Katy Perry’s $ 135 m tops Taylor Swift as highest music earner

She didn’t make as many headlines, nor sell as many albums, but Katy Perry handily beat Taylor Swift to become the highest-earning woman in music this year, according to Forbes.

Perry, 31, earned $ 135 million in the past 12 months, thanks to a huge worldwide ‘Prismatic’ tour and endorsements deals with beauty companies like Coty and CoverGirl, Forbes estimated in a ranking released on Wednesday. Swift, 25, was a distant second, with an estimated $ 80 million, despite some 8.6 million sales globally for her ‘1989’ hit album and the start of a world tour. Perry’s latest album ‘Prism’ has sold some four million worldwide since its release in 2013 and the ‘Roar’ singer has been touring for most of the year. British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac was placed third with $ 59.5 million although only two of its five current line-ups are women. Nevertheless, the return of 1970s veterans Stevie Nicks and Christine McVeigh was seen as a key to the success of the band’s year-long tour ‘On With the Show’, Forbes said.