According to Forbes, the singer-songwriter features at number 64 in the list released on Tuesday because she "has not only broken record sales and captivated the world with her fantastically honest lyrics, but she has proven herself as an impressive businesswoman."
The publication went on to describe her as a "bona fide cross-genre, global megastar", citing the success of her album 1989, her third consecutive release to sell one million copies in its first week alone.
The magazine also credited her for interacting quite actively with her fans on her various social media accounts, mentioning that this has helped her to re-define the term "celebrity".
It also cited her decision to pull her music from the streaming service Spotify, which had sparked immense controversy at the time. "There’s no denying that she’s one of the most significant cultural influencers of our time," Forbes said.
According to this list, the world's most powerful woman is German Chancellor Angela Merkel followed in second place by Hilary Clinton. Michelle Obama is in tenth place on the list and Queen Elizabeth II is at 41. The list also includes Oprah Winfrey (at 12), Beyonce (at 21), Angelina Jolie (at 54) and Bangladeshi prime minister Shaikh Hasina (at 59).
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