Football Is “In the Air Tonight”: Chris Stapleton and Snoop Dogg’s ‘Monday Night Football’ Anthem Lights up Social Media

Chris Stapleton. Snoop Dogg. Phil Collins. Some may argue it shouldn’t work—but it does. Last year, ESPN introduced viewers to a new Monday Night Football anthem featuring the country crooner and the West Coast hip-hop legend coming together for their take on “In the Air Tonight.” A new season of Monday Night Football is back tonight (Monday, Sept. 9.), and while NFL enthusiasts may not have been waiting for this moment all their lives, they’ve certainly been waiting since January.

‘Monday Night Football’ Returns

Millions tuned in as the New York Jets face off against the San Francisco 49ers. The familiar opening strains of “In the Air Tonight” sent a message: The NFL is back.

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“You can just tell Chris Stapleton would have the best version ever of In the Air Tonight,” one fan wrote on X. “MNF intro makes me want to suit up!!! Chris Stapleton & Snoop,” another fan tweeted. More viewers pilled on with similar takeaways, adding “Chris Stapleton with the “In The Air Tonight” cover for MNF. I love football.”

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This past year, Chris Stapleton and Snoop Dogg, along with drummer Cindy Blackman Santana, debuted a truncated version of the anthem. The song took viewers into the game’s opening with announcers Troy Aikman and Joe Buck.

After Stapleton performed the national anthem before Super Bowl LVII, ESPN’s creative content team realized the “Tennessee Whiskey” singer had exactly the cross-genre appeal they were looking for.

[RELATED: Why ESPN Dropped Hank Williams Jr. From ‘Monday Night Football’ Twice in Less Than Ten Years]

“We really felt that he had this soulful feel to him that incorporated everybody,” video producer Rico Labbe told USA Today.

As for Snoop Dogg, he brings both decades of experience and modern-day relevance to the anthem, Labbe said.

Chris Stapleton Grew Up Listening to Snoop Dogg: “It Was So Real”

Staffordsville, Kentucky seems like a long way from the West Coast. But all Chris Stapleton had to do was turn on the radio.

The “White Horse” singer-songwriter talked about growing up listening to Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre during an interview with 60 Minutes.

“It was some of the realest,” Stapleton said. “It 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,” continued the 10-time GRAMMY Award winner. “And real and dangerous are very appealing to 15, 16-year-old kids.”

Featured image by Matt Baron/BEI/Shutterstock

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