Britney Spears This Year’s Highest-Paid Female Singer
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ABC/RICHARD CARTWRIGHT(NEW YORK) — The pop princess of the moment has been bested by the reigning queen. Britney Spears narrowly beat out Taylor Swift and earned more money than any female singer this year, according to Forbes’ latest list of music’s top-earning women.
The 31-year-old pop star hauled in $58 million over the past year thanks to her latest album, Femme Fatale, and the tour she headlined to support it. Endorsement deals and her gig judging The X Factor helped her bottom line.
Swift came in second on Forbes’ list at $57 million. The 22-year-old country crossover has been on a non-stop promo tour for her new album, Red, which went triple platinum in less than a month.
To create the list, Forbes looked at income from record sales, touring, endorsements, merchandise, and other ventures. The figures represent earnings from May 2011 to May 2012, before subtracting management fees, legal costs and taxes.
Check out who else made the cut:
3. Rihanna, $54 million
4. Lady Gaga, $52 million
5. Katy Perry, $45 million
6. Beyonce, $40 million
7. Adele, $35 million
8. Sade, $33 million
9. Madonna, $30 million
10. Shakira, $20 million
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio