My SO was a HS teacher for a while, so I have a tiny bit of insight, though it may be dated. Per my SO's discussions:

Nowadays, the most popular girl in school, always a coveted title, is not the prom queen, nor the most wealthy princess, nor the queen of the clicks.

It's the same exact person in every HS in America, every tween girl hangs on her word and turns on the swings of her moods and hair color.

It's Beyonce.

(It may be Ariana Grande today, or someone else, but back when my SO was teaching, it was Beyonce)