Musicians were far and few on the Time100’s most influential people list, but among those picks were three women who are superstars in the music game.
The Time 100 list for 2019 is out, and three powerhouse women from the music industry have landed on this year’s list. While the list has nearly balanced out with women and men, the music side was completely equal. Of the six musical acts, Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga were the three women who earned their spot on the coveted list.
Grande, who was the fourth woman ever to headline at Coachella over the weekend, landed in Time’s Artists category. Her essay was written by Troye Sivan, who featured Grande on his song “Dance to This” last year. He wrote kind words about Grande, congratulating her on her recent success and creative endeavors:
"Wearing her heart on her sleeve and in her work, she oozes those emotions in abundance. Armed with a full comprehension of how the world consumes music today, she is an industry game changer."
Unlike Grande, Taylor Swift landed on Time’s Icons section, among other notable people including Michelle Obama, Spike Lee, and Christine Blasey Ford. It might be a “choice” placement, but the superstar, undoubtedly, is still one of this year’s most influential people. Recently teasing new music, fans have been counting down the days until the big reveal. Writing her essay, singer Shawn Mendes mentions the privilege he had to open for her during the 1989 World Tour:
"I was so lucky to be able to open for a handful of her stadium shows on the 1989 World Tour. And I quickly learned that the magic of Taylor Swift doesn’t come from the lights, dancers or fireworks (although all of that is incredible) but from the electrifying connection that she has with the people who are there to see her."
Also joining Swift in the Icons category, certainly more fitting was Lady Gaga. Over the past year, Gaga took her superstardom to new levels when she starred in the third remake of A Star Is Born with Bradley Cooper. A Star is Born earned Gaga one Golden Globe win and an Oscar this year. The legendary Celine Dion wrote the essay for Gaga, praising her for her music, community support and (of course) her astounding wins during awards season:
"She’s definitely one of the most inventive artists we’ve ever seen. Her artistic expression has no rules, no boundaries…. What makes her even more special, and such a powerful influence on society, is that she empowers her fans to adopt the very same values in their lives—to stand up for what they believe in, despite what others might think"
Other singers added on the list included Khalid, reggaeton singer Ozuna (who’s facing a great deal of controversy right now), and K-pop sensation BTS. Aside from the negative attention Ozuna’s received, Khalid and BTS both had coincidentally stellar weekends.
Khalid performed at Coachella on Sunday and was joined by Billie Eilish, Marshmello and Halsey. On the other side of the country, BTS flew to New York City to perform on Saturday Night Live for the first time
The rest of the list includes an array of influential people, but mixed into that list are more controversial names such as Bret Kavanaugh, Donald Trump and even Mark Zuckerberg.
But nonetheless, there are still quite the handful of people who deserve to be on the list, like Oscar-nominated actress Yalitza Aparicio, politician Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and tennis champion Naomi Osaka.
What musicians do you think should have made it on this year’s Time 100? Let us know in the comments.