From Malia and Sasha Obama to Kaia Gerber: The most Influential celebrity teens

A new generation of youngsters are shaking up the celebrity scene, while still only in their teens. Some of them, like the leaders of this cool club – Brooklyn Beckham, Cindy Crawford's daughter Kaia and Kylie Jenner of reality juggernaut Keeping up with the Kardashians – have built on their family’s star power.

Others, like Lele Pons, Nash Grier and Shawn Mendes, have less name recognition yet command armies of fans, having harnessed the possibilities of apps like Vine or Snapchat.

What these junior celebrities all have in common is that they are re-writing the rules of the fame game, becoming role models for their peers for their drive and even earning millions through endorsement deals, music or films.

Here are the hottest young names around, all of them living an access all-areas lifestyle, enjoying entry to the trendiest parties and racking up millions of followers on social media.


Photos: Instagram

Brooklyn Beckham, 17
Instagram followers: 6.3 million

Every look, from his immaculately gelled hair down to his fashion forward sneakers, is finely analyzed. Ensuring Brand Beckham extends to another generation, the undisputed king of the celeb teen scene has also landed a number of fashion campaigns and been signed by Burberry to photograph their ads.

But this is only the beginning for Victoria Beckham and David's son, who is so well-known that he barely needs his parents' famous surname. David has joked that when the pair are approached in public now, fans usually want Brooklyn's picture rather than his, and he is relegated to the role of picture taker.

Incredibly, the internet pin-up, whose videos of himself skateboarding or hanging out with his friends in LA instantly go viral, only celebrated his 17th birthday on March 4.

Photo: Instagram

Malia and Sasha Obama, 17 and 14
When the two First Daughters turned up at their first state dinner recently, looking all grown up in elegant evening gowns, they made headlines around the world. As their father President Obama put it in his emotional speech: "They grow up so fast... Now Malia is going off to college."

The girls' education, their fashion, the family dog and whether or not Malia is dating – all the details on their lives have been closely followed by the world’s press ever since the Obamas entered the White House seven years ago.

Photo: Instagram

Jaden and Willow Smith, 17 and 15 respectively
Twitter: 9.4 million followers combined

Some people would be crushed by the challenge of inheriting the legacy of two such charismatic parents. Not Will and Jada’s children. Their son Jaden, who happens to be friends with Brooklyn, has said his ultimate goal is to achieve "like Olympic-level things".

Meanwhile, daughter Willow adds: "I think by the time we're 30 or 20, we're going to be climbing as many mountains as we can possibly climb." The peaks they have conquered so far include turning their eclectic red carpet style into a fashion label called MSFTS.

Back at the age of nine, Willow released her first single, Whip My Hair, a motivational dance anthem that wouldn't have sounded out of place on a Beyoncé album. The disc went platinum in 2010, leading to a contract with Jay Z's Roc Nation.

Her brother recently released digital EP This Is The Album and signed to host his own radio show on Apple's station Beats 1.

And when they are not making music or fashion, the siblings share their musings on the meaning of time, feminism and the benefits of homeschooling on social media.

Photo: Instagram

Becky G, 19
Twitter: 1.86 million followers

Facebook: 7 million followers

J-Lo better watch out. There’s a new Latina Estrella on the block, and she's eyeing the throne. American songwriter, singer and actress Rebecca Marie Gomez has the world at her stilettos. She quickly gained recognition after uploading videos of herself covering Jay Z songs on YouTube. Although she still lives with her parents and occasionally babysits her siblings, pretty much everything else has changed in the last few years.

Such is her profile that when she released the song We are Mexico, in celebration of her grandparents' roots, it was seen as a commentary in the recent US debate about immigration. Coincidentally it was in Mexico, on tour with Katy Perry, when she first realized her media influence.

"It was the first time I saw fans literally camping outside of my hotel, in the rain, waiting for me with presents and candies...and tamales!" she told Latina magazine. "It was just so much love – 40,000 people came to the show each night. And I thought, 'Here I am, in the motherland, connected to my roots and connected to my dream. Seeing those things come together was amazing."

Photo: Instagram/@iambeckyg

Kaia Gerber, 14
Instagram: 400,000 followers

She hit the genetic jackpot, with two all-American former models as parents. Yet as young as she is, Kaia is already coming out of the shadows of mom and dad, Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber. There have been the campaigns for Donatella Versace and Alexander Wang, and then there's that irrepressibly cool Instagram feed showcasing her and her friends' teen queen style.

Photo: Instagram/@kaiagerber

Chloe Grace Moretz, 19
Twitter: 2 million followers

Instagram: 5.2 million followers

Another friend of Brooklyn's, the American actress shot to fame playing the controversial lead in Kick-Ass, where she portrayed an 11-year-old vigilante who used profane language and was as hard as nails. In real life Chloe favors a far more ladylike approach, saying: "Mom would not be cool with me cussing," and floating down the red carpet in Chanel – styled in her own eclectic fashion. As a result she's landed on many best-dressed lists and has become the envy of teenage girls everywhere.

Photo: Getty Images

Lele Pons, 19
Vine: 10.6 million followers

Venezuelan-American internet sensation Eleonora Pons has made being a nerd super cool. The numbers speak for themselves. Her account on Vine has millions of followers and counting. Lele became the first person to hit 1 billion loops and is still the most looped person, with 7.9 billion hits.

In April she is releasing her first book, How to Survive High School.

She told Teen Vogue that the videos started as a way of showcasing her kooky antics. "I mean, freshman year (aged 14) I went to school in a pirate suit – I just didn't care. I'm not like the cool girls – I'm the other girl. The one that's basically a nerd, but proud of that."

Photo: Instagram

Princess Iman, 19
In the case of the Jordanian royal, the apple hasn't fallen far from the tree. Like her mother, Queen Rania of Jordan, Iman combines brains with elegance and poise. The royal is currently a Georgetown University student with a passion for sports. She's an example for young women around the world: the sky's the limit. Iman has accompanied her mother to a number of public engagements including the wedding of Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and a conference last summer on how to combat terrorism and extremism.

Photo: Instagram

Lily-Rose Depp, 16
Instagram: 1.4 million followers

Her father Johnny Depp has her name tattooed on his chest and describes her as "a sharp kid, very sophisticated, super intelligent". But her fan club doesn’t stop there. Her style, a mash-up of dad's grungy California cool and mother Vanessa Paradis's nonchalant French charm, has already bagged the teen a Chanel contract. The boho beauty also has a number of movies under her belt, including Tusk and Yoga Hoosers, roles which were written specifically for her by family friend director Kevin Smith.

Photo: Instagram/@lilyrose_depp

Lorde, 19
Twitter: 4.26 million followers

New Zealand songbird Ella Marijah Lani Yelich-O-Connor makes success look easy.

Step one, come up with a unique moniker – in her case she wanted something aristocratic, and added an ‘e’ to make it seem more feminine.

Step two, write a masterful debut electro-pop song. Song Royals critiques materialistic contemporary culture.

Step three, have David Bowie tell you that your music "feels like listening to tomorrow".

Step four, watch the awards roll in – she won two Grammys and a Brit in 2014.

Lorde has done all this while remaining authentically true to herself, an anti-star who eschews the racier outfits loved by some of her contemporaries. Her late mentor David, to whom she sung a beautiful tribute to at this year’s Brits, would be proud.

Photo: Instagram

Shawn Mendes, 17
Vine: 4.6 million followers

Instagram: 8 million followers

The Canadian musician went from performing in his bedroom to playing on Taylor Swift's tour as an opening act. His acapella micro-covers of well-known songs quickly became popular on Vine. His first single, Life of the Party, was an instant hit, making Shawn the youngest-ever artist to debut in the Top 25 on America’s Billboard Hot 100. His follow up EP went to number one on iTunes 37 minutes after its release at midnight. "I am living the dream right now," says Shawn, who still can't believe it when thousands of fans gather to meet him at the airport or outside a TV studio.

Photo: Instagram/@shawnmendes

Silentó, 18
Last year, thanks to Silentó – real name Richard Lamar Hawk – the whole universe, at least the part of it that is under 18, were whipping and nae naeing. The dance craze was started by the Atlanta rapper, who invented it while entertaining his friends at school. His YouTube video with the resulting song Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae) received 2.5 million views in one week, while the tune itself went into the US charts at number three. It's since gained 74 million YouTube views.

Photo: Instagram/@therealsilento

Zendaya, 19
Twitter: 6.37 million followers

Instagram: 22.1 million followers

Facebook: 9 million followers

The actor/dancer/singer/model/activist/shoe designer has been famous for what seems like forever. She released her debut single, Swag it Out, in 2011, then went on to star in her own Disney show KC Undercover and become BFFs with Taylor Swift. But Zendaya, who has a black father and white mother, has really become a heroine to many for taking a stand on bodyshaming and answering trolls with thoughtful, dignified posts.

Photo: Instagram/@zendaya

Kylie Jenner, 18
Instagram: 53.6 million followers

Twitter: 14.7 million followers

"Everything I do, I always start these huge trends," she told Time. All 60 million of her fans covet her hair color(s), lips, and braids on social media in an attempt to Keep up with Kylie. Yet, the baby of the Kardashian-Jenner clan just wants to encourage her followers to be themselves: "I just want to inspire my fans to be whoever they want to be because that's what I've always done."

Photo: Instagram/@kyliejenner

Hailee Steinfeld, 19
Instagram: 2.3 million followers

Twitter: 495,000 followers

Hailee is one accomplished teen! At the age of 14, she starred in the Coen brothers flick True Grit, which earned her an Oscars nomination. Since then she has acted in a variety of films - both mainstream and indie. Recently, she was in the hilarious Pitch Perfect 2, where we got to see her singing chops. You'll also recognize her as the Trinity from none other than Taylor Swift's Bad Blood music video. If that doesn't impress you, then maybe her platinum song Love Myself will.

Photo: Instagram/@haileesteinfeld

Bella Thorne, 18
Twitter: 6.3 million followers

Instagram: 10.3 million followers

As a previous Disney darling, Annabella Avery "Bella" Thorne is most famous for her role on Shake It Up with fellow trendsetter Zendaya. She had roles on the Entourage, The O.C., and My Own Worst Enemy, for which she won a Young Artist Award. She also won a Teen Choice Award for her role in The Duff.

In her spare time, Bella is an ambassador for Neutrogena - you might recognize her from the commercials! In terms of her personal life, her relationship with Gregg Sulkin is definitely #relationshipgoals. She was recently featured on the cover of VVV magazine.

Photo: Instagram/@bellathorne

Amandla Stenberg, 17
Instagram: 656,000 followers

You might recognize this cutie from the Hunger Games. She played Rue, a character who captured our hearts instantly. She has also starred in Colombiana opposite Zoe Saldana and Rio 2.

However, the young actress is more known for her social activism. She wrote a dynamic post on her Tumblr about the effect cultural appropriation has on black culture. Amandla also famously called out Kylie Jenner for appropriating black features, an inspiring move for many young women. She continues to tell it like it is, combating hot button issues one at a time.

Photo: Instagram/@amandlastenberg

Rowan Blanchard, 14
Instagram: 3.6 million followers

Her Instagram description says: "Lover of Harry Potter, chocolate, and Beyoncé". Instantly, we can relate to this 14-year-old. While she's relatively new to the block, she plays the main character in Girl Meets World, a sweet sequel to the beloved Boy Meets World.

When not playing Riley in the show, Rowan is a huge activist like friend Amandla. She is very outspoken on topics like feminism, gun violence, and human rights. She is fully supportive of the #HeForShe campaign, famously endorsed by Emma Watson.

Photo: Instagram/@rowanblanchard