Beyoncé is called many things by different people. She’s “Mommy” to Blue Ivy, “wife” to Jay Z and “Queen Bey” to her fans, commonly known as the Beyhive. But from this day forward, she’s also known as a “titan.”
Time magazine has crowned Beyoncé as a titan on its “100 Most Influential People” list. The megastar graces this month’s coveted edition and gives new meaning to being a “boss.”
Last December, Beyoncé took the world by surprise when she released her recording, breaking the Beyoncé album without any promotion. The audiovisual album sold more than $200 million, which led to the successful Mrs. Carter Show World Tour. Beyoncé proved to the world she didn’t need promotion when she’s one of the highest-grossing artists out there.
When asked who the biggest influences in her life were, Beyoncé cited her mother, Tina Knowles, and Blue Ivy. “Being a mother, becoming a mother, and looking at my daughter in her eyes made me into a woman and made me very, very strong,” the 32-year old said.
In the Time video shoot, Beyoncé said that appearing on the magazine’s cover was a huge honor. “It’s something important for me as an artist. It’s not about fashion, beauty, music, it’s about culture. Being amongst the other influential people is a huge honor for me.”
So who are those other influential people? One could only describe them as the epitome of black excellence. The list includes President Barack Obama, Eric Holder, Pharrell Williams, Serena Williams, Jason Collins, Kerry Washington, Richard Sherman, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Sister Rosemary Nyirumbe, Ertharin Cousin, Aliko Dangote, Imam Omar Kobine Layama, Archbishop Dieudonné Nzapalainga, the Rev. Nicolas Guérékoyame-Gbangou, Steve McQueen, Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, Binyavanga Wainaina, Ory Okolloh and Thuli Madonsela.
Influential is an understatement.
Yesha Callahan is editor of The Grapevine and a staff writer at The Root. Follow her on Twitter.