Artists from across the musical spectrum featured heavily in the 2020 TIME100 list, revealed Tuesday night (Sept. 22) for an ABC special that threw the spotlight on cover star Megan Thee Stallion.
In a special interview, the rising rapper discussed the controversy and impact of “WAP,” her hit collaboration with Cardi B.
“When I saw all of the politicians in an uproar about mine and Cardi’s ‘WAP’, I was just really taken aback,” she said. “Like why is this your focus right now? If you have an issue with what I’m saying don’t listen to it.”
Megan also talked with pride about the wave of female artists blazing a trail in the music industry. “I’m like a girl’s girl and I love to support other women,” she said earlier in her interview.
This year’s list, which recognizes the 100 “Most Influential People” for 2020, includes a record 54 women, including singers Selena Gomez, Halsey and JoJo Siwa who, at 17, is the youngest person this time.
Megan and The Weeknd appear on two of the eight TIME100 worldwide covers, each highlighting a member of the 17th annual list.
Elton John introduced the “Blinding Lights” singer (real name Abel Tesfaye) as “a mysterious figure in an era when mystery is rare in pop…. He’s not interested in commerciality for commerciality’s sake, but he’s one of the biggest-streaming artists on Spotify. Like Prince, he marches to his own beat. That’s an exemplary way for an artist to be.”
The Time100 television event gave the big reveal of each “Pioneer, Artist, Leader, Icon and Titan” across its categories. In the lead up, fans voted on the Time Readers’ Poll for influential people who impacted over the year.
The latest list “looks far different than any of us could have predicted just six months ago,” comments TIME CEO and editor-in-chief Edward Felsenthal. “The TIME100 has always been a mirror of the world and those who shape it. While you will certainly find people who wield traditional power on this year’s list—heads of state, CEOs, major entertainers—it also includes many extraordinary, lesser-known individuals who seized the moment to save lives, build a movement, lift the spirit, repair the world…. Their work challenges each of us to wield our own influence toward a world that is healthier, more resilient, more sustainable and just.”
Also honored is Colombian singer J Balvin, Jennifer Hudson and more, while The Weeknd performed his chart-topping 2019 hit for the special.
See the full list at Time.com.
