Photo: Rex USA/Picture Perfect.The bad news? Justin Bieber is apparently still powerful. The good news? Lorde is more powerful, which means the future of music might be safe after all.
Billboard has released its 21 Under 21 power ranking for 2014, and 17-year-old Ella Yelich-O'Connor is sitting pretty at number one. And, it's not just songs like "Royals" or "Team" that have earned her the top spot.
"Most importantly, she’s consistently demonstrated an influence that extends well beyond music, championing an image free of touch-ups and letting young girls know that they don’t have to dress provocatively to capture the public’s attention," writer Jason Lipshutz proclaimed.
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Next on the list is 5 Seconds of Summer — a boy band that is not One Direction. That brings us to 20-year-old Bieber, who slips to third in his last appearance on the list.
Though Billboard acknowledged that Biebs is "still a superstar," they also pointed out that his final year in the power ranking has ended with a "whimper and not a bang." Given all the trouble the guy's found himself in this year , is anyone surprised?
The rest of the rankings are fairly diverse, both in terms of musical genres and race. There's Taylor Swift-denier Earl Sweatshirt , Latino heartthrob Luis Coronel, and everyone's new favorite empowering doo-wopper, Meghan Trainor.
So, yeah, the new kids are alright. For the most part. (Billboard )
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