Dudes of Instagram: Let the women show you how it's done.
The photo sharing app celebrated its fifth birthday Oct. 6 the way most 5-year-olds do: by releasing data. Instagram confirmed their top five most followed accounts -- taking the app's official account with 103 million followers out of the race, because that's just not fair -- and they are all girl powered.
[seealso slug="kendall-jenner-most-liked-instagram"]
1. Taylor Swift
Meredith is allergic to joy. A photo posted by Taylor Swift (@taylorswift) on Oct 4, 2015 at 12:34pm PDT
Taylor Swift currently has the number one spot, having ended the Kardashians' formidable reign. Backed up by her celebrity squad and criminally adorable cats, TSwift is currently at 49.7 million followers, which must be frustratingly close to an even 50 for a Type-A celeb like herself.
2. Kim Kardashian
Craving Cheetos A photo posted by Kim Kardashian West (@kimkardashian) on Sep 29, 2015 at 1:07pm PDT
Kim Kardashian was the most followed Instagram user before Swift took the lead, and she's still not far behind with 48.1 million followers. She literally wrote the book on selfies, and they make up a large percentage of her posts. The family-oriented star also features her famous brood -- bonus points for any picture of North West -- and behind-the-scenes looks at photo shoots.
3. Beyoncé
A photo posted by Beyoncé (@beyonce) on Sep 19, 2015 at 6:51am PDT
Beyoncé is the third most followed account with 47.3 million followers. She doesn't tweet, or even participate in interviews anymore, so Instagram is the only place for the Bey Hive to get updates on her life straight from her besides her official website. The account is a mix of candids from her endless string of family vacations, shots of her in her element on stage and outfit-of-the-day shots.
4. Selena Gomez
Having the best trip. Europe I just love you.. ☺️hur did by @lonavigi -face did by @byjakebailey A photo posted by Selena Gomez (@selenagomez) on Sep 24, 2015 at 9:00am PDT
Selena Gomez has the fourth most popular account with 45.9 million followers, checking out her selfies and snapshots with friends.
5. Ariana Grande
please comment 3 nice things about yourself below (example: "I'm cute af", "I'm funny af", "I have a great ass", "I like my freckles", "I love my tummy" etc) #spreadSelfLove #encourageEachOtherAndOurselvesToFeelGreatOnADailyBasis #InsteadOfTearingEachOtherAndOurselvesDown #love #YoureCute A photo posted by Ariana Grande (@arianagrande) on Oct 6, 2015 at 11:39am PDT
Ariana Grande closes out the top 5 with 44.7 million followers, breaking up the selfies with some outstanding dog portraits.
Justin Bieber, for comparison, has 40.4 million followers.
"What Instagram is doing is giving all these ladies a direct line to their fans and, by having a direct line, they're controlling their message," Charles Porch, head of global creative programs at Instagram, told Reuters.
The top accounts all strike a balance of professional and personal that resonate with their audiences, letting fans into the stars' goofier sides while still reminding you why they're famous to begin with. Taylor Swift, for example, will shift between concert photos and cat videos. Celebrity friendships don't hurt -- Swift slid into the top spot in the middle of her special-guest heavy 1989 World Tour.
Interacting with fans is also key. According to Reuters, Selena Gomez's account has the highest engagement because of her personal interactions.
Women are also killing it on other social media platforms -- Kylie Jenner is the most popular Snapchat user and Katy Perry has the most followed Twitter account with 76.2 million followers.
