The NFL unveiled its new Monday Night Football theme song on, well, Monday night. Before the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers clashed on the gridiron, country music icon Chris Stapleton, hip-hop legend Snoop Dogg, and drummer Cindy Blackman Santana graced the TV screens of millions of Americans.
'In the Air Tonight' is the title of the new theme song. If you're thinking "hmmmmm, that sounds awfully familiar," that's because it is. It's literally a remix of Phil Collins' classic song, with Stapleton lending his piercing vocals with an assist from Snoop and Santana.
Count this writer as a fan, generally speaking. It's hard to knock the credentials of the trio involved, and it's even harder to mess up 'In the Air Tonight.' Let those drums echo, shred that guitar, and you're guaranteed a solid hype song. Stapleton can yell and his gritty, All-American voice is perfect for a football anthem.
The public reaction, however, is mixed. Partially due to nostalgia for the previous and longstanding 'Heavy Action' song (which will still be used) and partially because 'In the Air Tonight' is too beloved a song to remix without a healthy pool of detractors.
Let's dive into the Twitterverse — hm, pardon me... X-verse — for some social media goodness.
Twitter reacts to controversial new Monday Night Football song
Not everybody is on board with 'In the Air Tonight.'
Others, however, love the new jam.
The jury is still out, of course. This has to potential to grow on folks exponentially as the season progresses. On the other hand, there's a chance Week 17 of Chris Stapleton belting through the television doesn't pack the same punch as Week 1 of Chris Stapleton belting through the television.
Phil Collins himself posted this on Monday morning. It doesn't appear to have a direct correlation with the MNF unveiling, but you never know. I
If you're feeling down about it, you can always mute the TV and queue up Collins' original, which remains an unimpeachable masterwork. He's the greatest mainstream drummer of a generation and that voice is timeless. Hopefully, this allows us to come together and bond over a great piece of art (even if the remix of that art is a source of debate).
