11 Musicians Poised for Talk Show Success Like Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Hudson & More
Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Hudson, Joseph “Fat Joe” Cartagena, Caresha “Yung Miami” Brownlee, and Victor “N.O.R.E” Santiago Jr. are just a few of the musicians who have transitioned from recording in the studio to hosting talk shows on a variety of platforms, including Starz, REVOLT, NBC, and FOX.
The TV success of Clarkson, Hudson, and others has shown that many of the artists who have dominated the stage have the potential to broaden their brand through television in a way that’s beneficial for them and the network. Moving forward, it wouldn’t be surprising to keep the trend going further in the 2020s and 2030s.
While it’s still a little early in the careers of a few of the biggest names in music to even think about making this jump, here are 10 artists who have what it takes to jump from the charts to the broadcast booth.
The Kelly Clarkson Show, Weekdays, Check Your Local Listings
The Jennifer Hudson Show, Weekdays, Check your local listings
Kelsea Ballerini
Time Slot: Daytime
Latest Release: Patterns
A five-time Grammy Award nominee with three Gold or better-selling albums, Kelsea Ballerini, has solidified her place as one of the more prominent country stars of the last 10 years. In addition to dominating the charts, she’s hosted the CMT Awards four times. However, she said in April that this past year would be her final time hosting the ceremony. As she puts it, hosting the awards ceremony prompted her to ask herself “the question: What else? Like, what else can I do?” Why not host a talk show? She has an audience, previous hosting experience, and a personality that would fit during a FOX or NBC daytime slot down the line.
Keke Palmer
Time Slot: Late Night or Daytime
Latest Release: “The Master”
Few people in entertainment are more beloved than Keke Palmer. From the moment she appeared on-screen alongside Laurence Fishburne and Angela Bassett in Akeelah and the Bee, it was apparent that she’d be around for a long time. Palmer has done everything, from leading her own Nickelodeon show to recording music with Dolly Parton. In 2014, she became the youngest talk show host at 20 on BET. However, the show was short-lived and didn’t receive the full talk show treatment that Clarkson, Hudson, and others have earned. More than a decade later, Palmer is older, more experienced, and has a clear identity as an entertainer — and she has more hosting gigs under her belt after having co-hosted the third hour of Good Morning America with Michael Strahan and Sara Haines from 2019-2020 and with her current job co-hosting the Password game show with Jimmy Fallon. With her quick wit, humor, and versatility, she’s the perfect person to host a talk show in the future.
Cardi B
Time Slot: Late Night or Daytime
Latest Release: “On Dat Money“
There are few artists with more star power than Cardi B. The dancer turned reality show star turned Grammy Award winner has made her name topping the Billboard charts, engaging with fans on social media, and discussing politics with the likes of Bernie Sanders and Kamala Harris. While fans anxiously await a clear, concise update about Cardi B’s sophomore album, questions arise about the future of her music career. Does she want to keep working within the music industry? If the Bronx native wants to begin the next chapter of her career, why not get into acting or host a talk show? Anytime Cardi B is onscreen, she’s entertaining, energetic, and charismatic. Also, she has shown a clear interest in branching out beyond music and entering the world of politics and television.
Snoop Dogg
Time Slot: Late Night
Latest Release: “Another Part of Me“
Late-night hosting gigs are sought after and historically reserved for comics. If there’s someone who could break the mold, it’d be Snoop Dogg. From “Murder Was the Case” in 1994 to participating in NBC‘s coverage of the Summer Olympic Games and now his coach role on The Voice, it’s hard to think of a musician who has evolved in the public eye quite like the Long Beach legend. He’s charismatic, a household name, and he already has experience as a TV personality. Albeit different from the traditional network late-night shows, he has a background as the host of his own Double G News Network. Still, one question remains. Is this something Snoop Dogg would want to do at this point in his career?
Miley Cyrus
Time Slot: Daytime
Latest Release: “II Most Wanted“
Fat Joe isn’t the only star who got the ball rolling on a talk show during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the darkest times, Miley Cyrus hosted a digital talk show called Bright Minded with a rotation of special guests like Elton John and Selena Gomez. She even created a theme song for the show. Since then, she’s gone on tour, released a new album, and won two Grammy Awards. Safe to say, she’s in the midst of an exciting chapter of her music career. However, when she’s looking for a change of pace, the talk show scene will be here for her. As a child star turned accomplished musician, Cyrus is comfortable in the spotlight, knows her way in Hollywood, and has years and years of experience as the driving force behind a successful television show, Hannah Montana.
Megan Thee Stallion
Time Slot: Daytime
Latest Release: Megan Act II
Megan Thee Stallion is still celebrating the success of her most recent tour with GloRilla and the release of “Neva Play” with RM of BTS, so it’s safe to say that music is still the priority in her career. With that said, she has experience hosting the 2024 VMAs, Saturday Night Live, and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. More importantly, her star power extends far beyond music as she’s also been the focus of commercials for Popeye’s, Pepsi, and Sony Pitcures’ Venom: The Last Dance. To top it all off, she’s appeared in HBO‘s Legendary and Disney+‘s She-Hulk: Attorney At Law. In less than a decade, the Houston native has transformed herself from a student at Texas Southern University into one of the more valuable commodities in entertainment today. With a loyal fan base, charismatic personality, and hosting experience, Megan Thee Stallion is fit for a talk show hosting gig in the future if her heart desires.
Tank
Time Slot: Late Night
Latest Release: A Stronger Rhythm
For nearly three decades, Tank has used his vocal talent, songwriting, and dynamic production skills to work with everyone from Omarion to the late, great Aaliyah. In recent years, he’s teamed up with his manager and longtime collaborator, J. Valentine, to host R&B Money. In conversations with Jamie Foxx, Dionne Warwick, and many others, Tank’s presence and larger-than-life personality jump off the screen. He may not be a household name in the way that Snoop Dogg or Cardi B may be, but he’s been around Hollywood long enough that he’s a celebrity that other celebrities know and respect. Better yet, the show would have a built-in executive producer with J. Valentine, who, as mentioned, has helped build R&B Money into a successful property for iHeart.
Alicia Keys
Time Slot: Daytime
Latest Release: “Finally (Remixes)”
The world met Alicia Keys in the early 2000s as the girl from Hell’s Kitchen with braids, a piano, and a voice that could shake you to the core. Since then, she’s evolved into a philanthropist, activist, entrepreneur, and the inspiration of a Broadway production. With her diverse range of interests in education, public health, human rights, and beyond, the New York native has the ability to dive into various topics with ease while also leaning on her approachable nature and smooth presence.
Nicki Minaj
Time Slot: Daytime or Late Night
Latest Release: The Pinkprint (10th Anniversary Edition)
Given that she tends to move away from the spotlight when she’s not promoting her music or commenting on the industry, it’s hard to imagine Nicki Minaj becoming a talk show host. However, she has a track record of drawing larger audiences whenever Queen Radio broadcasts live. She commands attention and is willing to go where others won’t during a conversation. The only downside is that many of the headlines Queen Radio tends to create involve her musical career. Hypothetically speaking, if she were a talk show host, she’d have to branch outside of her music career, but she does have a dedicated audience that hangs on her every word. Not to mention, she’s one of the most successful rap and pop stars of the last 15 years who will garner attention regardless of what she does or says.
Time Slot: Late Night
Latest Release: “Keep On“
Like Joe Rogan, Alex Cooper, and other top podcasters, Joe Budden doesn’t need to make the jump from podcasting to television. Still, it would make sense that a former artist who understands the media landscape, has a loyal audience, and knows how to make headlines would become a late-night talk host. No, he wouldn’t need to be a late-night talk show host in the same vein as Fallon or Stephen Colbert, but there is certainly space for a network to create a new sort of late-night program that caters to a younger Millennial audience using a more podcast-like format. He’s helped put together shows in the past, like State of the Culture and Everyday Struggle, which did well for Complex and REVOLT before coming to an abrupt end. Given how both shows ended abruptly, it’s fair to say a network would be scared to build a show around Budden, but there’s always a chance it could.
Jessie Ware
Time Slot: Daytime
Latest Release: “Heaven In Your Arms”
Jessie Ware and her mother, Lennie, have achieved great success with their award-winning podcast, Table Manners. Bringing guests like Dua Lipa and Paul McCartney to the table, the mother-daughter duo have built a talk show-like platform that tackles timely topics and is family-friendly for the most part. By pairing food with discussion, the Wares could easily transfer their work to the Food Network or a similar channel.
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In the 80s and 90s, for every new talk show, when the host was interviewed prior to the debut (Tempestt Blesdoe, Danny Bonaduce, Gabrielle Carteris, among many many others), the first question was always "why do we need another talk show?"
This is the first article I've ever seen with the premise "we need more talk shows."
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