Rihanna is many things. She’s an internationally acclaimed singer with more Platinum certifications than one can count. She’s a beauty mogul and a fashion kingpin, sitting atop a billion-dollar empire. She’s about to be a Super Bowl Halftime show headliner. She’s a proud mother, caring for her and ASAP Rocky’s child. Now, she’s one of the most powerful women in the world, according to Forbes magazine. The publication released its list for “The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women” on Wednesday (Dec. 7), and Rihanna, 34, came in at No. 73, behind Laura Cha, the first female chair of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, and ahead of Mette Frederiksen, the prime minister of Denmark.
How did Forbes come up with these rankings? “The list was determined by four main metrics: money, media, impact, and spheres of influence,” the publication says. “For political leaders, we weighed gross domestic products and populations; for corporate leaders, revenues and employee counts; and media mentions and reach of all. The result is a collection of women who are fighting the status quo.”
While Rihanna was deemed more “powerful” than Taylor, it was Swift who was listed under “The Highlights” section. “Taylor Swift broke records and Ticketmaster’s website this year,” wrote Forbes. “After releasing her 10th studio album in October [Midnights], she became the first artist in history to claim the top ten spots on the Billboard Hot 100 song list. And in November, demand for tickets to her 2023 Eras Tour overwhelmed Ticketmaster, prompting members of Congress to question the company’s hold on concert sales.”