Without a doubt, these influencers slayed the online space this year—and we mean big slay.
As the year comes to a close, we're looking at our list (and yes, checking it twice) of the social media stars who kept us glued to our phones this year. Whether it was in the world of beauty, fashion, food or just plain ‘ol original content that had us locked in, there were plenty of standouts on TikTok, YouTube and Instagram.
Take for instance, TikToker Khaby Lame, who dethroned Charli D'Amelio as the most followed person on the social media platform (he has 153 million followers to her 148 million) without even having to say a word.
As for Charli, she had quite the whirlwind year, which not only saw the second season of her family's Hulu series, The D'Amelio Show debut (and land a season three renewal), but also her win on Dancing with the Stars.
But those aren't the only creators who had us under their influence. Keep scrolling to see all the notable ones of 2022…
Since rising to fame with her first YouTube upload in 2017, Emma has garnered more than 11.5 million subscribers, launched her own coffee brand and created a weekly podcast, Anything Goes.
But it was her hosting gig for Vogue during this year's Met Gala in May that really had social media hooked. For the highlights, we can look no further than her viral moment with on the red carpet with Jack Harlow, when she had a must-see reaction to him saying, "Love ya," as he walked off. And let's not forget about her conversation with Gigi Hadid that night, which also quickly made the rounds on social media for weeks afterward.
Slay.
Though TikTok sensation Tariq, also affectionately known as "Corn Kid," definitely did not set out to be an influencer at just 7 years old, after his expression of his love for corn went viral in August and he became an instant influence for the veggie.
Since then, Tariq's wholesome love of corn has shot him to Internet fame, with the New York native not only making videos with YouTuber Jimmy "MrBeast" Donaldson and companies like Chipotle, but in September, he was also bestowed with the honor of being South Dakota's "corn-bassador." In fact, state governor Kristi Noem even declared Sept. 3, "Official Corn-bassador Tariq Day," in his honor.
Who knew one adorable answer would change everything?
The popular TikToker, who quickly became a staple alongside then-boyfriend Ian Paget in 2020, had fans reeling after the two announced their split this past January.
But if you're wondering about his life post-split, Chris recently opened up about continuing to navigate the digital space on his own.
"I'm very grateful to the community I built early on because, after the breakup and becoming a creator of my own, I'd already set up this community of love and acceptance that was able to carry me through," he exclusively told E! News in October. "Now I'm able to share myself in a way that feels very authentic and free."
In June, Khaby—known for his priceless reactions to complicated life hacks—overtook Charli D'Amelio to become the most-followed person on TikTok, racking up more than 142.9 million followers at the time (with his current count now sitting at more than 153 million)—and as any loyal TikTok user would know, he was able to do this without ever saying one word.
As for his unique approach, the content creator just wants to be straight forward.
"I came up with the idea because I was seeing these videos circulating, and I liked the idea of bringing some simplicity to it," Khaby told CNN in September. "I thought of a way to reach as many people as possible. And the best way was not to speak."
And as Khaby noted, he is privy to just how much social media users love his direct approach.
"They know I'm the one who solves problems, so they tag me or mention me," he told the outlet. "And they're like, ‘Khaby it's your turn, solve this problem because we need you.'"
Though The D'Amelio Show star may have come in second as the most followed person on TikTok this year, there was another space she reigned as number one: season 31 of Dancing with the Stars.
Each week, the 18-year-old slayed the dance floor, landing impressive scores from the judges, which led to her and partner Mark Ballas hoisting the Mirrorball trophy. But that's not all: According to Forbes, Charli was also the highest earning personality on TikTok in 2022.
Oh, and did we mention The D'Amelio Show was renewed for a third season?
Thanks to her eye-catching and visually stunning transformative looks, the makeup guru first went viral this past spring. As Naezrah—whose talents have even caught the eye of Grammy winner SZA—explained in a July 2022 interview, her motivation grew even further after one of her photos was used as a post of trends people disliked.
"As a dark-skinned person, they don't like when we do color," she told Teen Vogue. ‘It doesn't look good on us. It's clownish' [they say,] which is not true. I'm going to show you that it looks great on us and we look great doing anything. We can do anything we wish. It doesn't matter what skin color you are."
Known as the self-proclaimed "big sister" of TikTok, Tinx first built her following on the social media app after posting videos about dating advice and celebrity commentary in summer 2020.
But it was this year that the 32-year-old's content—shared to her 1.5 million followers on the app and beyond—that grew exponentially. In November, she reflected on using her platform to empower young fans.
"I think being vulnerable is such a superpower and is such a way of showing your strength," she exclusively told E! News in November. "I try to lead by example and show the good with the bad, the filtered with the unfiltered and the before and after of all the glam."
2021 may have been all that for Addison Rae, but this year was also full of firsts for the TikTok star. After all, in April the 22-year-old and her musician boyfriend Omer Fedi, 22, made their red carpet debut at the 2022 Grammys. As of this year, Addison—known for her vlogs and dancing videos—has over 88 million followers on TikTok, making her the fourth most-followed person on the social media app.
The popular beauty influencer—known for posting bubbly videos on new makeup trends and products—has almost 14 million followers on TikTok and over 2.4 million followers on her beauty Instagram page as of December 2022. But in addition to showing off her beauty blending skills, Mikayla has also shared more personal aspects of her life with followers.
In July, the 24-year-old spoke about her mental health struggles, explaining how she's committed to making a change.
"I let myself go for a really long time, and I haven't been taking care of myself," she said a video posted to TikTok in July. "All of that is going to change. I've hit a rock bottom essentially and I'd like to go up."
Tabitha, who has affectionately earned the title of "America's Mom," has been a staple for users needing a delicious recipe with a side of instant motivation ever since going viral in 2017 for her review of a Whole Foods Market vegan BLT sandwich.
But fast-forward five years later and 2022 proved to be her year, with the Tab Time host publishing her debut cookbook, Cooking from the Spirit: Easy, Delicious, and Joyful Plant-Based Inspirations and launching her clothing line with Target. To top it all off, she was honored with the Trailblazer Award at the Hollywood Confidential event in August.
Inspirational, indeed.
Another social media star that users have found themselves turning for recipes, sound advice and some of the best home hacks—especially in 2022—would be none other than Barbara Costello, also known by her online moniker, "Brunch With Babs."
After quickly becoming a fan-favorite when she joined TikTok in April 2020, the 73-year-old has changed the game, dishing out beyond useful household tips, like when she went viral in October after teaching everyone how to properly load a dishwasher.
In fact, the beloved TikToker shared her best tips on how to handle leftovers during the holiday season—and these are secrets you absolutely need to know.
The beauty-branded guru is no stranger to the YouTube world, with the 35-year-old joining the platform back in 2009. However, this year life for the content creator reached new heights, which included the success of her candle collection, FORVR Mood and the launch of her new lifestyle page, Lavishly Jackie.
And as Jackie explained, although makeup will always be her first love (she's taken a brief step back from YouTube in recent months), the multi-hyphenate has more than enough room in her heart for so many other passion projects down the line, especially when it came to this year.
"Obviously, makeup is amazing, and it will always be one of my main passions, but it's not the only thing that I love," she told Refinery29 in October. "It was just nice to bring more of me to the table."
The comedic vlogger, better known by his moniker, Airrack, racked up over 11 million followers on YouTube in 2022, six years after he uploaded his first video.
Known for his "couch series" collaboration with Logan Paul, the 25-year-old's viral vlogs and challenge videos became so popular that the content creator even served as the host for the 2022 Streamy Awards and hosted the world's largest pizza party in November in NYC to celebrate his massive following.
The TikToker, who filmed her "Dolls" music video in July, has been one to watch since creating the most-liked video on the platform—a lip-syncing video that has amassed over 60 million likes—in August 2020. But in November, the 25-year-old made headlines after filing for divorce three years after privately getting married.
Ahead of the news, Bella opened up about the important lesson one of the video's stars, Grimes, taught her about being able to overcome a tough time.
"Grimes had said something that impacted me," she exclusively told E! News in October. "She taught me to just express myself, like no matter what and me expressing myself through music has helped me the most and being friends with her just helped me open up a lot about things that I'm going through. It is just good to have friends that are understanding and always pushing you to be the best."
Remi Bader—a TikTok creator and model known for her clothing hauls—has been a voice for size inclusion within the fashion industry since launching her channel in 2020. But in November, her 2 million followers on TikTok were introduced to a completely different side of the 27-year-old, when she offered a peek inside her love life.
"I was waiting until I felt that it was a real and secure relationship," Remi told E! News in November about unveiling her new romance. "It's exciting to share with my followers and they see through the screen that I'm very happy."
The Song of Style creator launched her fashion blog as a mere hobby more than a decade ago. But fast-forward 14 years later, not only did a YouTube channel—which boasts over 360,000 subscribers—derive from the brand, but she also launched a jewelry line, became an ambassador for Chloé, Giorgio Armani Beauty and Dior. And she's the author of two books.
But despite her ever-growing resume, 2022 just may have been the biggest year yet for the 36-year-old, after the influencer—who documented her pregnancy on YouTube in 2021—welcomed her first baby with boyfriend Jacopo Moschin.
The social media star and content creator—known for her fashion and lifestyle content—shares a glimpse into her day-to-day life on TikTok with her over 14 million followers.
And after months of dropping hints about an important announcement, the influencer shared an exciting update on her YouTube and TikTok channels this September, sharing that she was pregnant nearly four months after experiencing a pregnancy loss in May.
After receiving an outpouring of support from fans, Abbie explained why she felt compelled to share her story.
"Our time will come," she wrote alongside her TikTok shared at the time. "We are okay. Sending all of our love to anyone trying to grow their family. Sharing our story to let anyone going through something similar they are not alone."