Rihanna-Matt Kemp and the 20 Hottest Female Singers Who Love Athletes

One of the more common attractions in the entertainment and sporting industry today is the magnetic lure that female recording artists seem to have with professional athletes of all sports types.

Like mashed potatoes on gravy, these relationships frequently pop up almost without any warning with some lasting a lifetime, while most simply go foul.

Let’s take a look at who is—and has played—the field.

Rihanna

Rihanna has been rumored to be dating Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp, despite the sexy star vehemently claiming otherwise. The problem here is that there are several photos and sightings that suggest otherwise, so for now we’ll just believe the rumor to be true.

Rihanna hails from Saint Michael, Barbados, and moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers. She subsequently signed a contract with Def Jam Recordings after auditioning for then—label head Jay-Z.

Rihanna has received several accolades, including the 2007 World Music Awards for World's Best-Selling Pop Female Artist and Female Entertainer of the Year, as well as the 2008 American Music Awards for Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist and Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist.

She serves as one of Barbados's honorary cultural ambassadors. In January 2010, Rihanna received two Grammy Awards for Jay-Z's 2009 single "Run This Town," bringing her total number of Grammys won to three.

Mariah Carey

Now here’s a woman who needs no introduction, unless you have been packed away in a cardboard box in some small cave just outside of the Himalayas.

This sultress of soul has been blessed with what is called a five octave vocal range that has been the defining sound of her career, but she has also had some pretty interesting relationships, one being Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees.

Their short lived relationship in 1998 was a regretful action on her part, as she claimed that it simply wasn’t the right time for either person.

Toni Braxton

“You’re Making Me High” and "Un-Break My Heart” are two of the biggest hits from the legendary Toni Braxton.

The six—time Grammy winner is known for her deep contralto style voice, and lesser known for her acting prowess in the Broadway version of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast and Aida.

But even lesser known is her penchant for athletes that included—or was rumored to include—ex-New York Jets star Curtis Martin, NBA journeyman Jason Kidd, and American racing star Jimmy Jackson. Apparently she is still looking for her heart to be repaired.

Carrie Underwood

This pretty, sexy young American country singer-songwriter and occasional actress rose to fame as the winner of the fourth season of American Idol.

Underwood has since become a multi-platinum selling recording artist and a multiple Grammy Award winner. She is a three-time Academy of Country Music and Country Music Association Female Vocalist winner, and the current ACM Entertainer of the Year.

It was rumored that Underwood dated Dallas Cowboys’ quarterback Tony Romo, although it seems as if they are more mutual friends, but she is engaged to Ottawa Senators’ center Mike Fisher.

Hilary Duff

Yup, that’s right, she actually sings for those of you who don’t know, as much as it pains me to say. Duff has been linked to romances with both Barry Zito and more recently Mike Comrie. For those of you still not familiar with Duff, perhaps Lizzie McGuire will ring a bell.

Madonna

Ah, what’s not to love, right? Shameless videos, "Like a Virgin," and year after year of jaw dropping headlines that include anything from controversy to sexy relationships.

Madonna is no stranger to men in general, but she is also no stranger to professional athletes, either, with guys like A-Rod and Jose Canseco under her…ahem, belt.

Jessica Simpson

No offense, but the girl is dumb as a brick and so into herself it’s hard to imagine her ever having time—or energy, for that matter—for a relationship. The obvious mention here is boy toy Tony Romo.

Simpson is an American singer, actress, and television personality who rose to fame in the late 1990s. She has achieved seven Billboard Top 40 hits, and has three gold and two multi-platinum RIAA-certified albums.

Simpson starred with her then-husband Nick Lachey in the MTV reality show Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica. She ventured into the country music market in 2008 and released "Do You Know."

Tamia

Tamia Hill, professionally known as Tamia, is a six-time Grammy Award-nominated Canadian-American recording artist and record producer.

She is best known for her 2000 hit "Stranger In My House" and Fabulous' 2003 song "Into You," which samples her 1998 song "So Into You," from her debut album. Tamia is married to NBA player Grant Hill of the Phoenix Suns.

Brandy

Known professionally as Brandy, she is an American R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, television entertainer, actress, and film producer. In 2009, she introduced her rap alter-ego Bran'Nu.

Born into a musical family in McComb, Mississippi and raised in Carson, California, Norwood first appeared in a supporting role on the short-lived ABC sitcom Thea in 1993.

Her engagement led to her own star vehicle, successful UPN sitcom Moesha in 1996, and resulted in roles in the 1998 horror sequel I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, and the TV films Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella (1997) and Double Platinum (1999), two of television's best rated special programs.

In 1993, she signed a recording contract with Atlantic, releasing her self-titled debut album a year after. Following a major success with Grammy Award-winning "The Boy Is Mine," a duet with singer Monica, and her second album Never Say Never in 1998, a series of successful records established her as one of the most successful of the new breed of urban R&B female vocalists to emerge during the mid-to late 1990s.

Her latest studio album, Human (2008), was her first effort to be released on the Epic label after a label change in 2005.

The RIAA ranks Norwood as one of the best-selling female artists in American music history, having sold over 10.5 million copies of her five studio albums in the United States and over 25 million albums worldwide to date. Additionally, she has won over 100 awards as a recording artist.

She has been known to be in relationships with both Kobe Bryant of the Lakers and Quentin Richardson of the Miami Heat.

Cheryl Tweedy-Cole

This cute little Brit star is a British singer, songwriter, actress, dancer, model, and television personality.

Cole rose to fame in 2002 after becoming a member of pop group Girls Aloud through ITV's reality television program Popstars: The Rivals. They have become one of the few UK reality television acts to achieve continued success, amassing a fortune of £25 million by May 2009.

With Girls Aloud, Cole has been successful in achieving a string of 20 consecutive UK top ten singles (including four number ones), two UK number one albums, and received nominations for five BRIT Awards, winning Best Single in 2009 for "The Promise."

In 2008, Cole became a judge on the British reality television show The X Factor, propelling her fame to new heights. Cole has been called "the nation's new sweetheart."

Her first solo single, "Fight for This Love," was the fastest-selling single of 2009 up to that point when it entered the UK Singles Chart and Irish Singles Chart at number one,[8] becoming the fourth best-seller of the year. Her debut solo album 3 Words achieved similar success.[9] She has also become recognized as a style icon, appearing on the covers of British Vogue and Elle. In 2009, Cole became the new face of L'Oréal.

Cole is married to the Chelsea and England football player Ashley Cole. It was reported on 24 February 2010 that the couple are to separate, and on 22 March 2010, Cole said she would wait six months before deciding whether to pursue a divorce.

Lindsay Lohan

She was originally known for her work in Disney’s The Parent Trap, but as the low scale pop singer became older and richer, she was far better known for her arrests, addictions, and troubled life.

Although the party scene has been number one in her life, there was a rumored short stint with snowboarding sensation Shaun White that once held precedence.

Keyshia Cole

The Oakland, California native is an American recording artist. She released her platinum selling debut album The Way It Is in June 2005, and her sophomore platinum album Just Like You in September 2007. Cole's third studio album, A Different Me, was released on December 16, 2008, and is also certified platinum.

She is also known for her reality show Keyshia Cole: The Way It Is, which aired on BET from 2006 to 2008. Season Three premiered on Tuesday, November 12, 2008. The season concluded on December 30, 2008.

Cole is currently in a romantic endeavor with Cleveland Cavalier star Daniel Gibson.

Dafne Fernandez

As sexy as it gets; Fernandez is a Spanish actress, dancer and singer.

Dafne became famous for playing Marta Ramos in the Spanish TV series Un paso adelante, along with actors like Mónica Cruz, Beatriz Luengo, Pablo Puyol, Silvia Marty and Lola Herrera. She was the girlfriend of the Spanish tennis player Fernando Verdasco.

She studied dance and dramatic art, worked in the Fama musical, was the presenter of the XXI Goya Awards (2007) and also appeared in Naím Thomas's "Caliente" video clip.

Fernandez, at one point, had a romantic affair with Spanish tennis star Fernando Verdasco.

Danielle Peck

Here’s an interesting story: Peck is an American country music artist. Signed to the independent Big Machine Records label in 2005, Peck released her self-titled debut album, which produced the Top 30 country hits "I Don't," "Findin' a Good Man," and "Isn't That Everything." A fourth single, "Bad for Me," charted in mid-2007.

But what’s juicy is this:

There was speculation that she was getting romantic with Boston Red Sox heartthrob Josh Beckett, AND on October 18, 2007, she was a last-minute choice to sing the national anthem before Game 5 of the American League Championship Series between the Red Sox and the Cleveland Indians.

While the Indians organization stated that she was chosen because she was an Ohio native and Indians fan, it was believed that she was brought in to distract Beckett, who was starting the game for the Red Sox.

Beckett went on to a decisive victory and when asked about Peck's presence, he replied "I don't get paid to make those [expletive] decisions...She's a friend of mine. It doesn't bother me at all. Thanks for flying one of my friends to the game so she could watch it for free."

Peck has never publicly commented on the controversy.

Britney Spears

What can I say about Britney Spears that her photos, and personal strives don’t say already. She’s hot, not all that bright, a camera hog, and she was rumored to have dated Luke Walton of the Los Angeles Lakers (2007).

While Walton denied the dating rumors, it was a convenient time for him to do so with the 2007 playoffs right around the corner, and the Lakers never want any distractions in the post season. Who knows.

Hayden Panettiere

This tiny sultress is an American actress and singer. She came to professional prominence at the age of eleven with her portrayal of Sheryl Yoast in Disney's Remember the Titans, although for half of her life immediately before that, Panettiere had held roles in two soap operas.

She portrayed Sarah Roberts on One Life to Live from 1994-1997, and Lizzie Spaulding on Guiding Light from 1996-2000. Panettiere reached a wider audience with her starring role as Claire Bennet on the 2006 NBC television series Heroes.

Currently, she is dating boxing sensation Wladimir Klitschko. I say she’s “tiny” when compared to the boxing superstar’s massive 6’7” frame.

Letoya Luckett

Luckett is known professionally as LeToya, and is an American R&B singer-songwriter and actress. She was a member of the R&B female group Destiny's Child, with whom she won two Grammy Awards and released many successful commercial recordings.

After signing a record deal with Capitol Records, she pursued a successful solo career. Her solo debut album, LeToya (2006), topped the U.S. Billboard 200 albums chart in July 2006 and was certified platinum by the RIAA in December 2006. The single, "Torn", achieved records on BET's top ten countdown show, 106 & Park. S

he was also named "One of the Best New Artists of 2006" by AOL and the "Top Songwriter of 2006" by ASCAP. Luckett released a second solo album Lady Love on August 25th, 2009 which debuted at #12 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart and #1 on the U.S. Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.

She was reported in 2007 to have been dating Utah Jazz kickback and Washinton Wizard DeSean Stevenson, with Stevenson even saying, “She’s a good person."

Mindy McCready

McCready is an American country music singer. Active since 1996, she has recorded a total of four studio albums. Her debut album, 1996's Ten Thousand Angels, was released on BNA Records and was twice certified Multi-Platinum by the RIAA, while 1997's If I Don't Stay the Night was certified gold.

1999's I'm Not So Tough, her final album for BNA, was commercially unsuccessful, and she was dropped from the label. A self-titled fourth album followed in 2002 on Capitol Records.

Overall, McCready's four studio albums have accounted for twelve singles on the Billboard country singles charts. This figure includes the Number One hit "Guys Do It All the Time," as well as the Top Ten hits "Ten Thousand Angels" and "A Girl's Gotta Do (What a Girl's Gotta Do)." Although she has not charted a single since 2002, McCready has received significant media coverage regarding personal events in her life.

There is a ton of news right now surrounding McCready and pitching legend Roger Clemens that is far too in-depth to get into right now, but chances are, you have heard something about McCready being the mistress in the shadows.

Other tidbits include a video camera and some saucy details surrounding a “homemade” video (wink wink, nudge nudge) that we won’t get into right now, but you can pretty much guess what I am alluding to.

Mandy Moore

Moore is an American singer-songwriter, actress and fashion designer. She grew up in Florida. Moore became famous as a teenager in the late 1990s, after the release of her teen-oriented pop albums So Real, I Wanna Be with You, and Mandy Moore.

Moore subsequently branched out into film, starring in 2002's A Walk to Remember and later in other movies, such as Chasing Liberty, also aimed at teenage audiences. Two of Moore's later films, American Dreamz and Saved!, were satires.

Her private life, including her relationships with tennis player Andy Roddick and with actors Wilmer Valderrama and Zach Braff as well as her marriage to singer Ryan Adams, became the subject of much discussion in the media.

Her most recent album, Amanda Leigh, was released on May 26, 2009.[4] Moore has sold more than 10 million records worldwide.

Kelis

The current rumor for the sassy R&B Singer is that she is dating DE Adewale Ogunleye of the Chicago Bears, which is an upgrade from her now defunct marriage to rapper star NAS.

Thus far in her career she has won one BRIT Award and nominated for two Grammy Awards. She became known worldwide for her third studio album Tasty, released in 2003 and has so far become Kelis's most successful album to date, selling over two million albums worldwide, and earning critical acclaim upon release.

The album also featured her biggest hit, "Milkshake," which became well-known in Western popular culture. Kelis has sold over 3 million albums worldwide.