Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People list has arrived it includes some of the most notable folks in the headlines this past year.

On Wednesday (September 15), the outlet unleashed the campaign, which includes the likes of Billie Eilish ("Pioneer"), Lil Nas X ("Titan"), Britney Spears ("Icon"), Prince Harry and Meghan Markle ("Icon"), Verzuz creators Swizz Beatz and Timbaland and more. For the unveiling, the publication shared brief tributes written by a batch of star-studded peers, as well as a series of covers with some of the honorees.

When it came down to tributes, Megan Thee Stallion wrote about Eilish, saying, "She is a rare spirit who speaks from her heart with no pretenses. I knew I had found a kindred spirit that night. One who is strong, but still learning and still growing." Meanwhile, Kid Cudi stepped up for Lil Nas X, deeming him "a new twist on some of the themes I was riding on when I first started out." "To have a gay man in hip-hop doing his thing, crushing records — that is huge for us and for Black excellence. The way he’s unafraid to make people uncomfortable is so rocked ‘n’ roll," he wrote.

As for Spears, Paris Hilton shared her take on the pop superstar, who has been locked in a 13-year conservatorship. "Yes, we’ve watched Britney break records and deliver to the world hit after hit. But behind the scenes, she survived more than a decade of trauma and abuse from her conservatorship," she said of the singer. "In 2021, the battle cries of #FreeBritney roared louder than ever from her global network of devoted fans and a concerned public. Our hearts broke when Britney spoke about her pain."

Chef José Andrés wrote the Time tribute for Harry and Meghan, emphasizing their charity work. "In a world where everyone has an opinion about people they don’t know, the duke and duchess have compassion for the people they don’t know. They don’t just opine. They run toward the struggle," he wrote of the Sussexes.

Theresa Lucas

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