Beyonce has officially been named the greatest pop star of the 21st century by Billboard.
The music industry magazine made the announcement on Tuesday as part of its ongoing series highlighting the artistes “who have most defined pop stardom for the last 25 years.”
“The reasons why Beyonce captured the top spot on our list were beyond numerous,” Billboard said, “ranging from her 25 years of timeless albums and singles, to her incalculable industry impact and influence on other artists, to her peerless raw talents as a singer and performer.”
“But perhaps the most important of all was her singular ability to create moments: indelible pieces of pop culture history that she has generated over the course of her quarter century of superstardom, which are first and foremost all quintessentially Beyonce.”
Last month, the superstar singer became the most Grammy-nominated artiste of all time after receiving 11 nods for her groundbreaking 2023 opus Cowboy Carter. With a record 32 wins already under her belt, she now boasts a total of 99 nominations throughout her career.
Beyonce has a storied history on the Billboard charts, amassing nine No. 1 hits and 24 top 10 songs on the Hot 100. Eight of her albums have notched the No. 1 position on the Billboard 200, starting with 2003’s Dangerously In Love — her solo debut. She previously dominated the airwaves and sales charts as the frontwoman of Destiny’s Child.
Last week, Billboard announced Taylor Swift as No. 2 on its list of the Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century, with Rihanna coming in third.
Drake, Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, Kanye West, Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande and Adele round out the top 10, in that order. – New York Daily News/Tribune News Service
