What do Apple CEO Tim Cook, the protestors in Ferguson, Vladimir Putin and Taylor Swift have in common? While it may seem like "nothing" from the outside, the answer is they're all on the shortlist to become TIME magazine's Person of the Year for 2014. Yes, the "Blank Space" singer joins world leaders and controversial figures in the annual recognition's nominations.

Today (Dec. 8), TIME unveiled the eight finalists for its Person of the Year distinction on The Today Show. Among the world-changing figures, Swift is nominated for her bold move earlier this year to remove her music from Spotify.

Swift is "one of the world's top-selling pop artists, who this year shook up the music industry by pulling her music from streaming service Spotify, which she believes should compensate artists more," TIME wrote in its decision to make her one of its finalists.

Though she's the only music act to make the shortlist for TIME Person of the Year, she isn't the only pop culture figure. The controversial NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is also one of the eight finalists, for his aloofness regarding domestic assault in football.

Among figures such Iraqi Kurdish Region president Masoud Barzani and the doctors fighting Ebola, it's highly unlikely Swift will actually follow up Pope Francis as TIME's person of the year, but hey, it's an honor just to be nominated.

The official TIME Person of the Year 2014 will be announced on Wednesday, Dec. 10.

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