A handful of pop icons recently graced Forbes‘ list of the “World’s 100 Most Powerful Women,” reaffirming that you should never underestimate the power of a pop star.
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Published Tuesday, Dec. 6, the list celebrates powerful female change-makers from around the world. “The result is a collection of women who are fighting the status quo,” prefaces this year’s list, which includes prominent figures like Honduras’ president Xiomara Castro, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, and United States Vice President Kamala Harris.
Among them, the presidents of pop culture, Beyoncé, Dolly Parton, Rihanna, and Taylor Swift, were also all ranked on the 2022 list, acknowledging the achievements of the powerhouse entertainers.
With the entrepreneurial successes of her cosmetics brand and lingerie line this year, the upcoming Super Bowl Halftime show artist, Rihanna, led the pack, coming in at No. 73 on the list. Swift followed at No. 79. The Midnights star was acknowledged for her record-breaking 2022 release, as well as her recent fight against Ticketmaster.
A regular chart-topping, award show-sweeping, revenue-raking entertainer, Beyoncé was close behind, ranking at No. 80 on the list of 100. Her seventh album, Renaissance, was released this year and garnered her an array of nominations, including nine new Grammy nods for a total of 88 Grammy nominations earned throughout her career.
Parton rounded out the list at No. 96. The country star was recognized not only for her music but also for her philanthropic efforts and charitable work that has defined her storied career.
All four of their names also donned Forbes’ “America’s Self-Made Women” list, published this past June – with Rihanna at No. 21; Swift at No. 48; Beyoncé at No. 61; and Parton at No. 74 – as a recognition of the unaided successes of female entrepreneurs, executives, and entertainers.
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