Fangirlish 2021 End Of Year Lists: People Who Made Us Swoon In 2021

We know what “swoon” means, but the qualifications for what makes us “swoon” has changed a lot with this pandemic. Two years ago, if you would have asked us about what makes us swoon, we would have told you things that were physical traits – mostly. But we’ve stopped being so surface level and swooning means so much more.

It’s so much more complex.

By definition, if you swoon, you are strongly affected by your feelings for someone you love or admire very much. And that’s something that all these people make us do. We love and admire them. But what we love and admire them for it not so surface. It’s for the difference that they make in the world. It’s for the heart they have. It’s for the way that they are tryign to make the world a better place.

And yes, some are for the abs and the beauty. We’ll admit that.

But most are for the brains, the creativity, the heart and the courage.

SIMONE BILES

Lets be honest – Simone Biles is a superstar. But for us, this year, it’s because she put herself first. When she withdrew from some competitions at the Olympics, we were shocked, but also inspired. Inspired on a level that we hadn’t known we could be. Simone put her team and her mental health first – on the world stage. And in the midst of the situation she was there every day cheering her teammates on, giving them all of the love and support in the world. She showed us all that mental health is important and we all can’t take it for granted. We swoon over the courage that takes.

AOC

Say what you want about Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, but she’s one of the most relatable people in government. She isn’t afraid to call people out, to tell them how it is, to fight for people who truly need the help. She’s been where we are and she knows what it is like to be a worker living paycheck to paycheck. She’s stood up to her colleagues, who have berated and threatened her. She’s made sure to teach us all about confidence. We admire her grit and determination. Hell, we swoon over it!

DOLLY PARTON

If you want to look at someone and being a good person – Dolly Parton is the queen. She doesn’t want all the recognition for all she does, she just wants to make the world a better place. We swoon over her giving heart, the way that she contributes to society, the way that she is so down home and so genuine. Dolly reminds us just to be good people and we love that.

PRINCE HARRY AND MEGHAN MARKLE

It takes a lot to walk away from being in the spotlight all of the time, but Harry and Meghan put their safety and their families safety first. And that takes courage. That takes strength. That takes a lot that we don’t have. But what makes us swoon over them? Well, that’s the fact that they keep moving forward and that they keep doing work to improve the world, despite not having the backing of the Royal Family. They put their family first – their kids are their life. Making the world a better place for them is of the utmost importance.

BRITNEY & THE FREE BRITNEY MOVEMENT

Fandom is everything and you’ll never be able to convince us otherwise. The Free Britney Movement is one of the best and most inspiration movements that we’ve ever seen. They are what fandom should be – that never give up, never look away, thinking about others first kind of fandom. The ban together no matter what is happening, for the love of Britney. The way that they made sure to keep the heat on and uncover the truth and injustices that she was living through. We all should be inspired by the Free Britney Movement and the way that not even for a second did they back down. They are the MVP’s.

CHLOE ZHAO

Chloe is the definition of perseverance, creativity and not letting herself be held back what people think. She has ideas and fights for them. She is the first POC to win an Academy Award for Best Director (Nomadland (2020)). She directed Eternals. She is busting down doors for women, standing strong for what she believes in. She’s admitted that she has strong opinions, and she tries not to carry that over to her work. She does show in her work ethic that there is nothing that you can’t accomplish when you work for it. She’s a visionary and we’re inspired by it.

JEN PSACKI

After living through the former President’s regime (yes, I say that cause he was atrocious and I could go on) and never knowing what the fuck was happening, Jen Psacki is a welcome sight. She’s President Biden’s Press Secretary and she’s really fucking good at her job. She’s not afraid to tell things like the are and make sure that the real news is getting out there. She doesn’t back or let people mince her words. This isn’t the WhiteHouse that is going to let the narrative be changed to bullshit. And she’s a major force. We love it.

BTS

There is something about BTS that reminds you what fandom is meant to be. The way that the music hits you, making you feel alive and happiness. They are magnetic. The men of BTS are determined to always put on a good show, be there for their fans and be there for the world. They know that they change the world with their music, their presence. We love them and we swoon for them!

TOM HOLLAND AND ZENDAYA

We are aware fully aware that Tom and Zendaya are individuals and yes, we swoon over them individually, but as a team – these two have made our year. We know that their love life is none of our business. We can respect that. But we can also love the fact that these two are together and the way that they speak about each other. They just are living their lives and enjoying their lives.

And we can appreciate that. We love the pictures seeing them together – even though we weren’t meant to see them. These two are perfection. We just want someone to look at us the way that they look at each other.

TAYLOR SWIFT

Taylor is a genius. We said what we said and we meant it. The woman has kept us all entertained and feeling comforted during the pandemic. We love that she is always surprising her fans, takes time to engage with them online, makes sure that she is honest and truthful, and stands up for everyone. She somehow manages to keep a balance of having her life, sharing with the fans, and making sure that her fans never feel alone.

THE LADIES OF DRAMA QUEENS

One Tree Hill, forever. There has and never will be a show like One Tree Hill and we’re thankful for all of the memories that it has given us. Sophia Bush, Hilarie Burton, and Bethany Joy Lenz have created the Drama Queens podcast which gives us a look back at the episodes of the show, through the eyes of the women that starred in it. And it’s definitely one of the highlights of each and every week.

OSCAR ISAAC

Oscar Isaac is hot, and he knows it. But he’s gotten progressively hotter with age. Or have we just started paying more attention? Either way, Oscar knows how to work a crowd, where to look, when he should stare at his costar like he’s never seen anything like her (we’re looking at you Jessica Chastain), and we’re definitely enthralled. Beard or no beard. Though, if we had to choose, keep the beard, Oscar. Keep the beard.

JOHN CHO

John Cho has always been swoon worthy. But he knocked it up a couple notches when he took on the lead role in Cowboy Bebop. Not only did he look great in that suit, everything from his his hair to his abs was perfection. You can tell that this actor took his role seriously and that makes him even more swoonworthy.

JAMES WOLK

Ordinary Joe has been one of our favorite new shows and that is because of James Wolk. He’s talented, handsome, a mixture of sexy and shy. Yes, we’re swooning over him because his voice makes us melt and his face makes us smile. We’re definitely not sad over the abs either.

JOJO SIWA

When Jojo starred on Dancing With The Stars, one of us said to me, “I wish I had a Jojo Siwa when I was growing up.” Seeing Jojo dance with a same sex partner made her feel empowered and seen. And that was a beautiful moment. And it’s that reason that we’re swooning over Jojo. Because she makes people feel seen.