What is the James Bond No Time To Die theme song? Who is it by?
Pop star Billie Eilish worked on Bond's latest title track with her brother
No Time To Die, the next instalment in the James Bond franchise is almost here and serves as the last hurrah for Daniel Craig's version of the character.
One of the most exciting milestones on the road to a new Bond film is the release of the title track, as the series has spawned a number of truly iconic songs in its long history.
Billie Eilish was announced as the chosen artist in January, prompting much speculation about what her take on a James Bond theme song could sound like.
Now, the song has officially arrived and here's everything you need to know...
What is the No Time To Die theme song?
Every Bond film has to have its own grand opening number, usually sung by one of the hottest musical talents around at the time, with No Time To Die being no exception.
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For Bond's 25th mission, superstar Billie Eilish and her producer brother Finneas O'Connell were hired to put together the track which – unlike some Bond themes – is named directly after the movie.
The pair recently won five Grammy Awards for their work on the 2019 album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go, so needless to say they had lofty expectations to meet.
The song was finally released on Friday 14th February, Valentine's Day, quite fitting given that it seems to reference Bond's latest flame Dr Madeleine Swann.
What do people think of the No Time To Die theme song?
Music critics have been generally kind to the track, with The Independent, The Guardian and The Telegraph all giving it strong four-star reviews.
RadioTimes.com described the song as "atmospheric and classy – but lacking the punch we need from Bond."
On social media, the song has enjoyed a positive reception with many people taking to Twitter with their praise.
Read more about James Bond:
- James Bond 26 - everything we know about the next movie
- Spectre recap - how previous Bond film links to No Time To Die
- James Bond's daughter - is Bond a father in No Time To Die?
- M's No Time To Die quote - where does the passage originate from?
Who sings the No Time To Die theme song?
Billie Eilish is relatively new to the music scene but has quickly established herself as one of the most famous pop stars in the world.
Raised in Los Angeles, Eilish was homeschooled with her brother and they both learning the basics of songwriting from their mother at a young age.
She was discovered shortly after recording Bright Eyes at just 14 years old and has since experienced a meteoric rise to fame, working in collaboration with huge brands like Apple Music, Spotify and Chanel.
Her debut studio album was released in March 2019 and was one of the biggest hits of the year, producing six hugely popular singles including Bad Guy which has over 750 million views on YouTube.
Was Ed Sheeran going to write the No Time To Die theme song?
In August 2019, rumours were swirling that chart-topping artist Ed Sheeran was in talks to write the theme for No Time To Die, but it now appears this was some way from becoming reality.
Sheeran's manager revealed to Music Week that he had met with Bond film producer Barbara Broccoli in 2017, when director Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire) was set to helm the then-untitled Bond 25.
Ultimately, Boyle dropped out and was replaced by True Detective's Cary Joji Fukunaga who reportedly reworked No Time To Die from the ground up.
Who are the other James Bond theme singers?
Recording a James Bond theme is a prestigious honour that has attracted some high calibre talent.
Since Daniel Craig began in the role, the challenge has been taken on by Soundgarden's Chris Cornell (You Know My Name), Alicia Keys and Jack White (Another Way to Die), Adele (Skyfall) and most recently Sam Smith (Writing's on the Wall) in 2015's Spectre.
Previous iterations have hired a wide range of iconic musicians including Shirley Bassey, Tom Jones, Louis Armstrong, Paul McCartney and Tina Turner.
No Time To Die lands in UK cinemas on 3rd April 2020
