Pop Ghost

Tyra Banks, one of the greatest models of all time. Kim Kardashian, one of the richest women of all time. Whether you’re a fan or a hater, there’s no denying that these two women have left an indelible mark on reality TV and the entertainment industry as a whole. For the last two decades, Banks has continued to break barriers while Kardashian has proven she’s more than just a social media influencer. But did you know these two beauties were once aspiring singers? Whether a true passion, a joke or a dare, let’s take a look back at the very short-lived music careers of the women who launched America’s Next Top Model and Keeping Up with the Kardashians.

Tyra Banks released original music first, which is no surprise considering she was a household name as far back as 1991 – with Kardashian kickstarting her brands in 2007 after the infamous sex tape with Ray J. Banks’ first song was a feature on iconic basketball player Kobe Bryant’s K.O.B.E. in 2000, which was released by Columbia Records. In a memoir profiled by Entertainment Weekly, Banks states that she wanted to take a stab at music – stab, because she’s in Halloween: Resurrection – since 1998 and getting in the studio for the first time with Mr. Bryant was the spark that lit the flame. Tyra used her status on America’s Next Top Model to release her first solo single, ‘You Wanna Be on Top,’ which served as the show’s theme song during the opening credits.

What followed next was her real push to be recognized as a singer with the single ‘Shake Ya Body’ in 2004. ‘Shake Ya Body’ isn’t a bad song by any means, but it does feel like a rip-off of Christina Aguilera’s ‘Dirrty,’ which was released by RCA two years prior. Tyra’s single simply fell into the mix with a bunch of more established artists who were already doing it and doing it better. It’s feisty, sexy and Banks looks amazing in the video, but at the same time it was also generic. Although her singing career stalled after this single, you can still find her on tracks including: ‘Be a Star’ and ‘Be a Star 2’ from the Life-Size soundtracks, Stori’s ‘Bootyful’ in 2015 and Todrick Hall’s ‘Fashion’ in 2021.

And, for what it’s worth, a 2020 vlog with Elle Magazine finds Tyra singing a number of popular songs based on a one-word quiz. Although she’s being silly for most of the video, it’s undeniable that there’s some level of talent there.

Kim Kardashian, however, doesn’t seem to have any desire to be recognized as a singer. With a seemingly unlimited amount of wealth, I truly believe her one and only attempt at being a performer was a fever dream based on a whim of ‘why not?’ Her song, ‘Jam (Turn It Up),’ was released in 2011 and was written and produced by The-Dream, whose hitmaking credits include Britney Spears, Beyonce, Rihanna and Justin Bieber. Unlike Tyra Banks, though, Kim’s debut material managed to chart – having reached #17 on Billboard’s Bubbling Under Chart that same year. Since then, she’s only lent her vocals to two songs by featuring on OG Baba Fens’ ‘North’ in 2020 and OG Fish’s ‘The Wake Up’ in 2022.

The music video for ‘Jam (Turn It Up)’ starts like a rip off of Danity Kane’s ‘Damaged,’ but doesn’t feature any intense choreography. It heavily relies on Ms. Kardashian’s good looks to sell and it’s not so much a mini movie as it is a long glamor shoot. And it should also come with a seizure warning disclaimer! Dear god, all the pink flashing lights. Worse yet, Ms. Kardashian is very obviously autotuned throughout the track but still managed to sound like Angelia’s speaking voice from ‘Jersey Shore.’ Needless to say, Kim’s attempt at a musical career was not as successful as her predecessor, Paris Hilton.

While singing didn’t work well in her favor, Kim has spent the last few years shredding the stereotypes invoked by her reality TV show. She’s become educated in several professions, she’s launched several successful clothing brands and turned in a capable acting performance in American Horror Story: Delicate in 2024.