Breakout Influencers of 2021
Rising Stars: Breakout Influencers of 2021
Influencers are a diverse lot, especially with the rise of TikTok and the new type of ambitious content creator. In 2021, many influencers and celebs already in the spotlight leveraged the power of social media, such as Taylor Swift and Lil Nas X, but plenty were breakout stars that rose from obscurity.
As we usher in the new year, discover the rising stars and breakout influencers of 2021 and what makes them so special.
Emily Mariko
Emily Mariko is an attractive influencer that became all-consuming for some viewers. The Bay Area blogger went viral on TikTok for her delicious recipes, including the salmon rice bowl with leftover salmon, seaweed, and mayo. Much of her success comes from her engaging and inventive approach to cooking and sharing recipes live.
Kimiko Nishimoto
Who says influencing is for the young? Kimiko Nishimoto rose to fame at 93 years old with her selfies. The Brazilian-born Japanese celebrity has over 245,000 followers on Instagram alone, which is pretty good for a nonagenarian – some seniors are just learning how to set up a Facebook account.
Rachel Sandy
Rachel Sandy is a popular entertainer from London that does incredible musical imitations of pop artists, including Taylor Swift, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lorde. Though all her performances are cover songs, she can craft parody songs that mimic their styles with guitars, drums, and production.
Armand Peri
Armand Peri is a bodybuilding influencer that has been on the cover of over a dozen magazines and featured in hundreds of articles. As a child, Armand immigrated to the United States, so for some, his success is the epitome of the “American Dream.”
Rudy Bundini
A fashion and style influencer, Rudy Bundini is a decorated male model from Switzerland who earned awards like the IMTA Male Commercial Model of the Year. He’s also the new face of Versace and Nike, and appeared in many top-tier publications. As an influencer, he’s dominated the fashion industry.
Li Ziqi
Located in Sichuan, Li Ziqi showcases rural life with videos of food preparation, handcrafted recipes, and farm chores. People like the simple life, because she’s amassed 15.8 million YouTube subscribers for her soothing and down-to-earth content. She also holds a Guinness World Record for the “most subscribers for a Chinese-language channel on YouTube.”[1]
The Old Gays
Like new and more progressive versions of the “Golden Girls,” The Old Gays are a group of friends in their 60s and 70s who live outside of Palm Springs. These fun guys got their start on Grindr, but gained popularity quickly on TikTok for the viral dances, clips of their coming-out journeys, or stories about their personal lives. They’re so popular, in fact, that Drew Barrymore and Rihanna took notice.
Nori’s Black Book
Nori’s Black Book is a hilarious influencer who parodies North West, Kim and Kanye’s child, and documents her opinions on the latest family drama. People like what she has to offer, since she has over 1.3 million followers.
Sandra Lee
This is one everyone knows – Sandra Lee is the board-certified dermatologist and television celebrity behind “Dr. Pimple Popper.” Though she discovered the internet’s love of pimple-popping videos years ago, she’s gained a cult following on TikTok recently with over 11.4 million people checking out her videos. Along with the gross and weird, she also posts behind-the-scenes clips and skincare videos.
Jonathan Graziano
People like alternative healing and mysticism, such as tarot cards, psychics, and astrology. The new trend this year was Noodle, a senior pug who makes predictions about the day with moves like standing up or flopping onto his bed – like the famous groundhog seeing his shadow. The first means the sun is out and the day will be great, while the other means you just flop back into bed like Noodle.
Whitney Madueke
Nigerian-born Whitney Madueke is a body- and skin-positive beauty influencer who shares content about fashion, style, beauty products, and lifestyle. She has numerous influencers on her social media channels, and leveraged her success into a deal with beauty retailer Sephora as a Squad partner.
Tasha Green
Tasha Green is a fashion and lifestyle influencer with a staggering Instagram profile that boasts over 55,000 subscribers. Her YouTube channel has over 150,000 subscribers as well. Along with fashion brands, Tasha Green partners with food and beverage brands. She’s highly sought for her honest and authentic approach to her life and content.
Keep Up with Rising Star Influencers
Influencer marketing is hotter than ever, and many influencers are finding their stride on the most popular social media platforms of the day. As we venture into 2022, we can look forward to who the next breakout stars will be.
Sources: