Billie Eilish’s James Bond theme song is here, and despite what the internet may have predicted, it is not just a reworking of “Bad Guy” titled “Bond Guy.” (Duh.)
For “No Time To Die” — the song written for the upcoming Bond film of the same name — Eilish opted for a moody, intense ballad along the lines of “When The Party’s Over.” But because the 007 is involved, she and her brother/producer/co-writer, Finneas, upped the drama by giving her haunting vocals a sweeping, atmospheric backdrop. “You were never on my side / Fool me once, fool me twice,” Eilish sings over a haunting piano melody. “Now you’ll never see me cry / There’s just no time to die.”
It’s danger. It’s drama. It’s Bond. (James Bond.)
No Time to Die hits theaters on April 10 and features Daniel Craig in his fifth and final appearance as the franchise’s titular hero. Craig’s tenure as the secret agent has given us some of the darkest films in the franchise’s history; he’s a wounded Bond who’s as melancholy as he is swaggering — which makes Eilish’s brooding brand of pop a great fit for this era of 007.
In a press release, Eilish said, “It feels crazy to be a part of this in every way. To be able to score the theme song to a film that is part of such a legendary series is a huge honor. James Bond is the coolest film franchise ever to exist. I’m still in shock.” Finneas added, “Writing the theme song for a Bond film is something we’ve been dreaming about doing our entire lives. … We feel so so lucky to play a small role in such a legendary franchise, long live 007.”
Eilish’s “No Time To Die” is the latest in a long line of Bond theme songs. After Shirley Bassey set the standard in 1964 with “Goldenfinger,” Adele, Madonna, Chris Cornell, and Tina Turner are among the artists who have contributed their own themes for the iconic franchise. Eilish is now the youngest artist in history to record a Bond song, and it could mean she’ll return to the Academy Awards stage next year, after having just attended the awards show last weekend. After all, Adele and Sam Smith both took home Oscars for the theme songs they wrote and sang for the previous two 007 films.
The new song also follows a high-profile, momentum-building few weeks for Eilish. In January, the 18-year-old performed at the Grammys, where she took home five awards and became the youngest artist to sweep the big four categories. Then, last weekend, she and Finneas took the Oscars stage to soundtrack the “In Memoriam” segment with a soulful cover of the Beatles’ “Yesterday.” Next up, she’s readying her Where Do We Go? Would Tour, which kicks off on March 9. Got all that?!