• Forbes lists Taylor at No. 5 on its list of most powerful women for 2023. 
  • Taylor Swift is a billionaire after her Eras tour earlier this year.
  • The article contains a perfect sentence that says a lot about the state of the world.

Taylor Swift finally became a billionaire this fall. Swift really made a lot — like, a lot — from her Eras tour, which grossed $850 million in the US.

But Swift’s power and influence is more than her wealth; she’s arguably the most famous woman in the US at the moment (the world, even) who has the power to bring change to the music industry (remember when she held out putting her music on streaming?) as well as even more impressive feats — like making non-football fans care about the Kansas City Chiefs.

All this means that Forbes listed her as No. 5 on their list of The World’s Most Powerful Women — totally reasonable, totally normal! Good choice, Forbes!

But it also means that the story contains a sentence that is so perfect, that says so much about society in 2023 … chef’s kiss. I mean, you just need to see it:

As formidable as Swift is, she is not, however, the most powerful woman in the world. That title goes to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, whose policy and budgetary decisions affect Europe’s 450 million people.

Beautiful.

Good luck holding onto the title next year, Ursula von der Leyen. Taylor’s only getting more powerful.

Ursala von der Leyon speaking in front of a microphone

The European Commission’s Ursula von der Leyen. She’s Cheer Captain, and I’m on the bleachers.

NurPhoto