Our long national nightmare is over: Priyanka Chopra’s run as the voice of Thursday Night Football’s opening theme song is one-and-done.
Last year, the Bollywood singer supplied “In My City” as the intro number to the NFL Network’s Thursday Night Football slate, and it was a terrible choice. The song was mind-numbing, ill-fitting, and Chopra’s sex appeal was forced and awkward. A few weeks into the season, we even suggested a few songs to help replace her and get the broadcast back on track.
This year, the NFL Network and CBS are going with a more familiar voice, selecting Jay Z and Rihanna’s 2009 hit “Run This Town” as the Thursday Night Football opening theme song. The intro will feature only Rihanna’s parts, we’re told, with actor Don Cheadle supplying a spoken-word preview of each game by touching on the two cities involved that night.
“This open combines one of music’s biggest stars with one of the most dynamic actors in Hollywood,” says CBS Sports creative director Pete Radovich. “The energy that both talents provide gives the opening to every Thursday night the big-game, primetime feel it deserves. It is a dream scenario for any director.”
The Thursday Night Football slate begins September 11 when the Baltimore Ravens host the Pittsburgh Steelers (last week’s season opener was on NBC). CBS will broadcast the first seven games of Thursday Night Football before the NFL Network takes over October 30.
Check out “Run This Town” below…
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