Icon (n.): one who is the object of great attention and devotion; an idol.
There are stars. There are celebrities. There are famous musicians.
And then, there are icons.
To become an icon is to reach a new level of fame that only a small population of musicians achieve. Icons have this untouchable façade where their music is unique, historical, and earth-shattering. Their name and brand becomes recognizable, not just nation-wide, but on an international level. In summation, icons are at the peak of the fame pyramid, the cream of the crop in their industry.
Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, Chance the Rapper, and many more are famous, but they do not have an untouchable status of fame. They are fairly accessible to the public eye and remain present in celebrity mainstream culture. They release hit songs and are well-known, but they have not become the symbols of industries.
Madonna, Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Elton John— now, those are icons. Their music is critically acclaimed on an international level, and they are revered in their field of music. It would be insufficient to call icons just regular stars; you cannot equate Michael Jackson and Bruno Mars in the same way that you cannot equate Madonna and Lady Gaga.
And I believe that we are able to add one more to the list of icons, and her name is Queen Bey.