All the cringeworthy times the Kardashians tried to launch a music career and failed miserably
Kylie's new name is 'King of AutoTune', apparently
For a family that’s built an empire out of reality TV, beauty lines, and viral moments, the Kardashians have rarely met a business opportunity they didn’t try.
But if there’s one industry that didn’t quite roll out the red carpet for them, it’s music. From auto-tuned anthems to awkward rap cameos, several members of the Kardashian-Jenner clan have made questionable attempts to break into the charts and, well, let’s just say none of them became Grammy contenders.
Let’s revisit the short-lived, painfully awkward, and sometimes hilarious attempts at pop stardom from America’s most famous family.
All the cringeworthy times the Kardashians tried to launch a music career and failed miserably…
Kim Kardashian
Before she was a billionaire mogul, Kim Kardashian tried to be a pop star.
In 2011, at the height of Keeping Up With the Kardashians fame, she released Jam (Turn It Up), a heavily auto-tuned club track produced by The-Dream, the hitmaker behind Rihanna’s Umbrella.
The song’s music video, shot by Hype Williams and featuring Kim seductively posing in sequined outfits, was more about glamour than vocals. Critics were merciless. Rolling Stone listed it in a roundup of Kim’s pop culture moments. And, Kim herself later admitted it was a mistake. “I don’t have a good voice,” she confessed on Watch What Happens Live.
Despite the professional production, Jam (Turn It Up) never made it onto the Billboard charts. The song quietly disappeared from streaming platforms, living on only in the form of YouTube clips that resurface every few years to haunt her loyal followers.
Kendall and Kylie Jenner
Before their beauty empires and supermodel careers, Kendall and Kylie Jenner gave music a whirl, too, sort of.
In 2013, the then-teen sisters collaborated with Australian pop duo Madden Brothers on a song called Recognize.
They didn’t exactly sing on it, though, their contribution was mostly spoken word and creative direction for the accompanying video, which was more of a moody fashion short than a real music project.
But that wasn’t the only time they flirted with pop culture embarrassment. In 2014, Kylie appeared in a lip-sync video for Forever Real by singer Justine Skye, sparking rumours she was launching a music career herself.
For months, people speculated about a mysterious Kylie Jenner debut single, with tabloids reporting she was “the next Rihanna.” Nothing ever came of it, and Kylie later laughed off the idea on Twitter, saying she’d “stick to makeup.”
Kendall, for her part, has always denied any musical ambitions, though that didn’t stop the internet from resurfacing her old KUWTK footage of singing in her bedroom for comic effect.
Kris Jenner
Of all the Kardashian-Jenner musical ventures, Kris Jenner’s might be the most iconic.
In 1985, long before Keeping Up made her a household name, Kris released I Love My Friends, a home-made music video tribute to her wealthy circle of Beverly Hills pals.
The video resurfaced decades later, showing Kris in sequins, shoulder pads, and full ‘80s glory, singing about friendship while toasting champagne.
The video became an internet cult favourite, and in true Kardashian fashion, Kris leaned into the joke.
Every holiday season, clips of I Love My Friends make the rounds again, proof that while her daughters may have tried and failed to make it in music, Kris’s flair for making fun of herself has made her the only one who somehow came out on top.
Kylie Jenner’s recent debut
In what might be the most ambitious music move by a Kardashian-Jenner to date, Kylie Jenner has resurfaced in the pop realm with the single Fourth Strike, a collaboration with the Los Angeles pop duo Terror Jr.
The track dropped on October 13, 2025, marking what she called her first official foray into being a featured vocalist, per People.
The song revives her King Kylie alter ego, a persona she embodied in the mid-2010s, blending sultry electro-pop production with spoken-word style vocals from Kylie.
On the track, she sings: “One strike, two strike, let me get the mood right, I just wanna tell you I’m sorry, touch me, baby, tell me I’m your baby…” and ends by whispering “King Kylie.”
The release is tied to the 10th anniversary of her beauty brand, and in promotion, she also launched a new King Kylie makeup collection on October 18.
Reactions have been mixed. Some praise the audacity and nostalgic aesthetic, while others aren’t here for the heavy use of auto-tune and question Kylie’s vocal talents. One commenter savagely called her “King of AutoTune,” per Page Six.
It remains to be seen whether this is a genuine pivot into music or a well-executed marketing extension of her brand. But it certainly adds a new chapter to the Kardashian-music story!
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