If you’ve been anywhere on the internet recently, you probably know Billboard has been slowly releasing their list of the 25 “Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century.” And it’s been generating a TON of discussion.
Adele is number 10 on the list, with Ariana Grande at 9, followed by Justin Bieber, Kanye West (?!?!?), Britney Spears, Lady Gaga, Drake, and Rihanna, who stands at number 3.
As of Nov. 22, they only have the top two spots left to announce — which will likely belong to Beyoncé and Taylor Swift, in an order to be revealed soon. That suspense has brought its own fair share of debates.
Aside from that discussion, people have already found a LOT of problems with the list. Like, personally, it feels absurd that Gaga is only at number 5. And putting Miley Cyrus at number 15 is absolutely criminal given her cultural influence and talent.
Valerie Macon / AFP / Getty Images
In what universe is Adele a bigger pop star than Miley Cyrus??? And, uh, where is my queen Kelly Clarkson?
The internet is sounding off as per usual — but several celebrities have also been vocal about the artists who were snubbed. That includes The Weeknd, who recently called out Billboard for snubbing Lana Del Rey.
where is Lana on that billboard’s greatest pop star list ?
— Abel Tesfaye (@theweeknd) November 19, 2024
And another celeb sticking up for a potentially snubbed artist on this list? None other than Hailey Bieber. She recently defended Justin Bieber, who Billboard ranked as the 8th best pop star of the 21st century.
Here’s how it went down: Billboard shared an Instagram post announcing Justin Bieber as number 8, and Hailey commented with her (very) candid thoughts. The comment has since been deleted, but screenshots have gone viral on the internet.
“Billboard is a fucking joke as per usual! 💋,” her comment said.
