A Look Into This Year’s Top Pop Stars

Billboard debuted their top Staff Picks for the “Greatest Pop Stars of 2024” with a women-led list. The 2024-focused list comes after the outlet unveiled its “Greatest Pop Stars of All Time” list.

The Staff Pick differs from Billboard‘s “Year End” Charts by ranking artists based on musical stats, artistic presence, personal impact, live performances, fan engagement, and overall cultural significance. Before the final list, Billboard released each pick daily, accompanied by an article explaining the rationale behind their ranking and highlighting their accomplishments that year.

This year’s ranking stood out as female pop stars of all calibers held a majority of the spots.

Breakout artists Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan ranked high on the list, with Carpenter ranking second and Roan fourth. Along with the two artists, they were accompanied by music veterans Taylor Swift, who recently wrapped up her acclaimed “Eras Tour,” and Ariana Grande, who starred in the cinematic adaptation of Wicked.

The list sparked fans’ attention as they were surprised with particular rankings, as seen under the “Espresso” singer’s second-place announcement post.

Despite the reactions, the rankings show how active the artists were in their careers for 2024 and how much pop culture was women-led.

Roan is accredited for her debut album, which garnered stellar commercial success and received six Grammy nominations as a breakout artist. Not only has the “Pink Pony Club” singer brought a new sound to pop, she has also brought queer representation to the forefront of pop culture.

Swift is particularly noted for her immense success with her newest album, The Tortured Poets Department, noted to be one of the biggest successes a solo artist has had in over four decades. She held the number one rank the previous year. The women made history in their respective areas of pop, all while bringing new expectations for the pop industry.

You can check out Billboard‘s full Staff Pick list here.