Year in review: The top Twitter stars of 2021

One-half of the Men in Blazers. The Liverpool-raised, New York-residing "Rog," as he's affectionately known, has continued to let his love for all things American (the Chicago Bears, John Hughes movies, and Arby's) run wild on Twitter (in front of his almost 250,000). What's even better is @rogbennett's real-time commentary during his beloved Everton matches, when the Bears play or the United States men's national soccer team is struggling to score goals against Trinidad and Tobago. Oh year, he also released a book this year, which received plenty of love on the Twitterverse.

Bieber is among the top-10 most followed accounts on Twitter with more than 114 million checking on his every move. It helped that Bieber dropped an album in 2021, Justice, which was his eighth album to reach No. 1 on Billboard's 200 in the United States. In terms of who is following @justinbieber, young girls are still at the forefront, But, he's actually a cordial enough guy that it's worth adults checking in on him from time to time.

The talented writer-comedian made a name for herself by making fun of public figures (politicians, conspiracy theorists, goofballs in general) in 2020. However, @deadeyebrakeman refined her game in 2021 to become one of the year's up-and-coming viral stars (nearly 210,000 Twitter followers), who are also part of the Artists on Artists on Artists on Artists Podcast. She might be best known, though, for her improvisational impersonations. Not necessarily celebrities, but everyday folks in uncommon situations. Like that PR rep for pets. or a 6-year-old divorcee. 

In the heart of the pandemic, Canadian musician-comedian Brittlestar (aka Stewart Reynolds), with nearly 119,000 followers, was a welcome source of viral comfort. His videos about taking proper health precautions, with just the right amount of "Canadian Nice" and mocking those who don't meant for hours of enjoyment. That roll continued in 2021, as @brittlestar's videos didn't disappoint, were always timely, and should make disgruntled Americans want to move to Canada.

Chapman has become such the Twitter star that there are many of his followers (1.1 million), who actually don't remember he was a great college basketball player at Kentucky and had a more-than serviceable 12-year NBA career (14.6 points per game). Now, @RexChapman has become a voice of reason, compassion, and humor during these crazy times with his "timeline cleanser" posts. He's also not afraid to throw his political hat onto the social media court. 

Before the foul-mouth, walking Chicago stereotype earned her own animated Netflix series in 2021, Chicago Party Aunt was an under-the-radar Twitter favorite. The brainchild of actor-comedian-writer Chris Witaske, Diane Dombrowski is lewd, crude and, and judging by her posts, often nudē. But that's OK. For, those familiar with Chicago's history, vernacular, and its sports teams, @ChiPartyAunt is a must follow. Just make sure any young children in the house are not looking at the screen.

Perhaps this is somewhat of a surprise, but more adults are gravitating towards Twitter. So, perhaps it's understandable that @TheEllenShow would draw roughly 78 million followers -- leaving her among the top 10 accounts on Twitter. Plus, she's no stranger to brewing up controversy, and clips of her show and interviews are available on her feed. When it's all added up, the popular talk show host is doing exactly what she needs to remain relevant.

Ariana Grande's most recent album, Positions, came out in late October 2020, but obviously, it still remained impactful into 2021. That said, Grande is just an intoxicating superstar. She's readily accessible, has no problem having fun at her own expense, and is big on collaborations. All of that can be found on @ArianaGrande, which boasts 85.2M followers -- among the most on Twitter. Whether a fan or not, it is worth checking out.

Gaga remains everywhere, and that's fine by us. Whether singing the national anthem at Joe Biden's presidential inauguration, starring in one of the most acclaimed films of the year (House of Gucci), spending time with the beloved Tony Bennett, and being available to her 84 million followers @ladygaga. But, it's not just about entertainment and fashion, when it comes to Gaga's feed. She's socially conscious, brings awareness to such topics as mental health, and often delivers a behind-the-scenes look at her life.

Imagine what TFG thinks about former President Barack Obama earning the moniker of most Twitter followers at @BarackObama with roughly 134 million. He's still extremely popular, regardless of one's political preference. Obama is also a pop culture icon, an international superstar who transcends generations. And for many throughout the United States and the world, offers some semblance of hope in a world that's literally gone mad.

Not far behind Barack Obama and Justin Bieber is Katy Perry, when it comes to Twitter accounts. As of mid-December 2021, @katyperry posts nearly 109 million followers. Talk about staying power. Since the release of her first pop album One of the Boys (2008), Perry has not gone away. Maybe because her personal life is just as entertaining as her professional one. Plus, Perry posts plenty of her musical catalog on said Twitter feed. When it comes to offering everything a fan of an artist would want, Perry's Twitter page is worth the time.

Let's add Rihanna to the list of top-five Twitter accounts, in terms of followers. She ranks fourth, behind Obama, Biebs, and Katy Perry with almost 104 million followers. Rihanna has not put out an album since 2016, but that hasn't mattered. She's one of the most beautiful women in the world and is not afraid to flaunt it on @rihanna. Like others on this list, she's transcended just one medium -- in her case music. She's iconic in terms of superstars, thriving in areas such as fashion, beauty, and a ridiculously massive social media presence.

He's still one of the greatest footballers of all time, but also an international heartthrob that has 96.2 million followers on his Twitter feed. The beautiful people will always get the love, and Ronaldo doesn't mind showing off on @Cristiano. On the pitch, Ronaldo was a finalist for the Ballon d'Or, awarded each year to the world's best soccer player. Rival Lionel Messi won it for this season, but when it comes it overall greatness in the sport, the soon-to-be-37-year-old Ronaldo, a five-time winner, still is among the elite in the world.

Of course, Tay-Tay would be on this list. There are superstars, then there is @taylorswift13. Extremely talented, extremely funny, and attractive. It's easy to like everything about her, and that translates into one popular personality who happens to have almost 90 million Twitter followers. It also helped that 2021 releases of Swift albums Fearless (2008) and 2012's Red have been reintroduced to a new audience treading into these pop waters for the first time.

One of the great voices in international soccer. White should be well-known to American soccer fans for his work on NBC's coverage of the Premier League. He was also in good voice during that network's coverage of the Tokyo Olympics this summer. However, White has let his dry wit and situational humor that's come out more on Twitter (to his 94,000 followers). We're especially eager each match day to find out what pregame soup @arlowhite will be enjoying.