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Scarlett Johansson: Please No Lindsay Lohan Comparisons

Posted Tue Apr 29, 2008 3:30pm PDT by Billy Johnson, Jr. in Video Ga Ga

Isn't Lindsay Lohan's "Rumors" song and video exactly what you expected when you heard that the then teenage actress was planning to release a pop record? It was full of paparazzi angst, hip hop choreography and drum machine effects. It made you think Britney as did Paris Hilton's "Stars Are Blind."

These tabloid darlings clearly didn't give the impression that they intended for anyone to take them seriously. Mission accomplished.

Equally as beautiful, though an acclaimed actress, Scarlett Johansson shows them how it's supposed to be done with her May 20 singing debut, Anywhere I Lay My Head, for which she sings 10 Tom Waits covers and one original song.

Ironically, the Y! Music video premiere for the first single "Falling Down" can be compared to Lohan's "Rumors." While in "Rumors" Lohan complains about the annoyances of celebreality, Johansson offers another perspective. The day-in-the-life themed video follows Johansson being chauffeured to work, seemingly in deep thought as she looks at passerby. She arrives to the set to get her hair and makeup done and dressed by stylists. Her handlers brief her on the day's tasks.

Her expression is welcoming and pleasant, but she isn't completely engaged. Maybe she's tired or would simply rather be doing something else, an emotion probably not all too different than the one underneath Lohan's "Rumors." But it's also the underling story of "Falling Down," that things aren't always what they seem, you often have to do exactly what you don't want to do, and sometimes as things fall apart there's nothing you can do but watch.

When Johansson is finished working, she strips off the make up and heads back home. She is greeted by fans, and appears to return to the deep thought. There's definitely a lot on her mind.

Clearly, there's a lot more depth to her music effort than what you expect from a hot, young actress turned singer who happened to portray a salacious video vixen to Justin Timberlake last year in his 9-minute, Cameron Diaz breakup prequel "What Goes Around...Comes Around."

Johansson's music video is as artistic as her Golden Globe nominated work, Lost In Translation, Girl With A Pearl Earring, A Love Song For Bobby Long and Match Point.

The fact that she both acts and sings is the beginning and end of her comparisons to Lohan. Johansson won't be dismissed as a joke.


1056 Comments

141. Heather -
she isn't really that great singer, i just went to her website and listened to samples of all the tracks on her CD and they all sound a lot alike, and the music kinda drowns out her voice but what you hear of her voice isn't that great.

142. Amy L -
This is really horrible singing. She is a beautiful and talented ACTRESS but definetly not a singer. My ears hurt listening to it!!

143. Mary -
I respect her as an actress, but her singing is just... awful. It's commendable to see artists do something different from main stream pop, but this just isn't working. There are plenty of other artists who don't sound like tweeny pop stars... Colbie Caillet, A Fine Frenzy, Amy Winehouse... those artist don't follow the pop junk on MTV. There is a different between those artists and Scarlett Johansson; those other artist can sing very well. Scarlett... not so much. I really couldn't listen beyond a minute of her song. I don't like her voice... it's just bad. I commend her for trying something new, but she shouldn't ever think to quit her day job.

144. Aten -
Um .. ah .. apparently, all of you highly acclaimed Art Critics missed the part about these being Tom Waits covers.

*yawn*

145. Laura Malone -
it's good, it's just not something that'd become mainstream if she wasn't already famous. it's definitely not for the trl crowd. she sounds like courtney love.

146. moobags30 -
truthfully - i thought she would do something more mainstream since she is so high profile, but that was pretty decent and a very captivating song WITH the video telling the story. she shouldn't be judged on one song alone... although i enjoyed more as an indie effort, but i don't usually pull towards the mainstream anyway.

147. Chloe -
well her voice is very different but its kinda the sort of thing that i like, i think that it will be hard for her to be a really successfull singer these days especially for teens because its not pop... but there are teens like me who enjoy this more than whining and moaning and computerated voices! i see potential but its going to be hard for her

148. FRENZY!! -
She was probably singing Sinead O'Conner songs in her bathroom and took it seriously..

149. Courtney -
I guess I'm in the minority. I thought the video was really well done, AND I really love her voice. Sorry, I disagree with most of you. I think her voice is throaty and interesting and lovely. I prefer that to most of the high-pitched lalala that's coming out nowadays. Keep going, Scarlette!!

150. jon p -
better than vincent gallo, billy bob thorton, or jennifer lopez' singing debuts. at least she isnt trying to be "diva" or whatever. in the vain or jesus and the mary chain, the autumns, or mazzy star its right in line.
and if nobody knew this was scarlett, and just thought it was they "new hot thing" to latch onto this week, they wouldnt have such an opinion.

151. BeeYotcH -
it's awful.... gosh!!!

152. Yahoo! Music User -
She has a truly awful singing voice, and she needs to stick to her day job. She gets by on her looks, and even her looks were sub par for the most part in this video.

153. Ray R -
Wow, what is it nowadays actress/actors wants to be singers and singers want to be actors/actress,are they running out of money like us normal people so they have to look for a second job, please stick to your first job its not worth the bad publicity....

154. .l...a...u...r...e...n. -
WHAT THE HECK that was the weirdest thing i've ever heard called "singing" more like CHANTING if you ask me

155. Ingrid -
I love Scarlett...for her acting. Being a musician myself and a manager for another musician I spend a lot of time around music and very talented musicians. The video had a nice concept but Scarlett is not cut out to be a singer in my opinion. I wouldn't represent her

156. specularis -
She should stick to what she knows-
and singing definitely isn't it.

157. Carl Y -
It has the tenor of one of those Beatles songs put together out of bits 30 years after the group broke up.

158. Yahoo! Music User -
I'm a fan of Mazzy Star's, and Ms. Johansson is no Mazzy Star. That's the bad news. The good news is that she doesn't need to be. I found her debut solo to be very deep, and I didn't mind the limited display of her vocal range. Not every song needs the type of overwrought vocal gymnastics you hear on what passes for radio these days. In fact, such theatrics would have turned this song into some Cher-esque schlockfest. Sometimes less is less, but for this song, less is definitely more.

159. Serena B -
THE VIDEO: I get it. The whole "Being a celebrity is soooooo difficult" thing. We get it, poor baby. You know what? Stick to acting. VOCALS: Your singing is not edgy and cool, it's not hip or relevant. It sounds like your killing a cat.

160. Jenn -
It's something different. I don't really dig it but I do like it. Honestly, the song is not bad. In my judgment, her voice and singing stands out from all of the other typical voices like those on American Idol where you have to sound like mainstream pop singers...and that's boring.
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