Scarlett Johansson’s Failed Music Career Included 2 Solo Albums and an All-Female Pop Band With Just 1 Song
Scarlett Johansson is one of Hollywood’s most acclaimed actors. She started performing when she was just a young girl, rising to stardom well before she was a teenager and eventually emerging as a fully-formed movie star. Johansson embraced mature roles, earning acclaim for her ability to play complex characters. These days, Johansson has fans all over the world – but it is possible that few of her fans know about Johansson’s short-lived stint as a pop singer. While her music career ended up fizzling, there was a time when Johansson threw everything she had into making music, even releasing several albums.
Scarlett Johansson embarked on a music career in the early 2000s
By 2006, Johansson was already an established presence in the entertainment industry. She had appeared in movies like Manny & Lo, The Horse Whisperer, and Ghost World, making the transition to mature onscreen roles in 2003 with a leading part in the critically-acclaimed film Lost in Translation. The actor decided to take on new challenges by entering the music space, recording the song “Summertime” for Unexpected Dreams — Songs from the Stars, an album featuring contributions by various Hollywood performers.
According to BuzzFeed, Johansson then decided to release her own music, recording and releasing the album Anywhere I Lay My Head in 2008. The album itself received mixed reviews, but there were some surprising elements to the project, including a contribution from David Bowie. Just one year later, Johansson released another album, a collaborative effort between herself and singer/songwriter Pete Yorn. Break Up, as the album was called, was not a huge smash for Johansson, but it achieved modest success on the charts.
What did Scarlett Johansson say about her career in music?
Over the years that followed, Johansson continued her involvement with music, even briefly fronting an all-girl pop band in 2015. The group, dubbed The Singles, dissolved when they received a cease-and-desist order from another group that had the exact same name. This unfortunate setback didn’t dim Johansson’s love for music, and while she has yet to release another solo album or front another band, she’s lent her voice to several songs in recent years, including the tune “Trust in Me” from the Jungle Book soundtrack.
As to why she has continued to let her love for music shine, Johansson revealed to the Associated Press that “I actually started acting because I wanted to be in musicals… I started making films and I never ended up doing musical theatre. I kind of buried that part of myself.”
Scarlett Johansson focuses on her acting work these days
Even though Johansson’s career in music hasn’t exactly blossomed, her acting career definitely has. The star is one of the most influential and popular performers in the entertainment industry, thanks largely to her role as Black Widow in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Johansson has also consistently embraced smaller, independent projects. Her role in the 2019 drama Marriage Story reminded many why she’s considered to be such a talented actor, and she ultimately received an Academy Award nomination for her work in the intense movie. These days, Johansson is busier than ever, with two children and a thriving career — but it is likely that she will always make time for music, in whatever form that might take.
