The video: Sidewinder, an Air National Guard band from Missouri that's stationed in the Middle East, has become a viral sensation with an "awesome" cover of Adele's hit song "Rolling in the Deep." The video, which has garnered more than 320,000 hits on YouTube, shows the soulful group decked out in fatigues in what looks like a warehouse. (Watch the video below.) The clip was uploaded to YouTube by an anonymous user calling himself "areyousurprised." The band's frontwoman, Staff Sgt. Angie Johnson, was indeed surprised to learn that she and her powerful, gorgeous voice had gone viral — she had no idea until Carson Daly reached out to her on Twitter. Her initial response? "Totally can't believe I'm tweeting with you right now. Jaw.On.Floor." NBC's The Voice and producer Mark Burnett have since contacted her, too.
The reaction: "We all know servicemen and women are extraordinarily capable people, but who knew they could sing too?" says Lindsay Mannering at The Stir. This band should get its own recording contract — "or at least a trophy in some military talent show." Yeah, it's an "amazing" cover, says Margaret Hartmann at Jezebel. "Even better than the kids on Glee." Still, I wish everyone would stop covering this song, says Michelle Collins at VH1's Best Week Ever. "How many times do you have to walk into the supermarket for nectarines and walk out with this [song] hot glued into your skull cavity for the rest of the day?" Judge for yourself:
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
