TIME Magazine has revealed its yearly list of the 100 Most Influential People in the World. Among them were titans of the music industry: Beyoncé, who appears on the cover, Miley Cyrus, Pharrell Williams and Carrie Underwood.
Each of the 100 honorees were validated in essays written by various celebrities. Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg wrote Beyoncé's piece, Dolly Parton wrote for her goddaughter Cyrus, Justin Timberlake wrote about Pharrell and Brad Paisley did one for Underwood.
On Beyoncé, Sandberg wrote: "She's the boss. ... In the past year, Beyoncé has sold out the Mrs. Carter Show World Tour while being a full-time mother. Her secret: hard work, honesty and authenticity. And her answer to the question, What would you do if you weren't afraid? appears to be 'Watch me. I'm about to do it.' Then she adds, 'You can, too.'"
Parton backed Cyrus' controversial shift from her Hannah Montana image saying: "If I didn't know how smart and talented Miley is, I might worry about her. But I've watched her grow up. So I don't. She knows what she's doing. ... I'm hoping that now she can relax and show people how talented she really is. 'Cause the girl can write. The girl can sing. The girl is smart. And she doesn't have to be so drastic. But I will respect her choices. I did it my way, so why can't she do it her way?"
Timberlake speaks of collaborating with Pharrell saying, "He made me fearless, and I've carried that with me the rest of my life. ...He injects that vibrant energy into the music in a way that you can feel. Whether it's the chord changes that remind you of another time or the melody that instantly grabs you, you are transported to another place. You smile, you dance, you clap along. His music actually does make you happy. Maybe that's why he still looks younger than the rest of us."
Paisley praises Underwood saying: "Not only has she earned her place [in the music industry], she's also raised the bar: she's a prolific songwriter, a trendsetter and an Opry member. But it's her decency as a person that is so impressive. ...She can sing the fire out of a song and tell a joke. ...She has faith, a sense of self and loves a good challenge. ...So many young girls want to be just like her. In that sense, I see hope for the world. If I had a daughter, nothing would make me happier than to hear her say she wanted to grow up to be like Carrie Underwood."
Last year's list of influential people included Jay Z (who graced the cover), Frank Ocean and Miguel as well as Beyoncé and Timberlake.
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