Photo credit: JStone / Shutterstock.com
Time’s ‘25 Most Influential People on the Internet’ list has just come out, and we can’t say we are surprised by some of the big names that have made the list.
We had no doubts that Rihanna would make the list, following the epic year she has had. And we’re not just talking about her Fenty beauty line which revolutionized make-up thanks to its all-inclusive 40-shades of foundation that meant women of all colors could find the right foundation for them.
Remember how she also took down Snapchat after their poor taste advertising, and also empowered women by not shaving her legs?
“When Rihanna speaks—or, more precisely, ‘grams—the world listens,” Eliza Berman wrote in the Time feature.
“In March 2018, she posted an Instagram story denouncing an ad that appeared on Snapchat that used her image to make light of domestic violence, of which she is a survivor. Soon after, Snap Inc. lost $800 million in value.
“In May, she posted photos of herself in swimwear with visible stubble on her legs, inspiring a wave of online declarations that shaving, for this summer at least, is no longer required.
“But part of what makes the 30-year-old singer and entrepreneur so successful on the Internet is her own ability to listen. She listened and heard that there was a large segment of the population that felt underserved by the beauty and fashion industries, and she responded with her wildly successful makeup line, Fenty Beauty, and lingerie line, Savage x Fenty. Both were instant hits, thanks in part to Rihanna’s savvy use of social media to market them. The money—and the followers—are pouring in, with no signs of slowing.”
It also doesn’t come as a shock to see Kylie Jenner on the list, and not just because of the global success of her Kylie Cosmetics line. Kylie teased the world and kept us guessing for months playing the “is she, isn’t she?” game by never fully confirming her pregnancy. Perhaps that was why the first ever picture of her daughter Stormi – which also confirmed the newborn’s name – was the most liked picture on Instagram of all time. Yes, even more popular than Beyoncé’s pregnancy announcement. (FYI, Beyoncé hasn’t even made the list this year. How nuts is that?!)
“If Jenner’s social media domination was ever in question, any uncertainty was snuffed out during a period of weeks this past February,” Eliza Berman wrote.
“First, the 20-year-old youngest sibling in the Kardashian-Jenner clan posted the first photo of her newborn baby to Instagram, revealing Stormi Webster’s name to the world and ousting Beyoncé’s 2017 pregnancy photo to become the most-liked image ever posted on the platform.
“A couple weeks later, she tweeted about her lack of interest in Snapchat—on which she was once the most followed celebrity—prompting the app’s parent company to lose more than $1.3 billion in market value.
“By one estimate, Jenner is now the highest-paid celebrity on Instagram, with each sponsored post worth the equivalent of $1 million (about a fifth the cost of a Super Bowl commercial).
“She may not be the most followed among her famous sisters, but her ability to engage legions of fans—and customers—has been for her business, Kylie Cosmetics, as spinach was to Popeye. She’s now on track, by some estimates, to become a billionaire by her 25th birthday.”
Well, we feel somewhat inferior after reading that last sentence.
Kanye West, Busy Philipps, Bikini Body Guide “fitfluencer” Kayla Itsines, and Daniel Baker and Joel Martinez (a.k.a. Desus and Mero) are also among the big names on the coveted list.
Click here to check out the list in full