It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, but Beyonce is once again the highest paid woman in the music industry this year. According to Forbes, Queen Bey raked in a cool $105 million dollars before taxes over the past year.
Beyonce’s album LEMONADE and her very lucrative “Formation Tour” is what contributed to her massive sum, but also don't forget she did all that while being pregnant with twins in the process.
Right behind Beyonce at #2 on the list was Adele, who reportedly earned $69 million dollars with her latest album 25 and its accompanying tour. Meanwhile Taylor Swift came in 3rd with $44 million dollars thanks to her new album Reputation. However Taylor’s money & numbers should go up next year following the tour of her latest album.
Other woman to top the list were Celine Dion ($42 million) and Jennifer Lopez ($38 million) who rounded out the top 5, while Dolly Parton ($37 million), Rihanna ($36 million), Britney Spears ($34 million), and Katy Perry ($33 million). Barbra Streisand comes in at No. 10 with $30 million.
"I am proud of my position as a boss, as a person that runs my own company," Katy Perry told Forbes. "I'm an entrepreneur. ... I don't want to shy away from it. I actually want to kind of grab it by its balls."
Of the ladies who just missed the top 10 were Lady Gaga, Madonna, Ariana Grande and Selena Gomez, who all earned multi-millions, but not enough to crack the top 10.
The list is reportedly made up of pre-tax income from June 1, 2016 through June 1, 2017. It includes information from Nielsen SoundScan, Pollstar, and the RIAA, as well as interviews with industry insiders, but it does not include fees taken from agents, managers and lawyers.
Check out the top 10 list of female earners (below) and let us know what you think the biggest surprise is?
1. Beyoncé – $105 million
2. Adele – $69 million
3. Taylor Swift – $44 million
4. Celine Dion – $42 million
5. Jennifer Lopez – $38 million
6. Dolly Parton – $37 million
7. Rihanna – $36 million
8. Britney Spears – $34 million
9. Katy Perry – $33 million
10. Barbra Streisand – $30 million