Zendaya, Adele, Pete Davidson, and many others have been included in this year’s Time 100, the annual list of the 100 most influential people in 2022. The list comprises different categories including artists, innovators, titans, leaders, icons, and pioneers who leave a mark in areas like entertainment, politics, sports, business, and other fields.
We were very excited about this year’s Most Influential People in 2022 Time 100 List that featured a mix of first-timers and familiar faces, with Adele earning her third entry and President Joe Biden making an appearance for the fifth time. The list is indeed astonishing, filled with names that left a mark in our lives in some way. Let’s take Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, for example, or Oprah Winfrey, the TV host who has definitely proved that she was much more than a presenter.
And because as humans, we are spiritual and artistic beings, art is one of the easiest and most common ways to impact us, so among the most influential people in 2022, there’s a significant number of celebrities who managed to leave their fingerprints.
This includes Sarah Jessica Parker of Sex And The City Fame, Amanda Seyfried, Pete Davidson (Saturday Night Live), Channing Tatum, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Strong, Faith Ringgold, Jazmine Sullivan, Taika Watiti, Miranda Lambert, Oprah Winfrey, Michelle Yeoh, Hwang Dong-hyuk (Squid Game director), Keanu Reeves, Mary J. Blige, and Grammy Award winner Jon Batiste.
In this article, we are going to dig deeper into why these artists are much more than just singers, actors, or performers whom we enjoy seeing on the screen.
Adele
We all occasionally experience thoughts or feelings that reflect a certain aspect or problem in our lives; it could be heartbreak, sorrow, grief, or simply the ups and downs of daily life. But many of these times, these feelings leave us trapped in our own heads, leaving us lonely, depressed, and lifeless, thinking that no one can understand what we’re going through. Although it’s not always possible to share our feelings with others, we wish we could still feel understood. Then, Adele releases a song, and all of a sudden it’s like she’s reaching out and saying, “I know how you feel. I have been there.”
“She puts emotions into words, describing them in a way we never could ourselves. She is raw, honest, and elegant all at the same time. It never feels like she sings to us. She sings for us,” commented James Corden, an Emmy-winning producer and the host of The Late Late Show with James Corden.
Adele is an example of someone who wants nothing more than to create wonderful music and share it with the world just for the sake of encouraging us, relating to us, and comforting us, in an era where individuals are attempting to sell every aspect of their being on every gadget that surrounds us.
I personally believe that Adele is a human before being an artist, and that’s what makes her successful and loved. The world needs more people like her, so there’s no surprise why she is one of the most influential people in 2022.
Zendaya
Can you imagine that Zendaya has reached all these successes and accomplishments at only 25 years old? And although it must have been a challenging journey, Zendaya’s heart and soul always remained to blossom.
In Sam Levinson’s Malcolm & Marie, Zendaya shone like a shooting star that was caught on camera only a year or so ago. She experienced an emotional outburst as Levinson’s cultural phenomenon Euphoria chronicled the collapse of her adolescent years. She was also outstanding in the box office smash Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Speaking of Zendaya, Dune director Denis Villeneuve wrote: “She is an autonomous creative force herself. A cultural icon in the making…a person driven by pure inspiration, empathy, and respect for her craft, who uses authenticity as a new superpower. She seems fearless, her roots run deep, and I love that she still laughs like a kid. Zendaya is the future. And there is nothing more comforting to me. This is only the beginning.”
Mary J. Blige
In Blige’s blurb, Nas, a Grammy Award-winning artist, remarked on what set Mary J. Blige apart from other R&B artists who were trying to come up in the ’90s. “She became a household name early because she was a hip-hop artist who also sang. The industry needed someone like that. The streets wanted that. Pop culture wanted that. And she was the one for it because she wasn’t made up. She was the girl around the way with the big earrings. She was like a spokesperson for a particular type of girl coming out of New York and coming out of the streets,” he stated.
She established a niche for herself and can now provide the public with more than simply music. She has a lot more to give, including a distinguished acting career, a wine company, and the newly established Strength of a Woman festival in Atlanta. Mary has definitely attained her intended status, giving hope to many women out there.
Pete Davidson
There is no wonder why the 28-year-old Pete Davidson is grabbing a lot of attention! He has the charisma and capability to reach out to people, which made him one of the most influential people in 2022. Pete could be described as a tried-and-true formula for achievement and kinship, not only because of his success but authenticity and truthfulness that inspire a lot of people to become the truest versions of themselves in an era where fakeness surrounds us from every corner.
“After a few months of knowing each other (but never meeting), Pete successfully pushed to get me on SNL, which was a genuine dream come true for me and my family. I grew up watching the show with them and got to bring them on set. My mom was in tears. The night before the show, I went over to Pete’s apartment and he made my friend and me laugh until our stomachs hurt. I felt like I was experiencing elite comedy up close and personal,” commented Jack Harlow, Grammy-nominated rapper.
Finally, let’s check how some of the Time 100 musician honorees reacted on Instagram to their inclusion in the Most Influential People of 2022 Time 100 list.