In a powerful intersection of film, rock music, and animation, actress Scarlett Johansson surprised the world and earned the respect of die-hard U2 fans by performing a soulful and commanding duet with legendary frontman Bono on the immortal hit, “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,” for the 2021 animated film, Sing 2. Die-hard U2 fans were stunned as Scarlett Johansson fearlessly duetted with Bono on the 1987 Joshua Tree hit that sold over 25 million copies worldwide. Everyone knows Scarlett is a great actress, but few expected her to share the microphone with a Rock icon like Bono. The duet was the emotional climax of the film, which features Bono in his animated film debut voicing the character Clay Calloway, a reclusive rock star lion, and Johansson returning to voice the character Ash, a rock-loving porcupine.
A New Interpretation of an Immortal Hit
The performance of the 1987 U2 classic is significant because it brings together two distinct voices and two different generations of rock music. The song is not merely a cover; it’s an integral plot point where Ash (Johansson) helps Clay Calloway (Bono) find the strength to sing again after a long retirement. The song, from U2’s critically acclaimed, multi-platinum album, The Joshua Tree (1987), was a massive commercial hit, becoming U2’s second consecutive number-one single on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. Rolling Stone magazine ranked it at No. 93 on its 2010 list of “The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time,” cementing its place in rock history. The Sing 2 arrangement features Scarlett Johansson’s Ash taking a prominent lead vocal, delivering a raw, powerful, and slightly husky performance that brings a new, punk-rock edge to the spiritual yearning of the original. Bono’s character joins in, adding the familiar texture of the rock icon’s voice to his own band’s classic track.
U2’s Stamp of Approval
Scarlett Johansson, renowned for blockbuster roles like Black Widow in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is also an established, though lesser-known, singer who has released albums like Anywhere I Lay My Head (2008). However, taking on a U2 standard alongside Bono himself requires immense confidence. Bono himself later revealed that both he and the other members of U2—The Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr.—were highly impressed with Johansson’s interpretation. Bono stated that his bandmates gave a “stamp of approval” to her performance, a profound compliment that validated her courage to tackle such an iconic and personal song. The final duet, a fusion of Johansson’s rock-tinged soul and Bono’s signature delivery, proved that her voice had the grit and power to handle a legendary rock anthem, giving even dads who love 80s Rock music goosebumps.