Hollywood powerhouse and Marvel star Scarlett Johansson surprised millions of fans and proved her undeniable vocal talent during a 2016 USO holiday tour to boost the morale of U.S. troops in Afghanistan. While seated on simple fold-out chairs, she teamed up with country singer Craig Campbell for an impromptu acoustic duet of the classic song “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’.”
The brief but captivating performance, captured on video, quickly went viral. Online reactions, including the candid comment, “She’s got a much better voice than I was expecting,” poured in from viewers astonished to discover the Black Widow star’s true musical prowess. The clip has since garnered over 7.5 million views across various platforms, highlighting the public’s surprise.
A Powerful Cover of a Chart-Topping Classic
The chosen song, “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’,” is synonymous with singer Nancy Sinatra, who first released the track in December 1965. The track became an immediate transatlantic success, quickly rising to No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart and No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart in early 1966. The song, written by Lee Hazlewood, became a defiant anthem and is famously associated with the troops themselves, as it was widely adopted by U.S. soldiers during the Vietnam War, a historical note that added resonance to Johansson’s performance in Afghanistan.
A Consistent, Yet Underrated, Music Career
While Johansson is primarily celebrated for her acting, including her role Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, she has maintained a steady, if understated, music career:
- Debut Album: Her debut studio album, Anywhere I Lay My Head, was released in May 2008. The album, produced by TV on the Radio’s Dave Sitek and featuring collaborations with David Bowie on two tracks, was composed entirely of covers of Tom Waits songs. Her cover of the song “Falling Down” drew initial mixed reviews but garnered a dedicated indie following, with the album peaking at No. 21 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers chart.
- Collaborations: In 2009, she released the collaborative album Break Up with artist Pete Yorn, which reached No. 41 on the Billboard 200 chart. Their most recent joint effort was the EP Apart in 2018.
- Soundtrack Hits: Johansson has also lent her voice to major movie soundtracks, including the role of Ash the porcupine in the animated film Sing (2016), where she performed a powerful rock cover of “Set It All Free.”
Johansson’s confident, acoustic rendition of “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’” alongside Campbell underscores her versatility and confirms that her vocal talent is much more than a footnote to her Hollywood career.