Kim Kardashian, Ciara appear on cover of Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue

May 16 (UPI) -- Sports Illustrated has unveiled the cover models for its 2022 swimsuit issue.

Television personality Kim Kardashian, singer Ciara and models Yumi Nu and Maye Musk appear on four new covers of the magazine.

Kardashian, 41, was photographed by Greg Swales at a sporty, motocross-inspired shoot in the Dominican Republic.

In an interview, Kardashian said it was a surprise to be selected for the Sports Illustrated cover.

"I vividly remember Tyra Banks on the cover and women with curves. I remember thinking that is so cool. But, I still didn't think I would have -- I thought you had to be a professional model and a runway model," the star said.

"It was always really young girls. I don't want to date myself or sound old but in my 40s? That's crazy! I never thought in a million years I would be shooting one myself," she added.

Ciara, 36, was photographed by Ben Watts in Barbados.

The singer said appearing on the cover was "a big dream come true" and talked about having the freedom to pursue her goals.

"When you're pursuing your dream, all it takes is one person to believe and that's you," she added. "If you believe, there's all the chance in the world... There's a lot more I want to accomplish and I have to have that 'I believe in me, why not you' attitude."

Nu, 25, is a Japanese-Dutch model, and the niece of DJ Steve Aoki and model and actress Devon Aoki. She made her Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue debut in 2021 and was the first plus-size model to appear on the cover of Vogue Japan.

Musk, 74, is a Canadian-South African model and dietician, and the mother of entrepreneur Elon Musk. She is known for her modeling work with CoverGirl.