Hear a ‘Super-Pop’ Jam From Scarlett Johansson’s New Girl Group
Scarlett Johansson‘s past musical projects have included an album of Tom Waits covers, a Serge Gainsbourg-inspired collaboration with Pete Yorn and a role in Bob Dylan’s vintage “When the Deal Goes Down” music video. Now, she’s not just going pop, she’s going – as she puts it – “super-pop,” fronting a band called the Singles, which features Holly Miranda, Kendra Morris and Julia Haltigan. Este Haim, the oldest of the Haim sisters, plays drums.
“The idea was to write super-pop dance music written and performed by girls,” says Johansson, citing the influence of Grimes, the Bangles and the Go-Go’s. “I wanted it to be like those bands: ultra-pop but also a little ironic, a little in on the joke.”
Below, hear their first single, the cheeky “Candy,” a three-minute electro jam that brings to mind a lost Robyn song inspired by Aaron Carter’s take on Bow Wow Wow’s own junk-food-as-metaphor hit, “I Want Candy.” The track was produced by TV on the Radio’s Dave Sitek, who previously worked with Johansson on the Waits LP. At the time, he compared her voice to that of Debbie Harry.
Pre-order the “Candy” 12-inch single here.