Billie Eilish Doing a Song for No Time to Die Is Perfect

The idea of a “Bond Song” is a time-honored tradition when it comes to James Bond and his film franchise. From Sam Smith and Adele in recent years, to Shirley Bassey and Paul McCartney in the past, whoever is going to provide us with the opening tone of the latest Bond flick has a lot riding on their shoulders.

But also, it isn’t typically a choice you’d think of. When thinking of songs to fit in with the spy world of James Bond, even Adele was not on my radar, and yet we saw how big “Skyfall” ended up being. So, when news broke that Billie Eilish was set to give us the latest “Bond Song” with her brother (and songwriting partner), I found myself extremely excited.

There is an art to every song in the catalog because, honestly, it isn’t necessarily about the artist but rather the feel of Bond. There shouldn’t be a group of artists who all sound the same, and that’s why each song from a James Bond movie is important and different.

I personally love “Diamonds Are Forever” in a way that is completely different from how I love Chris Cornell’s “You Know My Name” from Casino Royale, because that’s how it is meant to be. All of this is to say that Eilish is not an outlandish choice, nor is she one I’m questioning. I love her music and think the weirder the take on a “Bond Song,” the better. Do you think Alicia Keys and Jack White singing together was a normal decision? No! It came out of left field, which is … kind of like Eilish.

But the exciting thing about No Time to Die instead comes from the fact that so much of it is new and exciting. From Phoebe Waller-Bridge being brought on to do the screenplay to having Rami Malek bring Bond’s latest villain to life and adding Lashana Lynch as a 00 agent, so much of this movie screams 2020 to me, and it is, truthfully, what the franchise needs.

I’ve never been the type to say that Bond should be a woman, mainly because that character explores the problematic tropes of masculinity in a way that oddly works, but what I do think that James Bond needed was a refreshing new take. Lashana Lynch as the new 007 is a perfect step in that direction.

So, to me, Eilish being added as the music to this wildly fresh new world? Pretty in line with my excitement for it—mine as well as Twitter’s.

I can’t wait to listen to this on repeat and scream about it.

(image: MGM)

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Rachel Leishman

Rachel Leishman (She/Her) is an Assistant Editor at the Mary Sue. She's been a writer professionally since 2016 but was always obsessed with movies and television and writing about them growing up. A lover of Spider-Man and Wanda Maximoff's biggest defender, she has interests in all things nerdy and a cat named Benjamin Wyatt the cat. If you want to talk classic rock music or all things Harrison Ford, she's your girl but her interests span far and wide. Yes, she knows she looks like Florence Pugh. She has multiple podcasts, normally has opinions on any bit of pop culture, and can tell you can actors entire filmography off the top of her head. Her current obsession is Glen Powell's dog, Brisket. Her work at the Mary Sue often includes Star Wars, Marvel, DC, movie reviews, and interviews.

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