There was a surprise for American troops stationed in Afghanistan in 2016 when Hollywood star Scarlett Johansson traveled overseas to visit and boost morale. During her tour of military bases, Johansson crossed paths with country star Craig Campbell, who was also on a military tour. Though Scarlett Johansson is known more for her impressive acting talents than her musical abilities, Music Man fans will be amazed to see the pair’s impromptu duet when they ended up at the same base.
Seated on fold-out chairs, Craig invited Scarlett Johansson to join him in a cover of Nancy Sinatra’s 1966 hit, ‘These Boots Are Made For Walking,’ as he admitted with a laugh that he couldn’t remember all the words to the song. Luckily, Scarlett was on top of it as she confidently sang all the lyrics to their brief but charming cover. Online viewers were shocked by Scarlett’s impressive vocals, one fan commenting, “She’s got a much better voice than I was expecting.”
Despite being most well-known for her acting work, Music Man readers may be surprised to find out that Scarlett Johansson has had a music career for many years. She released her first track, ‘Summertime’, in 2006, with her most recent release taking place in 2018 when she collaborated on an EP with Pete Yorn. Over the course of her career, she has worked with musical icons such as David Bowie, Este Haim, and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
Scarlett’s most popular single was a cover of the Tom Waits song ‘Falling Down,’ from her debut album ‘Anywhere I Lay My Head.’ It was a track layered with atmospheric elements that were popular with indie artists at the time, but critics dismissed the album, calling it “uncompelling.” However, it’s clear many fans felt differently, with one writing in the comments of the video, “This is maybe one of the most underrated and less understood works in history. I simply love the complete album.”
Interestingly, Scarlett’s album sound, layered with ambient, stripped-back production, feels reminiscent of the indie pop sound that artists like Lana Del Rey would later popularize. Much of the indie pop music that has become popular today leans into this very stripped-back atmospheric production that Scarlett Johansson utilized at the time. Perhaps a return to the ‘Anywhere I Lay My Head’ album is needed to give it the appreciation it missed out on before. Either way, Scarlett’s acoustic performance of ‘These Boots Are Made For Walking’ with Craig Campbell shows one thing for sure – she has vocal talent no one can deny, making Scarlett Johansson a truly multi-talented artist.