21st-century American women singers

Caresha Romeka Brownlee, better known by her stage name Yung Miami, is an American rapper. She formed the Miami, Florida-based hip hop duo City Girls with JT in 2017, and began her solo career in 2021. Released in October of that year, her single "Rap Freaks" marked her first entry on the Billboard Hot 100 as a solo act. She guest performed alongside Latto on the remix of Lola Brooke's 2021 single, "Don't Play with It", which peaked at number 69 on the chart.

Claire Sardina is an American entertainer, known for her partnership with her husband Mike Sardina and their Neil Diamond tribute band, Lightning and Thunder, and her work as a Patsy Cline tribute artist. They have been the subjects of a documentary and feature film.

Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her image reinventions and versatility across the entertainment industry, she is an influential figure in popular music. With estimated sales of 124 million records, she is one of the best-selling music artists of all time. Publications such as Billboard and Rolling Stone have ranked her among the greatest artists in history.

Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Dubbed the "Queen of Pop", she is known for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, and visual presentation. Her works incorporate social, political, sexual, and religious themes and have generated both controversy and critical acclaim. Madonna has had a significant socio-cultural impact across both the 20th and 21st centuries and is often deemed one of the greatest musicians of all time.

Taylor Alison Swift is an American singer-songwriter. An influential figure in popular culture, she is known for her autobiographical songwriting and artistic reinventions. Swift is the highest-grossing live music artist, the wealthiest female musician, and one of the best-selling music artists of all time.

Elizabeth Woolridge Grant, known professionally as Lana Del Rey, is an American singer-songwriter. Her music is noted for its melancholic exploration of glamor and romance, with frequent references to pop culture and 1950s–1970s Americana. She is the recipient of various accolades, including an MTV Video Music Award, three MTV Europe Music Awards, two Brit Awards, two Billboard Women in Music awards, and a Satellite Award, in addition to nominations for 11 Grammy Awards and a Golden Globe Award. Variety honored her at their Hitmakers Awards for being "one of the most influential singer-songwriters of the 21st century". In 2023, Rolling Stone placed Del Rey on their list of the "200 Greatest Singers of All Time", while Rolling Stone UK named her as the "greatest American songwriter of the 21st century".

Scarlett Ingrid Johansson is an American actress. Her films as a leading actress have grossed over $15.4 billion worldwide, making her the second highest-grossing actor in history. Johansson's various accolades include a British Academy Film Award and Tony Award, as well as nominations for two Academy Awards and five Golden Globe Awards.

Britney Jean Spears is an American singer. Referred to as the "Princess of Pop", she is widely regarded as one of the most influential entertainers of the 21st century. Her impact on pop music—particularly her role in reviving teen pop—and energetic stage performances contributed to her widespread success.

Ariana Grande-Butera is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her four-octave vocal range, which extends into the whistle register, she is regarded as an influential figure in popular music. Publications such as Rolling Stone and Billboard have deemed Grande one of the greatest artists in history, while Time included her on its list of the world's 100 most influential people in 2016 and 2019.

Miley Ray Cyrus is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. An influential figure in popular music, Cyrus is known for her evolving artistry and image reinventions. She was an established child actress before developing a successful entertainment career as an adult. Cyrus emerged as a teen idol with her portrayal of Miley Stewart in the Disney Channel television series Hannah Montana (2006–2011), growing a profitable franchise and achieving two number-one soundtracks on the Billboard 200.

Jennifer Lynn Lopez is an American singer, songwriter, actress, dancer, and businesswoman. Lopez is regarded as one of the most influential entertainers of her time, credited with breaking barriers for Latino Americans in Hollywood and helping propel the Latin pop movement in music. She is also known for her cultural impact through fashion, branding, and shifting mainstream beauty standards.

Whitney Elizabeth Houston was an American singer, actress, film producer, and record producer. Commonly referred to as "the Voice", she is one of the most awarded performers of all time. A cultural icon, she broke down gender and racial barriers through her artistic achievements and music videos. Known for her vocal delivery, gospel singing style, crossover appeal, and live performances, Houston was ranked second on Rolling Stone's list of the greatest singers of all time in 2023.

Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson, known professionally as Katy Perry, is an American singer, songwriter, and television personality. Known for her influence on pop music and her camp style, she has been dubbed the "Queen of Camp" by Vogue and Rolling Stone.

Nicole Mary Kidman is an Australian and American actress and producer. Known for her work in blockbusters and independent films across many genres, she has consistently ranked among the world's highest-paid actresses since the late 1990s. Her accolades include an Academy Award, an Actor Award, a British Academy Film Award, six Golden Globe Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Volpi Cup.

American singer, songwriter and actress

Gwyneth Kate Paltrow is an American actress and businesswoman. The daughter of filmmaker Bruce Paltrow and actress Blythe Danner, she established herself as a leading lady appearing in primarily mid-budget and period films during the 1990s and early 2000s, before transitioning to blockbusters and franchises. Her accolades include an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award.

Cher ( ; born Cheryl Sarkisian, May 20, 1946) is an American singer and actress. Dubbed the "Goddess of Pop", she is known for her androgynous contralto voice, bold fashion and visual presentation, and multifaceted career. Her screen roles often reflect her public image as a strong-willed, outspoken woman. An influential figure in popular culture, Cher has sustained a career spanning more than six decades through continual reinvention.

Aretha Louise Franklin was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Regarded as the "Queen of Soul", she was twice named by Rolling Stone magazine as the greatest singer of all time.

Anne Jacqueline Hathaway is an American actress. Her accolades include an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award. Her films have grossed over $6.8 billion worldwide. She was among the world's highest-paid actresses in 2015.

American media personality (born 1981)

American-born Swiss singer and songwriter (1939–2023)

Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand is an American singer, actress, songwriter, and filmmaker. Over a career spanning more than six decades, Streisand's success in the entertainment industry has included Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony awards.

Dolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer, songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman. After achieving success as a songwriter for other artists, Parton's debut album, Hello, I'm Dolly, was released in 1967, commencing a career spanning 60 years and 50 studio albums. Referred to as the "Queen of Country", Parton is one of the most-honored female country performers in history and has received various accolades, including eleven Grammy Awards and three Emmy Awards, as well as nominations for two Academy Awards including an humanitarian honorary Oscar win in 2025, six Golden Globe Awards, and a Tony Award.

Anastacia Lyn Newkirk ( ; born September 17, 1968), known by the mononym Anastacia, is an American singer-songwriter who has released eight albums and sold over 50 million records worldwide, and collecting a total of 227 gold and platinum certifications. Thanks to her distinctive tone she has been described as "the little lady with the big voice." Anastacia defines her musical style as "sprock", meaning a fusion of soul, pop, and rock.

Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. Considered a pop icon, she is known for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Jackson's sound and choreography became a catalyst in the growth of MTV, enabling her to rise to prominence while breaking gender and racial barriers in the process. Lyrical content that concerned social issues and deeply felt experiences contributed to the appeal of her work to the youth audience.

American contemporary folk musician (born 1941)

American actress and singer (1922–2019)

Diane Keaton Hall was an American actress. Her career spanned more than five decades, during which she rose to prominence in the New Hollywood movement. She collaborated frequently with Woody Allen, appearing in eight of his films. Keaton's accolades include an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and two Golden Globe Awards, along with nominations for two Emmy Awards and a Tony Award. She was honored with the Film at Lincoln Center Gala Tribute in 2007 and the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2017.

Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman ( ; born September 1, 1996) is an American actress and singer. Her accolades include two Primetime Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Award, and Time included her as one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2022. Her films as a leading actress have grossed over $3.9billion worldwide.

American actress

American singer-songwriter and pianist (born 1981)

American actress

Liza May Minnelli is an American actress, singer, and dancer. Known for her commanding stage presence and powerful alto singing voice, Minnelli has received numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, an Emmy Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and four Tony Awards. She is one of the few performers awarded a non-competitive EGOT having received an honorary Grammy Award. Minnelli is a Knight of the French Legion of Honour.

Lindsay Dee Lohan is an American actress, singer, and songwriter. She was signed to Ford Models at the age of three, and gained early recognition as a child actress on the soap operas Guiding Light (1993) and Another World (1996–1997). Her breakthrough role came with the dual role of reunited identical twins in the Walt Disney comedy The Parent Trap (1998); its success led to subsequent roles in Life-Size (2000), Get a Clue (2002), Freaky Friday (2003) and Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen (2004). Her portrayal of Cady Heron in the teen comedy Mean Girls (2004) affirmed her status as a teen idol and established her as a prominent leading lady; The New Yorker later ranked it as the eleventh-best film performance of the 21st century.

Hilary Erhard Duff is an American actress, singer-songwriter, businesswoman, and author. Her accolades include a World Music Award, seven Kids' Choice Awards, four Teen Choice Awards, and two Young Artist Awards. In 2026, Time named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

American singer, songwriter, and actress (born 1979)

Canadian-American actress and singer

Diana Ross is an American singer and actress. Known as the "Queen of Motown", she was the lead singer of the vocal group The Supremes, who became Motown's most successful act during the 1960s and one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time. They remain the best-charting female group in history, with a total of 12 number-one pop singles on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.

American singer-songwriter (born 1982)

American rock musician and actress (born 1964)

Kesha Rose Sebert (born March 1, 1987), formerly stylized as Ke$ha, is an American singer, rapper, and songwriter. She has earned two number-one albums on the US Billboard 200 with Animal (2010) and Rainbow (2017), and the top-ten records Warrior (2012) and High Road (2020). She attained ten top-ten singles on the US Billboard Hot 100, including "Tik Tok", "Right Round" with Flo Rida, "My First Kiss" with 3OH!3, "Blah Blah Blah", "Your Love Is My Drug", "Take It Off", "We R Who We R", "Blow", "Die Young", and "Timber" with Pitbull. Her 2009 single "Tik Tok" was the best-selling digital single

American actress, singer, and dancer (1932–2016)

Dove Olivia Cameron is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame for her dual role of the eponymous characters in Disney Channel's comedy series Liv and Maddie (2013–2017) and her leading role in the network's Descendants film franchise (2015–2021); the former won her the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in Children's Programming.

Canadian-American singer

American singer and actress

American actress and singer (born 1988)

Amanda Michelle Seyfried is an American actress. Her accolades include a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award, as well as a nomination for an Academy Award. Named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time in 2022, her films as a leading actress have grossed over $2.4 billion worldwide.

Tyra Lynne Banks is an American model, television personality, producer, writer, and actress. She began her career as a model at the age of 15 and was the first African American woman to be featured on the covers of GQ and the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, on which she appeared three times. Banks was one of only a few Black models to achieve supermodel status. She was a Victoria's Secret Angel from 1997 to 2005. By the early 2000s, Banks was one of the world's top-earning models.

Olivia Isabel Rodrigo is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She began her career as a child, appearing in commercials and the direct-to-video film An American Girl: Grace Stirs Up Success (2015). She rose to prominence with her leading roles in the Disney Channel series Bizaardvark (2016–2019) and the Disney+ series High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (2019–2022).

Cuban-Mexican-American singer

American singer and actress (1927–2008)

American singer

Sabrina Annlynn Carpenter is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She first gained prominence starring as Maya Hart on the Disney Channel series Girl Meets World (2014–2017). She signed with the Disney-owned Hollywood Records and achieved limited success with studio albums Eyes Wide Open (2015), Evolution (2016), Singular: Act I (2018), and Singular: Act II (2019).

American singer (1948–2012)

American musician (born 1979)

American singer, rapper and actress

Patricia Lee Smith is an American singer, songwriter, poet, painter, author, and photographer. Her 1975 debut album Horses made her an influential member of the New York City–based punk rock movement. Smith has fused rock and poetry in her work. In 1978, her most widely known song, "Because the Night," co-written with Bruce Springsteen, reached number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number five on the UK Singles Chart.

American actress and singer (born 1997)

American actress (born 1985)

American actress, singer, model and producer