Google Announces Its 10 Most Fascinating People In 2018
Google has revealed it’s “Year in Search” rankings for 2018, and it’s filled with predictable – and yes, a few surprising – names. But this is not a list that is necessarily a good one to make.
On Wednesday, Google listed the Top 10 breakout searches of the year. The list includes celebrities, politicians, and public figures, according to Business Insider. But being labeled “fascinating” by Google equates to a celebrity or public figure having their name spike in traffic compared to last year, sometimes for not-so-good reasons. It should be noted that this isn’t a list of the “most-searched” people of 2018, but instead, a list of newsworthy people that savvy searchers wanted to more know about compared to last year. So, who made the cut?
Rapper Cardi B landed on Google’s list after becoming the first female rapper to break out with two songs on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. The 26-year-old topped the charts over the summer with her hits “Bodak Yellow” and “I Like It.” The female rapper also had her first child this year, a baby girl she named Kulture. And Cardi ended her year by announcing her split from her husband Offset, amid cheating allegations.
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Speaking of rappers, Rick Ross also made Google’s list after being found unresponsive in his Miami-area home in March. The rapper spent four days in the hospital in the ICU unit due to heart problems, according to TMZ. Like Cardi, Ross also welcomed a new baby this year, a son named Billion.
Ariana Grande hit this list due to her very high-profile year. The singer released her fourth studio album, Sweetener, and got engaged to Saturday Night Live funnyman Pete Davidson after a whirlwind romance. Grande later split from Davidson and penned the hit breakup anthem “Thank u, next.”
Grande also received the Woman of the Year award at the 2018 Billboard Women In Music gala. The pop superstar got emotional as she reflected on a rollercoaster year that included major career highs and personal tragedies such as the death of her former boyfriend Mac Miller.
“I find it interesting that this has been one of the best years of my career and the worst of my life,” Grande said in her acceptance speech, per Billboard.
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Head Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer also made Google’s list after being put on administrative leave in August amid reports that he knew about domestic violence allegations from his assistant coach’s wife.
Eminem’s surprise 10th studio album, Kamikaze, scored him a spike in internet traffic this year, while Khloe Kardashian’s baby daddy drama earned her a spot on the list after the public devoured headlines that her boyfriend Tristan Thompson cheated on her while she was pregnant with their baby, True.
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YouTube star Logan Paul learned the hard way what an unwanted Google traffic spike feels like after he posted a disturbing “suicide forest” video earlier this year. The backlash was immediate and Paul’s apologies were endless as he vowed to make up for his horrific misstep. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s personal life also caused his traffic to soar after he was accused of sexually assaulting a female classmate at a party in the 1980s.
It’s no surprise that royal bride Meghan Markle made this list. The former Suits actress not only married Prince Harry in May, but she announced she is pregnant and due with the couple’s first baby next spring.
And finally, pop singer Demi Lovato dominated the headlines after she was hospitalized after a drug overdose in July. The “Give Your Heart a Break” singer has struggled with addiction for years, but this story had fans looking for much more about her complicated life.
