Taylor Swift named Billboard's No. 2 Greatest Pop Star of 21st Century – but who's No. 1?

Taylor Swift can add yet another music industry accolade to her illustrious career as she scores the honor of being Billboard's second Greatest Pop Star of the 21st Century.  © Chandan Khanna / AFP

Billboard made the announcement on Tuesday, hailing the 34-year-old for taking "pop stardom to places we hadn't previously thought possible."

Taylor has earned 12 No. 1 hits on the company's Hot 100 charts, along with 13 No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200.

Amid their praise of the singer's nearly two-decade-long career, Billboard was sure to get ahead of the expected backlash from Swifties over Taylor not taking the coveted top spot.

"The fact that controversy will likely tear through the internet over her being just one small space below No. 1 is just another testament to her power, but regardless, her placement shouldn't leave Swifties upset for too long – especially considering how much later in the millennium she got her start, both in the genre and music in general," they wrote.

Taylor's position placed her above the likes of Rihanna (No. 3), Britney Spears (No. 6), Ariana Grande (No. 9), and more.

Alas, the question on everyone's minds remains: who is No. 1?

It's all but confirmed that Beyoncé will take the crown as Billboard's Greatest Pop Star of the 21st.  © KEVIN WINTER / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP

By process of elimination, it's all but confirmed that Beyoncé will take the crown as Billboard's Greatest Pop Star of the 21st.

The 32-time Grammy winner has yet to be named on the list, and her enduring pop stardom from the very start of the 21st century to today makes her a surefire pick.

Both Taylor and Beyoncé enjoyed historic 2023s with their respective world tours, and the stars have made it a point to prove that they do not see one another as competition.

The 43-year-old surprised fans as she showed her support at the world premiere of Taylor's Eras Tour concert movie, and Taylor later returned the favor at the London premiere of Bey's Renaissance film.

In a post shared after her premiere, the Fortnight artist hailed Beyoncé as "a guiding light throughout my career".

"I'm so glad I'll never know what my life would’ve been like without @beyonce's influence," she wrote.