Young musicians have been bred to understand that financial success in today's music industry means building a brand that transcends song and stage. And the young star who best illustrates this is Beyonce, the 27-year-old who earns the top spot on Forbes' list of the Top-Earning Young Musicians in the last year. She was raised to sing and dance, but she earned $87 million with talents that go beyond her voice.
Since last June, the star has dropped a double album, starred in two films, performed at both the Oscars and the Presidential Inaugural Ball, and embarked on a 110-date international tour. She has also expanded a fashion collection that includes casual and formal lines as well as jewelry and eyeglasses, and added sponsors Nintendo, Crystal Geyser, and General Mills to a roster of endorsers already including L'Oreal, Giorgio Armani, and Samantha Thavasa handbags.
Britney Spears, the other 27-year-old pop star on the list, won the second place with $35 million in earnings. After a very public meltdown in 2007, the tabloids' favorite train wreck is back on track. She released Circus last November, one of the fastest-selling records of 2008. The supporting tour, launched in March, sold out across the U.S.
At no. 3, with earnings of $25 million, is Miley Cyrus. In the last year the star-turned-global-brand sold 4 million albums, garnered $86 million at the worldwide box office, and shot 30 episodes of her top-rated Disney Channel series, Hannah Montana. She lends her face to everything from sleeping bags to lunch boxes. But she's also managed to appeal to an older crowd, landing on the covers of Glamour and Elle, and inside the pages of Vanity Fair.
To compile the list of top-earning young musicians, Forbes considered the gross earnings of artists younger than 30 years. Earning estimates include income from album sales, touring, endorsement and licensing deals, and television and film roles from June 2008 to June 2009.
