Teen Vogue announced its annual Young Hollywood honorees on February 17, 2021.
The list typically celebrates young creators that are making waves in pop culture. Because of the pandemic, the list looks a little different this year. These individuals adapted to the new normal that is COVID-19 while still keeping their audiences entertained virtually. From TikTok stars, to musicians, to social influencers, the list of honorees is one to remember.
Meet the Teen Vogue Young Hollywood Class of 2021 below:
LIL YACHTY
Lil Yachty is no stranger to fame. You may know some of his songs: Broccoli, iSpy, or Yacht Club. The rapper rose to fame after his 2016 feature in XXL’s annual Freshman Class along with rappers Kodak Black, Lil Uzi Vert, and 21 Savage. Lil Yachty has recently gotten more attention through his viral TikTok videos, his cryptocurrency (YachtyCoin), and his recent endeavors in TV.
Lil Yachty says:
“Whatever you put out is who you’re perceived as. It’s really easy to create a narrative. You can use social media in any way possible to build an image or break an image. I’ve learned how to successfully bend the narrative of any situation possible that I’m involved in because I know how to work the internet.”
The full interview by Jamilah King can be found here.
CHARLI D’AMELIO
Charli D’Amelio is the sixteen-year-old everyone knows by her viral dance videos on TikTok. She has a whopping 108.2 million followers on TikTok. She was also on the Forbes 2020 list of TikTok’s 7 Highest-Earning Stars. Variety announced that D’Amelio, along with her family, will star in the Hulu docuseries The D’Amelio Show in 2021.
Here is what Charli D’Amelio says about her next chapter:
“I just really want to focus this year on being myself and not feeling bad about being myself and putting myself first,” D’Amelio says. “I’m a person that likes to think of other people before myself, and I understand now that I’ve been that for everyone else, so it’s time to just focus on what I want.”
The full interview by Jamilah King can be found here.
ELSA MAJIMBO
Elsa Majimbo is a 19-year-old influencer and activist from Nairobi. She captured the attention of millions from her family home in Nairobi via Instagram. Since the pandemic, Majimbo has become a Fenty (Rihanna’s beauty line) ambassador, been nominated for a Nickelodeon Kids Choice Award, collabed with Valentino, and more.
Elsa Majimbo says:
“I had this bias that White people are better and they should always come out on top and they should always have the most. I realized that that had been instilled in me. And I was just like, ‘No, this is very nonsensical’…And even though I was really small, I can’t believe they ever caught me into thinking that for some time. I got over that when I was pretty young because I thought it was so dumb. Because I would look at myself and I’d be like, ‘You are flawless.’”
The full interview by Jamilah King can be found here.
MICHAEL LE
Michael Le, a.k.a. JustMaiko on TikTok, is a dancer, choreographer, and social media star. He is also featured on the Forbes 2020 list of TikTok’s 7 Highest-Earning Stars. Le, along with his family, gained celebrity status through TikTok. He also co-founded Shluv House, a mansion in Los Angeles that is now a hub for social content creation.
Michael Le says:
“There’s not a lot of us [Asian content creators]. There’s only a very, very select few. I’ve always wanted to kind of make sure I’ve stayed in that model of art, having a good rep for us. Making sure that I’m able to have a good message and purpose that people can be like, wow.”
The full interview by Jamilah King can be found here.
ZIWE FUMUDOH
Ziwe Fumudoh is an activist and influencer that focuses on the conversation of racism. She uses her Instagram as a platform to talk about race while also making people laugh. Her “Baited” series on Instagram Live was launched early in quarantine and quickly became successful––so much so that she will soon have an even bigger audience through her own Showtime series.
Ziwe Fumudoh says:
“My show came up at the precise time that we as a nation were really starting to address the fundamental issues with race in America. That’s in part because we were all dealing with a global pandemic and had nothing to do but be on our phones, on Instagram. I also saw that even in the pandemic that people of color were disproportionately affected by issues. I think all of this just made a storm that created a really interesting dialogue for us to collectively have.”
The full interview by Jamilah King can be found here.
Teen Vogue Young Hollywood 2021 Feature Credits
Writer: Jamilah King
Photographer: Grace Rivera
Retouching: Jinx Studios
Art Director: Emily Zirimis
Stylist/Fashion Editor: Michelle Li
3D Artist & Motion Designer: Berenice Golmann
Motion Designer: Natasha Smith
Designer: Liz Coulbourn
Video Animator: Melanie Duran
Visual Editor: Louisiana Mei Gelpi
Fashion Director: Tahirah Hairston
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