First social media posts are always tricky, especially when you have thousands to millions of people waiting to follow you. Nowadays, nearly every celebrity has an Instagram to promote their work and connect with their fans, but it wasn't always like that.
While Instagram first launched in 2010, it's safe to say it wasn't until 2012 that it really arrived on people's radars. That means most of us probably weren't around for our favorite celebrities' very first post! Snoop Dogg claims to have been the very first celebrity to have joined the now-extremely popular social media app, or at least the first to endorse it, and celebrities were quick to follow suit. From Lady Gaga and Madonna to Cardi B and Janet Jackson, here are 33 of your favorite celebrities' first Instagram posts.
1. Lady Gaga 2012
After becoming the first person to hit 30 million followers on Twitter back in 2012, Lady Gaga set her sights on Instagram and joined in the summer of 2012. She kept her first post simple with a filtered selfie and no caption.
2. Adele 2015
Quick to recognize the tool that Instagram could be for artists, Adele used her first post on the app to promote her upcoming album 25.
3. Dolly Parton 2015
The legendary Dolly Parton greeted Instagram with a sweet photo of her and the judges of The Voice. "Well hello everybody!" she wrote. "I thought I would kick this off with a bang, so I brought some friends to help out!"
4. Janet Jackson 2015
Another music legend, Janet Jackson, also joined Instagram in 2015! The pop pioneer launched her account with a quick update from her Unbreakable World Tour.
5. Selena Gomez 2013
6. Cardi B 2015
Before launching her music career into the mainstream with "Bodak Yellow" in 2018, the Love and Hip Hop star was known for her hilarious rants on Instagram.
7. Cher 2013
Cher joined Instagram with this post in early 2013 after being notorious for her emoji-filled stream of conciousness tweets.
8. Kelly Clarkson 2013
9. Rihanna
If you were online during this era, you likely remember that Rihanna was unabashedly herself on social media. After often going viral on Twitter all the time, she made this iconic entrance on Instagram.
10. Beyonce 2012
Queen Bey used her platform to campaign for Barack Obama's second Presidential run.
11. Harry Styles 2012
Harry's first Instagram post stands out for 1) not being a photo of himself and 2) for managing to launch his account with a dad joke.
12. Mariah Carey 2012
Fitting for the Queen of Christmas, Mariah Carey's first Instagram post may have arrived in July but the caption explains that the photo is actually from Christmas 2011.
13. Madonna 2012
Similar to Beyoncé, the pop icon also used her first Instagram post to show her support for President Obama on his second election night.
14. Hailee Steinfeld 2012
15. Zendaya 2011
Zendaya was early to Instagram, posting her first photo on the set of Disney Channel's Shake It Up! in 2011!
16. Drake 2011
Another early bloomer, Drake was showing off his private jet in his first post during the holidays in 2011.
17. Pitbull 2012
18. Justin Bieber 2011
19. Ariana Grande 2011
Ariana's first post was dedicated to her grandfather! "I love him more than anything," the singer wrote in the caption on the adorable photo.
20. Jaden Smith 2011
21. Elton John 2014
22. Ed Sheeran 2012
Ed Sheeran's first post is a goofy selfie with the caption, "First instagram post, on the way to hackney weekender."
23. Taylor Swift 2017
Taylor was a bit late to the Instagram game but she came full force by launching her account with a video, which wasn't even an option when her pop peers first joined the app.
24. Camila Cabello 2012
25. Shawn Mendes 2012
Shawn looks unrecognizable in his adorable first post!
26. Katy Perry 2013
Katy Perry gave fans a teaser of her Vogue cover shoot in her first Instagram post.
27. Joe Jonas 2012
28. Megan Thee Stallion 2020
29. Olivia Rodrigo 2020
Olivia's first post to her public Instagram account came during the lockdowns and features her showing off her Grammy-award-winning vocals.
30. Jack Harlow 2014
31. Lil Nas X 2018
Lil Nas X treated his followers to a classic bathroom mirror selfie complete with a shower curtain in the back for his very first post.
32. Doja Cat 2012
Doja Cat was just 17 when she sent out her first Instagram. At this point, the world had yet to meet the talented rapper and hilarious emme queen we know
33. Halsey 2018
Halsey showed off their impeccable and unique street style in their first post on the social media app!