Snoop Dogg and Chris Stapleton’s ‘Monday Night Football’ Collab Isn’t as Unexpected as You Think

When Monday Night Football first aired a rousing rendition of Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight” with musical icons Snoop Dogg, Chris Stapleton, and Cindy Blackman Santana, the cross-genre collab might have seemed like a Hail Mary pass to maintain relevance across ESPN’s varied audience.

But (and if you’ll excuse the back-to-back sports idioms), the powerfully moody collab isn’t as out of left field as some might think. And frankly, even if it was, it’s too good to care.

Snoop Dogg, Chris Stapleton, and Cindy Blackman Santana Join Forces

ESPN first dropped their star-studded Monday Night Football anthem in September 2023. Country soul singer Chris Stapleton, rapper Snoop Dogg, and famed drummer Cindy Blackman Santana joined forces to perform a rousing rendition of Phil Collins’ 1981 classic “In the Air Tonight.”

The 2023 version highlights the best that each artist has to offer: Santana’s impeccable drumming that pays homage to Collins’ legacy on the instrument, Stapleton’s bold, raspy vocals, and Snoop Dogg’s ability to put a verse on just about anything and turn it into a bona fide banger. Covering such a well-known song is certainly more challenging than performing something new, and we’d say all three artists rose to the occasion and then some.

Many fans agreed, with some X (formerly known as Twitter) users saying things like, “Me: nobody but Phil Collins should sing that song. Chris Stapleton changed my mind.” Another wrote, “Man, Cindy Blackman Santana is playing the heck out of those drums! CRUSHED the drum fill, and I love the vocals and arrangement from Chris Stapleton, and Snoop Dogg brings a special vibe.”

This Collaboration Was A Long Time Coming

Chris Stapleton, Snoop Dogg, and Cindy Blackman Santana span multiple genres, decades, and fan bases, but their uniting for the Monday Night Football theme isn’t that unexpected.

Stapleton has been a lifelong fan of Snoop Dogg, explaining in a 60 Minutes interview that when he was a teenager, Snoop Dogg’s music was “so real that it translated even to some kid in eastern Kentucky who had no notion of the things that he was talking about. It was dangerous, too. And real and dangerous are very appealing to 15, 16-year-old kids.”

As for Santana, one would be hard-pressed to find a drummer more qualified to cover such a drum-heavy classic like “In the Air Tonight.” While speaking to KTNV in 2023, the accomplished musician and wife of Carlos Santana said, “It’s such an incredible honor. First of all, the song is just completely iconic. Then you have Chris, who’s an amazing singer and writer and guitar player, and Snoop is just as funky and soulful as you want. To be a part of this is really, really incredible. So much fun.”

“In the Air Tonight” has a long history in the NFL, too. The Phil Collins anthem is a favorite among players for pumping themselves up before a game. In a 2021 Collins tribute by ESPN, Washington wide receiver Terry McLaurin said, “It’s a song that transcends anything that you’re doing. It’s just something in the air, like you can feel that you’re about to have a great time. The vibes are perfect.”

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