Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johansson

A popular actress best known for her acclaimed roles in Lost in Translation and Match Point, along with starring as Black Widow in The Marvel Universe, Scarlett Johansson has also pursued a musical career. Born November 22, 1984, Johansson became interested in performing around age three and eventually studied acting at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute for Young People. After making her stage debut opposite Ethan Hawke in the off-Broadway production of Sophistry, Johansson went on to appear in such films as The Horse Whisperer (1998), Ghost World (2001), and Eight-Legged Freaks (2002). However, it was her starring roles in such films as Lost in Translation and The Girl with the Pearl Earring (both in 2003) that garnered her wide public recognition and critical buzz. Surprisingly, around 2005, after being considered for — but ultimately not getting — the lead role in an Andrew Lloyd Webber production of The Sound of Music, Johansson began evincing an interest in expanding her career into music. In 2006, she appeared on the charity album Unexpected Dreams: Songs from the Stars singing the George Gershwin standard “Summertime.” A year later, she performed live with the Jesus and Mary Chain during the band’s reunion show at the Coachella Music Festival. Subsequently, Johansson began work on a studio album of her own with TV on the Radio’s Dave Sitek producing. Released on Rhino in 2008, her debut album, Anywhere I Lay My Head, featured songs by Tom Waits as well as two cuts featuring David Bowie. Johansson teamed up with Pete Yorn in 2009 for the duets album Break Up. The following year she appeared on Steel Train’s Terrible Thrills, Vol. 1, and in 2001 she sang on the soundtrack of Wretches & Jabberers; in 2012, she appeared on the soundtrack for Chasing Ice. With HAIM’s Este Haim, Julia Haltigan, Holly Miranda, and Kendra Morris, Johansson formed a pop group called Singles in 2015. After they released the single “Candy,” a separate Los Angeles band called the Singles served cease-and-desist papers to the group, claiming rights to the name. Johansson appeared on two soundtracks in 2016: the live action adaptation of Disney’s The Jungle Book and the animated Sing. In 2018, she reunited with Yorn for the EP Apart, which featured the single “Bad Dreams.” ~ Matt Collar