20 celebrities who attempted music careers

Although Tyra Banks is renowned as one of the world’s top supermodels, she’s also ventured into other avenues such as being an actor, daytime talk show host, and philanthropist. However, in 2004, she released her debut single, “Shake Ya Body,” which had a music video with America’s Next Top Model cycle 2 contestants. The single was produced by Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins, and although the song wasn’t a huge hit, it gave Banks the perfect segue to pivot elsewhere. 

Kim Kardashian is the type of TV reality star who has the ability and resources to try any venture she wants. In 2011, she worked with The-Dream and Christopher “Tricky” Stewart on her debut single “Jam (Turn It Up).” Although Kardashian ensured that half of the proceeds from the song’s sales would be donated to St. Jude’s Children's Research Hospital, the song was not a favorite by critics, and the reality TV star didn’t have plans to make a full album.

In addition to being a socialite, businesswoman, and resident DJ, Paris Hilton was also once signed to a major label. About a year after starting her DJ career, Hilton was signed to Cash Money Records and released three singles such as “Good Time” which featured Lil Wayne. Although her singles had some moderate success, Hilton hasn't moved the needle too much in this field. 

In addition to his acting career, Robert Downey Jr. had a brief music career. He has appeared on a couple of soundtracks and released his first and only album The Futurist in 2004. Critics gave mixed reviews of the album and it debuted at No. 121 on the Billboard 200. 

Tony Parker was a three-time NBA champion by the time he decided to release his French rap album TP in 2007. This was the peak of Parker’s basketball career, and he wanted to prove to people that he was a rapper as well. Although some of his songs made it to a couple of charts in France, it’s one of those moments in Parker’s career that is easily forgettable.

Although Gwyneth Paltrow is known for her roles in films like The Talented Mr. Ripley, Shakespeare in Love, Iron Man, and The Avengers, she did try her hand in music. In 2000, Paltrow released two singles that were covers from other artists. 

Before she was known for starring in films like Room, 21 Jump Street, and Captain Marvel, Brie Larson had a brief music career as a teenager. In 2005, Larson released her first and only album Finally Out of P.E., which featured the single “She Said.” Although the album helped Larson land the chance to go on tour with Jesse McCartney, the album only sold 3,500 copies. 

Similar to a few of his peers, NBA legend Allen Iverson tried his hand at a music career. In 2000, Iverson signed with Universal Music Group and released a single titled “40 Bars.” However, the song wasn’t well-received by audiences due to its controversial lyrics describing violence and misogyny. Due to the backlash, the record label dropped Iverson and shelved his debut album altogether. 

Although Heidi Montag first rose to fame as a cast member on MTV’s reality show The Hills, just a few years after making her TV debut, she released her debut album Superficial. Montag paid $2 million to create the album, but it only ended up selling 1,000 copies. However, one of the album’s tracks “I’ll Do It” saw new life in 2023 after it went viral on TikTok. 

Unlike some of the celebrities on this list, actress Lindsay Lohan saw some moderate success with her music career. In addition to starring in films like Freaky Friday and Confessions of Teenage Drama Queen, Lohan released two studio albums. In 2004, Lohan released her debut album Speak, which reached No. 4 on the Billboard 200 and sold over a million copies. Just a year after, she released her sophomore album A Little More Personal (Raw), which earned her a Gold-selling certification. 

Although there are plenty of athletes of today who also venture into the rap game, back in the '90s and 2000s, it was a bit taboo. Kobe Bryant saw that first-hand when he teamed up with Tyra Banks on his debut single “K.O.B.E.” Bryant was also featured on a little-known remix to Destiny’s Child song "Say My Name.” Since his single failed to see any commercial success, Bryant was dropped from the record label. 

Kim Zolciak first came onto the scene as a cast member on Bravo’s Real Housewives of Atlanta. In 2009, she teamed up with her castmate singer-songwriter Kandi Burruss on her single “Tardy for the Party.” Although the song became a signature theme around Zolciak’s TV spin-offs, Zolciak didn’t continue with a music career. 

Naomi Campbell is one of the most decorated supermodels in the world, but there was a time in which she attempted to be a singer. In 1994, she released her first and only album Babywoman, but unfortunately it wasn’t a commercial success. While America and UK charts paid the album dust, it actually saw some success in Japan. 

Before she was known for acting in TV shows like Party of Five and films like I Know What You Did Last Summer, Jennifer Love Hewitt had a brief music career. She was 12 years old when her debut album, Love Songs, was released exclusively in Japan. Atlantic Records then signed Hewitt to a record deal and released two albums. However, once those albums failed to chart, they released her from the label. However, she signed with Jive Records in 2002 and released her fourth album BareNaked, which reached No. 37 on the Billboard 200. 

Whether fans have been following Ryan Gosling since his days on The Mickey Mouse Club, or co-starring in La-La Land and Barbie, it’s evident that the actor is a huge music lover. In 2007, Gosling and his friend Zach Shields formed the band Dean Man’s Bones. Two years later, they released their self-titled album which was a collaboration alongside the Silverlake Conservatory Childen’s Choir. 

There have been plenty of television reality stars with dreams of making it in music. One of which was Porsha Williams, one of the stars of Bravo’s Real Housewives of Atlanta. In 2014, Williams released her debut single, “Flatline,” a track in which she reflects on a relationship that didn’t last. 

Before Scarlett Johansson was known for taking on roles in films like Iron Man 2 and The Avengers, she released two albums. Her first album Anywhere I Lay My Head came in 2008, a project that consists mostly of covers of Tom Waits’ songs. The following year, Johansson teamed up with singer-songwriter Pete Yorn on the joint album Break Up, which peaked at No. 41 on the Billboard 200. 

Angelina Pivarnick first came onto the scene in 2009 starring on MTV’s reality show Jersey Shore. The following year, she released her song “I’m Hot,” but she hasn’t released any music since then.

While most people know Eddie Murphy as a comedian and actor, he actually had a brief music career. In 1985, he released his debut album How Could It Be, led by his biggest hit “Party All The Time, a track written and produced by the late Rick James. Although he released a couple of albums a few years later, they didn’t see the same success as his debut. 

Before Tom Hardy was known for taking roles in films like The Dark Knight Rises, Inception, and Spider-Man: No Way Home, he had a brief rapping career that didn’t take off. In an interview with BBC News, Hardy admitted that he was a rapper as a teenager. He even had an album that wasn’t officially released, until some social media users uncovered it.