Olivia Rodrigo, Lil Nas X and Thomas Doherty cover Variety’s ‘Power of Young Hollywood’ issue

A hip-hop revolutionary, a voice of her generation, and a modern-day pansexual pinup walk into a bar… Scratch that, it’s the cover of Variety’s Power of Young Hollywood where Lil Nas X, Olivia Rodrigo, and Thomas Doherty actually appear — though a night out on the town with the three of them isn’t something we’d say no to. The trio, says the magazine, have made and are continuing to make major waves in their respective industries, from music to the new Gossip Girl reboot. 

Variety led their selection of young entertainment industry changemakers with Lil Nas X, crediting the rapper with revolutionizing the world of hip-hop by presenting himself as out and unapologetic about it (in a musical genre that has been less than accepting of the LGBTQ+ community). Nas said it was the pandemic that drove him to bring his authentic self into the limelight, a decision that’s paid off — his latest single, “Industry Baby” just hit 100 million streams on Spotify.

“Honestly, I believe the pandemic helped me get out of the idea of trying to please everybody, and the idea of ‘He’s a cool gay person; he’s an acceptable gay person,’” Nas told Variety. “I used to see things like that as a compliment, but it’s not. It just means you’re a people pleaser, and they never become legends. I wanted to be even more authentic in my music and let people into my life. I’m much more confident now — in my music, myself, my sexuality, the things that I believe that I stand for.”

For Rodrigo, it was her record-shattering debut single and album that landed her on the list — plus a stamp of approval from no less than Taylor Swift. “It’s so nice to be welcomed into the music industry and so great to be supportive of other women,” said Rodrigo. “She wrote me a letter a while ago, and she wrote something about how you make your own luck in the world, and how you treat other people always comes back to you.”

Besides Swift, Rodrigo counts US President Joe Biden among her fans. The current POTUS recently hosted her at the White House where Rodrigo encouraged her peers to go out and get vaccinated (especially if they ever hope to see an Olivia Rodrigo concert).

Rounding out the top three on Variety’s list is a Chuck Bass for the TikTok generation, Thomas Doherty. The Gossip Girl star and Disney Channel alum was chosen for the work he’s done playing a character that normalizes sexuality as a spectrum. “Playing Max, a pansexual character, was incredibly liberating,” he told the magazine. “It was very educational, and it definitely made me challenge my own preconceived notions, my indoctrination, of ‘This is who you love, this is what you do, everything else is wrong.’” Since then, he’s decided to let go of the old labels used to control potential relationships. “I think it is very limiting, and I think as I get older and experience life a little bit more, you constantly evolve and you’re constantly growing,” he said. “I feel like labels limit you. They’re almost walls to your growth.”

Of the 53 young listmakers chosen by Variety, Lana Condor, Emma Corrin, Angel Bismark Curiel, 24KGoldn, Gottmik, and Amanda Gorman are also featured. 

BEFORE YOU GO: Camila Cabello sends birthday love to Shawn Mendes