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Beyoncé drops a surprise album, and look what happens…
She now takes her seat as #1 female in the music industry for 2014.
Beyoncé drops a surprise album, and look what happens…
In 2013, Forbes reported that Queen B had grossed $53 million in the past year (placing her at No. 4), meaning she has 
more than doubled earnings this year. Madonna topped last year’s list with $125 million in earnings.
Beyoncé’s 2014 world tour was one of the most publicized of the year and contributed largely to her success; Forbes estimates she raked in, on average, $2.4 million per city. Her H&M and Pepsi endorsement deals also factored i — in a big way.
Considering Swift has endorsement deals with Diet Coke, CoverGirl and Subway, as well a recently announced world tour in 2015, the winner of this battle is anyone’s guess.
Pink finished as No. 3 on the Forbes list ($52 million); Rihanna ranked No. 4 ($48 million); and Katy Perry placed No. 5 ($40 million). Jennifer Lopez, Miley Cyrus, Celine Dion, Lady Gaga and Britney Spears rounded out the rest of the top 10. Previously, Spears topped the 2012 list, earning $58 million — she dropped to $20 million this year.
Forbes calculates earnings from totaling “income from touring, record sales, publishing, merchandise sales, endorsements,” among other factors.
BONUS: The Evolution of Beyoncé
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