatility and her influence over other sides of pop culture, such as fashion and film. Notable among the criteria considered is her “commitment to innovation.”
While Billboard had more than enough words to back up Beyoncé’s feat, the mother of the Texas Hold ‘Em singer could only provide a few. When reporters asked Beyoncé’s mom, Tina Knowles, to react to the news, she responded by saying, “That’s nice. That’s very nice.”
Probably startled by the short response, a reporter followed up by asking if the Knowles family gets “used to those titles.” The singer’s mom responded with another brief answer—“Yeah.” At the time of writing, the singer has yet to react to the recognition.
For now, Tina Knowles’ short response would suffice, especially as she has been a major backbone for her daughter’s success over the decades.
Who Is the Greatest Pop Star of the 21st Century?
Billboard has just named Houston-born pop icon Beyoncé the Greatest Pop Star of the 21st Century. But her success story isn’t complete without mentioning the input of her ever-supportive mom, Tina Knowles.
Tina Knowles has stood behind her daughter since the Destiny’s Child days when she was the group’s costume designer. She is one of Beyoncé’s biggest fans, and she doesn’t miss the chance to spread the word about any of the singer’s accomplishments. The same applies to Beyoncé’s younger sister, Solange Knowles.
Tina Knowles recently drummed up support for Beyoncé’s fast-approaching NFL halftime show. The singer will be on stage during the match between the Baltimore Ravens and the Houston Texans at the NRG stadium. Tina Knowles predicted that everyone who watched her daughter’s performance should expect to see “excellence.”
True to her words, Beyoncé has always delivered both in the studio and on stage. The 16 Carriages singer has 32 Grammy wins to show for it, making her the most Grammy-winning artist ever. She is set to extend her tally further as her recent album has bagged a massive 11 nominations.
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How Did Fans React to Billboard’s Announcement?
Beyoncé’s announcement as the greatest pop star in the 21st century has gladdened the singer’s fans. But it has also sparked controversy in the Taylor Swift camp. Fans of the Cruel Summer singer have slammed the award, arguing that Swift deserved the top spot.
Even Billboard’s announcement of Swift as the “most famous woman in the world” failed to placate the Swifties. Fans of the pop icon, the only person to win Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards four times, shared their displeasure at her position in the greatest pop star in the 21st-century ranking.
One of Taylor Swift’s fans tweeted, “I like Beyoncé, but she is nowhere near Taylor’s level when it comes to impact and numbers.” Her fans also touted her “record-breaking sales” and commercial accomplishments as reasons she deserved the top spot.
Even Billboard conceded that Swift was the only artist on the list that could give Beyoncé a run for her money. They stated that Swift was the “lone artist who really challenged Beyoncé for the top spot.”
Truly, Taylor Swift’s dominance in the market and on streaming platforms is undeniable. Spotify recently declared its most-streamed artist of the year—a recognition she also received last year. “Congratulations Taylor Swift on the over 26+ billion streams in 2024,” the streaming service announced in a tweet.
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