Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, & Rihanna Top 'Forbes' List of Highest-Paid Women in Music

According to Forbes, Taylor Swift is the world's highest-paid woman in music. The list tracks the earnings generated between June of 2018 and June of 2019. Through her touring and the instant success of her latest album, Lover, Swift was able to rake in $185 million during this time frame. Most of Swift's success can be contributed to her relevancy. During a conversation with Forbes, Kim Kaupe—whose Superfan company helped Swift create album packages in the past—explains how Swift translates her popularity into dollars. 

"Taylor and her team understand the subtle yet important art of creating substantial moments," Kaupe said. "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."

Following Swift is Beyoncé who pulled in $81 million. Per Forbes, most of this revenue came from her On The Run II stadium tour with JAY-Z and her Homecoming Netflix special. But, the most surprising name on the list is Rihanna. Even though she hasn't released a drop of music since 2016, Rihanna still came in at third on the list. This means the estimated $62 million she earned came mostly from Fenty Beauty and the company's partnership with LVMH. 

See all of this year's highest-paid women in music below:

1. Taylor Swift - $181 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