Taylor Swift, the global music sensation, has achieved a significant milestone as Billboard magazine has named her the second greatest pop star of the 21st century. This ranking comes as part of a series of articles gradually unveiling the list of artists who have most defined pop stardom over the last 25 years. Swift's ascent to this position immediately places her ahead of Rihanna at No. 3, Drake at No. 4, Lady Gaga at No. 5, and Britney Spears at No. 6. Remarkably, she is five spots higher than Ye, formerly Kanye West, with whom she has engaged in a decade-long feud. Other artists she outranks include Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, Adele, and Usher.

Swift's Previous Billboard Success

Swift was previously Billboard's top artist of 2023. In a write-up explaining the choice, Hannah Dailey from Billboard stated that through honoring her unique traits, Swift was able to forcefully and gravitationally bend culture to her will and become one of the world's biggest undisputed pop stars, despite her eight-year late start in country music. It's a testament to her talent and influence.

During another massive year for Swift, in February she made history by becoming the first person to win the Grammy for album of the year four times. She was also named Time magazine's person of the year for 2023. As of October, Forbes estimated that she is the richest female musician with a $1.6 billion net worth. Her Eras Tour is hugely successful and is the highest-grossing concert tour of all time. Her latest album "The Tortured Poets Department" dropped in April and became the first album to receive more than 300 million streams on Spotify in a single day.

Honoring Swift's Achievement

The honor of being named the second greatest pop star of the 21st century comes near the end of this remarkable year for Swift. It showcases her enduring popularity and impact on the music industry. Despite some initial backlash over not being given the #1 slot, as Billboard predicted, many Swifties are likely to be proud of her achievement.

For instance, one fan on X expressed their disappointment with the ranking, saying, "What a joke, she's the biggest." However, others who presumed Beyoncé would be No. 1 were fine with Swift's placement. As one person on Reddit wrote, "Taylor has been bigger in recent years but Beyoncé has been huge since the very beginning of this century."

Billboard's 21st Century Pop Star List

Billboard's full list of picks for the greatest pop stars of the 21st century includes Katy Perry at No. 25, Ed Sheeran at No. 24, Bad Bunny at No. 23, One Direction at No. 22, Lil Wayne at No. 21, Bruno Mars at No. 20, BTS at No. 19, The Weeknd at No. 18, Shakira at No. 17, Jay-Z at No. 16, Miley Cyrus at No. 15, Justin Timberlake at No. 14, Nicki Minaj at No. 13, Eminem at No. 12, Usher at No. 11, Adele at No. 10, Ariana Grande at No. 9, Justin Bieber at No. 8, Kanye West at No. 7, Britney Spears at No. 6, Lady Gaga at No. 5, Drake at No. 4, Rihanna at No. 3, and Taylor Swift at No. 2.

This list highlights the diverse range of artists who have left an indelible mark on the pop music landscape over the past 25 years. Each artist has brought their own unique style and talent to the forefront, contributing to the evolution of pop music.