At the demure age of seventeen, Lorde¡¯s silky sounds have proven triumphant in placing her at the top of the pops in Billboard¡¯s annual 21 Under 21 listing for 2014. Only just beating Australian heartthrobs 5 Seconds of Summer and Justin Bieber to the top spot, Billboard have credited her victory to her ¡®consistent demonstrated influence that extends beyond music¡¯, as well as the catchy home-grown vibes of her music.

Lorde¡¯s public presence has exploded since the 2013 release of breakthrough hit ¡®Royals¡¯; with her debut record ¡®Pure Heroine¡¯ following closely behind to matched success. An eclectic blur of wild brunette curls, black lipstick and muted facial expressions, New Zealand-bred Lorde has become the poster girl for freedom of expression in adolescents and young adults. Billboard has acknowledged this achievement within her accolade, stating that her influential social media presence continues to empower young people to be comfortable in their own skin minus the Photoshop touch-ups.

In at a close second are Aussie prodigies 5SOS, with their 2014 smash-hits ¡®She Looks So Perfect¡¯ and ¡®Amnesia¡¯ pulling at the heartstrings of teen girls around the globe. Having only released such tracks in June of this year, Billboard have announced their hasty swoop into the market as a key factor in placing so highly so soon in their career.

While Justin Bieber was no surprise at third place, plenty of new names were thrown into this year¡¯s mix, including female rapper and actress Becky G, ¡®All About That Bass¡¯ singer-songwriter Meghan Trainor and British swoons ¡®The Vamps¡¯. Alternative hip-hop artist Earl Sweatshop also received a nod; thanks to his conversation-starting jibe at Taylor Swift¡¯s ¡®Shake it Off¡¯ video clip, which he believed, may have encouraged racial stereotyping.

An interesting mix of new and old, this years Billboard pick of the bunch is sure to impress. Check out the full chart for yourself here.