TIME revealed its annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. Billie Eilish, Lil Nas X, Bad Bunny, Britney Spears, Dolly Parton, and Kane Brown were among the notable musicians named on the list.
Artists Are Recognized by Their Peers
Billie Eilish’s entry was written by 2020 Time honoree Megan Thee Stallion. “Billie Eilish is a unique soul, with a voice, style, and attitude all unapologetically her own. She is a rare spirit who speaks from her heart with no pretenses… a woman who stands up for herself and advocates for women everywhere,” Megan wrote.
Lil Nas X’s tribute was penned by Kid Cudi, who wrote: “What he’s doing is what we need right now. To have a gay man in hip-hop doing his thing, crushing records—that is huge for us and for Black excellence. The way he’s unafraid to make people uncomfortable is so rock’n’roll. He’s a true rock star.” Cudi added that there is a “homophobic cloud over hip-hop,” and that Lil Nas X is going to “break that sh-t down.”
J Balvin was selected as the guest contributor to write about Bad Bunny. “He’s a phenomenon when it comes to music, but it didn’t happen overnight; he was working at the supermarket back then, and had to struggle too. We’ve since worked together on an album, Oasis, and the Super Bowl halftime show. He’s an artist, period. A true artist. Now he’s at his peak, taking Latin culture to another level. The records he’s broken are amazing. He’s different. Special. People wait for someone to die to say, ‘Oh, he was a legend.’ But I’m telling Benito now: You are one of the greatest artists in Latin music history.”
Emotional Notes Were Written
Global pop star Britney Spears also made the list and Paris Hilton wrote about why. “Britney embodies joy and shares the light of her beautiful heart, forever the superstar. So we stand by her and root for her as she turns pain into purpose, her unwavering spirit stronger than ever.”
Miley Cyrus profiled her godmother Dolly Parton. She noted, “Dolly is not only my idol because of her incomparable career – she’s also my role model because of her steadfast morals and values. At her core, she is the definition of a humanitarian….There’s a theory that you shouldn’t meet your heroes, but I wish everyone had the chance to meet Dolly Parton because she’s even better than your sparkliest dreams.”
Kane Brown was written about by Darius Rucker, who stated, “Kane Brown has that unquantifiable ’it’ factor. He’s so laid-back and doesn’t take himself too seriously, but he also really cares about his craft and other people. And when it comes to his music, he can do that low, cool, borderline-rapping thing, and then he sings and his vocal ability just blows you away.”
Who do you wish to see on the list next year? Tell us in the comments below!
