Billie Eilish Releases Bond Theme 'No Time To Die'

Billie Eilish is the youngest artist to sing a Bond theme in the franchises' sixty-year history, with the release of the emotional ballad 'No Time To Die'

Billie Eilish performs 'No Time To Die' with Hans Zimmer at the BRIT awards (CREDIT: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)

by Jack Linsdell

To quote Judi Dench's 'M' in Skyfall, "Where the hell have you been?". It's been a while I know, but I'm back and better than ever, ready to delve into another year of movies. And, in my absence there's been so much happening. From the cat-estrophic failure (you're welcome) of Cats, to Bong Joon-Ho's Parasite swooping up all the major awards at the Oscars, including Best Picture. But, for all those Bond fans out there (I'm one of them, natch), the 25th (and Daniel Craig's supposed final) 007 adventure No Time To Die has received several trailers, cinema posters, an updated credit list, and yes...the release of the new theme song. Joining the likes of Adele, Duran Duran and Tina Turner, 18 year old Billie Eilish is having quite the year. Having received 5 Grammy's, she's now the youngest person ever to record a Bond theme. 

Unlike the films, for which there are at least six or seven we fans try to outright avoid (cough...Spectre...cough...Diamonds are Forever...cough), most of theme songs are at the very least halfway decent or catchy. Even those generally hated, like Madonna's theme for Die Another Day, are (for me, anyway) palatable on a casual listen. Apart from Rita Coolidge's' god awful All Time High and some of the Brosnan-era tunes, most Bond themes are good, if not awesome. They generally depict the decade they were made in, with Moore's themes rocking in 80's nostalgia on a modern listen. Craig's themes started off being unconventionally-Bond, much like his first two flicks, with Chris Cornell's 'You Know My Name' and Alicia Keys and Jack White's 'Another Way To Die'. When Craig's movies moved away from being "Daniel Craig IS James Bond" to "Daniel Craig trying to be Roger Moore's James Bond" with Skyfall and Spectre, we got far more traditional 007 ballad tunes, with Adele's much-loved Skyfall and Sam Smith's Writing's On The Wall. So, it's interesting that Billie Eilish's theme is both traditional and unconventional at the same time. 

Does this mean that No Time To Die will be a bridge between the two sets of films of the Craig-era? Maybe. But, at least in terms of the theme, 'No Time To Die' is a well-composed track, with excellent orchestration from the film's composer Hans Zimmer (with superb guitar riffs from legend Johnny Marr) and a combination of Eilish's usual not-above-a-whisper vocal style and an Adele-like ballad at it's crescendo. It shows to her supposed haters that she can sing, and is a fine example of giving the 007 theme a fresh and unique feel that the first two Craig themes tried to accomplish, whilst retaining a classic Bond feel with a riff on Monty Norman's theme and a grandeur in it's composition. I like it. It's not the best like For Your Eyes Only or Licence to Kill, but it's certainly up there. And, it's Craig's second (out of five) theme to share the title with the film, which is a lovely bit of trivia for those who care about such things. 

Lyrically, the theme may make more sense once we've seen the film, but I like that Eilish was only showed the opening scene of the script by producer Barbara Broccoli, which means that as we sit through five minutes of traditional but time-wasting titles, the theme will be reflecting on the events just past, rather than spoiling future plot twists or just being about something completely irrelevant. It will deepen audience engagement and provide a unique experience that hasn't really been done too often in the franchise. It's another asset to the theme. 

And, it was neat to watch Eilish perform the theme (along with Hans Zimmer and Johnny Marr) on the stage live at the BRIT awards in front of the British Music Industry. In an unrelated note, I'm delighted about Mabel's well-deserved win for Best Female Solo. Anyway, she hit the high notes and wowed the audience. It was also a nice bit of free promotion for the marketing team at Universal Studios. 

Anyway, No Time To Die has had (so far) a half-decent marketing campaign, a very delicious UK cinema release poster...and now a respectable theme song too. I hope that when I see it on the 3rd April that I'm not disappointed. At least I know that during the main titles, I won't be disappointed. Thanks, Billie. 

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