From the hijab protest in Iran to the overturning of Roe v. Wade here in the United States, this year has been a challenging year for so many minority groups around the world but especially women. Serving as a beacon of hope, Forbes‘ annual The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women list could not have come at a better time.
In the number-one slot is European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen. As this year was a widely political year, that comes as no surprise, however, the list starts to get interesting once musicians are introduced. This year’s highest-ranked musician is “Lift Me Up” singer Rihanna at number 73.
Before making her musical return by way of the Wakanda Forever Soundtrack, the entrepreneur kept herself busy with her company Savage X Fenty’s line expansion and annual fashion show. This year also marked a few firsts for her. Rihanna celebrated her first National Heroes Day as an honoree in her home country of Barbados, in addition to becoming a first-time mother. Now, Rihanna is planning her true return to music space in the biggest way possible, with a performance at the Superbowl Halftime show.
The second highest-ranked musician was Taylor Swift in the number 79 spot. The “Anti-Hero” singer flexed her impact with an impressive run on Billboard‘s Hot 100 charts and a site-crashing tour general ticket sale.
“Break My Soul” singer Beyoncé is the last musician to make the cut coming in at number 80. With a monumental return to music, Beyoncé’s seventh studio album, Renaissance, broke a plethora of records at the upcoming Grammy Awards. Although Beyoncé is currently tied with her husband, Jay-Z, as the most-nominated artist of all time, she only needs four wins to become the highest-awarded artist by the Recording Academy of all time.
Other media and entertainment professionals that made the list include Oprah Winfrey, at number 24, the chairwoman of Disney General Entertainment Content, Dana Walden, at number 41, the Head of Amazon Studios, Jennifer Salke, at number 58, chairwoman of Universal Pictures Donna Langley at number 61, FOX News CEO Suzanne Scott at number 65, actress Reese Witherspoon at number 86, television producer Shonda Rhimes at number 93, and Nigerian media mogul Mo Abudu at number 99.
To view the complete list, click here.
