Forbes has released its World’s Highest-Paid Women in Music of 2019 list 29-year-old Taylor Swifter is the biggest earner, bagging $185 million before taxes between June 2018 and June 2019, according to the magazine.
Coming in second is Beyonce with $81 million, which she earned through the On the Run II tour with husband JAY-Z, her Homecoming album and Netflix documentary. Rihanna placed third with $62 million, mostly from Fenty Beauty and the company’s partnership with LVMH, Katy Perry is fourth with $57.5 million and Pink rounded out the top five with $57 million.
“Taylor and her team understand the subtle yet important art of creating substantial moments,” says Kim Kaupe, a Forbes 30 Under 30 alum and cofounder of the Superfan Company, which has worked on album packages with Swift in the past, per Forbes. “These moments are not only perfectly captured by fans and media outlets, but they are the perfect bite-sized, PR-ready morsel that the news cycle loves.”
Other notable names on the list include Ariana Grande, who ranks sixth with $48 million, Lady Gaga made the top ten with $39.5 million, as did Shakira with $35 million.
“I am proud of my position as a boss, as a person that runs my own company,” Perry told Forbes in 2015. “I’m an entrepreneur. … I don’t want to shy away from it.”
See this year’s highest-paid women in music list below:
1. Taylor Swift – $185 million
2. Beyoncé – $81 million
3. Rihanna – $62 million
4. Katy Perry – $57.5 million
5. P!nk – $57 million
6. Ariana Grande – $48 million
7. Jennifer Lopez – $43 million
8. Lady Gaga – $39.5 million
9. Celine Dion – $37.5 million
10. Shakira – $35 million