NO TIME TO DIE (2020) by Billie Eilish - Theme Song Discussion

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  • Posts: 3,333
    bondsum wrote: »
    That's kind of like using "triggered" or any other off-the-shelf response. Not very creative or informative. [-X
    I expected more from you @MakeshiftPython.

    I could have done "ok boomer".

    Besides, never set your expectations in a James Bond forum.
    Ok, Zoomer. With permission, does that mean I can now set my expectations low for NTTD and have them met? :)>-
    NicNac wrote: »
    bondsum wrote: »
    mtm wrote: »
    Just listening to it: it's kind of hilarious in a way. When the verse ends and goes to the chorus you could literally start singing the chorus to Writing's On The Wall and it would fit perfectly :D Try it!
    This is exactly my point as well @mtm. I'm surprised no one else has spotted it, too. The lead-off from that verse is almost identical to TWOTW.

    In my head I did start singing the chorus to WOTW - the falsetto part. It does follow a musical pattern. But then big bruising ballads have dominated the last 3 Craig films. This is the least obvious, the least catchy, but the most interesting of the three.
    That's what I was doing @NicNac. I know the current trend in music is to make everything sound homogeneous to the point where it becomes just well-packaged comfort food, but this really does sound like TWOTW Part 2 to my ears. The only major difference is that it's sung by a teenage girl rather than a 23-year-old dude and has Hans Zimmer propping it up.

    For the record, I don't think it's terrible. I just don't think it's spectacular enough for a Bond movie.
    Matt007 wrote: »
    It would be ludicrous to have a song akin to Thunderball, Live and Let Die etc for a film with a narrative that this is supposed to have.

    By all accounts, Bond is suspicious, betrayed, paranoid, retired - the suspects the woman he has given everything up for has betrayed him etc etc. Some balls out brassy belter singing about how good he is at killing and bedding would be daft.
    Couldn't the same be said of Craig's Bond character in all of his movies, though, so why didn't CR and QoS not have turgid ballads to accompany them? And how do you know it would be "ludicrous to have a song akin to Thunderball, Live and Let Die etc" without having seen the movie yet? Not that I'm saying NTTD has to sound like either. Of course, you could be right and the movie leaves us feeling deeply depressed after seeing it, therefore the song could well be apt. It's far too early to say yet.

    Besides, the lyrical content isn't my own personal gripe about Billie's song, it's the congruent nature of the musical themes that seem a direct steal from Sam Smith's song that irk me the most. Do I hate it? No. Do I love it? No again. I just think it's another limp and uninspired offering from the studio is all. At least Sam Smith's was original. This just feels like a recycled retread of its predecessor.
  • jorgem wrote: »
    Billie Eilish is arguably the Britney Spears of the 2020s! She's only 18 and she will be the biggest diva of the decade!

    Billie rose to popularity as a teenager just like Britney back in the last days of the 1990s and 2000s.

    Wow, never though Billie Eilish would get compared to Britney Spears! Very different kettle of fish.
  • RyanRyan Canada
    Posts: 692
    I'm thinking something like this so far for my personal favourites of the Craig era. I'll have to let it sit longer to figure out overall where I'd place it.

    1. You Know My Name
    2. Skyfall
    3. No Time To Die



    4. Another Way To Die



    It's a shame SPECTRE had no audible music for its title track. ;)
  • OctopussyOctopussy Piz Gloria, Schilthorn, Switzerland.
    Posts: 1,081
    Octopussy wrote: »
    silva13 wrote: »
    NicNac wrote: »
    Octopussy wrote: »
    I feel now more then ever that hiring Eilish to sing this song was a marketing move to attract a younger audience to Bond.

    Well of course. Any strategy to attract an audience is necessary. Bond films are to all intents and purposes fast food for the masses. They need to succeed for audiences of the day. Cubby knew it. He absorbed any hit film of the day, or any popular artist to help sell his Bond films.

    They aren't designed to be works for film historians to pour over in 100 years time and analyse. They are works designed to put bums on seats in whatever year they are released, so that they have enough revenue to make another one.

    If Billie Eilish will attract a young audience, then way to go.

    Footnote: my son is a huge fan of Billie E, she has been his favourite artist for a year or two now. As a result he will go and see the film even though he isn't much of a Bond fan. So, it does work.

    I 100% agree.
    I was scrolling down instagram earlier and several people had posted selfies with the caption "no time to die" so it's definitely working. These people aren't the type to be caught dead at a Bond film so at the very least it's free advertising!

    No doubt, but it makes me wonder who else was considered prior to coming to a decision.
    Anyone who's popular at the moment. Has been like that for the last 40 odd years.

    Anyway, for those who're waiting for a belter, you'll have to wait until more powerful music becomes popular again. Billy is hardly the only soft-singing artist out there right now.

    Considering all that I think the song is pretty good. I especially like the lyrics for what I can decipher.

    I wasn't aware of Chris Cornell until he sang YKMN. I agree 100% with what you're saying but much like the gross earnings of a Bond film are not a way to gauge quality, neither is the popularity of an artist at that point in time, IMO. There are other popular artists right now that I feel would've made a far superior Bond theme then Billie.
  • Posts: 3,333
    boldfinger wrote: »
    bondsum wrote: »
    the song could lose the whole first minute and nothing would be lost at all.
    Let´s make that three, hehe ;-).
    Brilliant comment. :))
    jorgem wrote: »
    Billie Eilish is arguably the Britney Spears of the 2020s! She's only 18 and she will be the biggest diva of the decade!

    Billie rose to popularity as a teenager just like Britney back in the last days of the 1990s and 2000s.
    "Arguably" is a good word you've chosen there @jorgem. Chalk and cheese springs to mind.
  • edited February 2020 Posts: 5,767
    JamesCraig wrote: »
    When was the last time a Bond film didn´t use real strings? Even GE had lots of pieces with real strings.
    In fact, this will be the Bond soundtrack with the most instances of artificial strings so far.

  • I like it quite a bit. It does what Sam Smith’s song was gearing for but couldn’t quite reach.
  • Jordo007Jordo007 Merseyside
    Posts: 2,641
    Minimalistic and fitting are two words to spring to mind, after listening. It's basically a better version of WOTW and it complements the previous two songs. Sure, it's not one of my all time faves but I didn't expect that, so all good. 7/10 for now. It might become a 7.5/7.8 depending on the intro. Eilish her whispering tickles my ASMR bone. Not that one.

    +1 Summed it up perfectly mate. It's like a better version of WOTW

    I've heard it twice today and I don't know yet how I feel about it. I'm surprised I like it as much as I do, but it I thought it might get going and as the song did, it finished.
    @Getafix said it best, that it's a shame there's nothing more distinctive about it. I did like her big note at the end though.

    I took my girlfriend's sister to school this morning (she's a big Eilish fan) and she was raving about how much she loved the song and how it might already be in her top 5. So from a promotion stand point, it's genius.

    Sorry to just ramble on, I like it more than I thought basically
  • Posts: 1,490
    I like it quite a bit. It does what Sam Smith’s song was gearing for but couldn’t quite reach.

    I agree. I suspect, when people (who are perhaps not convinced by it so far) hear the song with the titles, and in context with the film, they will really get it.

    I think the song is haunting and the lyrics are great. All suggesting this Bond film is going to be very emotional and packed with mysteries and secrets.

  • ObannoObanno Somewhere & Everywhere
    Posts: 14
    I remember When YKMN was first released and the response was lukewarm, myself included. I honestly didn't know what to make of it. It was so hard, aggressive and forceful while introspective at the same time. Hell, I wasn't even sure if it had the 'Bond Sound'. All that changed when I saw the movie and the title sequence. Cornell did something unique and I feel that, to this day, this song is the definitive theme for the Craig era that best encapsulates Craig's take on the character. It is religiously and uniquely a Bond song.

    AWTD was a disaster. The instrumental is actually top notch but the singing is just all over the place and Jack and Alicia make for an unlikely duo who's styles do not mesh at all. Forgettable.

    SF is a song that wouldn't have been well regarded if Adele hadn't sung it. But it works for the movie and is serviceable. The musical arrangement is very good and Adele really does it justice. I expected more but its definitely a classic and memorable.

    TWOTW is a great song in and of itself, and the instrumental is sweeping and grandiose. But considering it's sung from Bond's perspective, the falsetto grates and it really baffles how Mendes allowed this to be included. It wasn't aided by the awkward title sequence and it really doesn't suit Spectre at all. I was really hoping for a song from the villains perspective or something focused on the villain or his scheme. The love ballad just sounds misplaced and I honestly think Mendes really didn't give a damn at this point. But like i said, independent of Bond its a great song.

    Now for NTTD...I love it. The lyrics, the arrangement, the voice, the build up at the end etc. Its perfect and quintessentially a JB song. Whilst I agree that it could have gone bigger and broader, I think we will have that for the title sequence with the instrumentals being more pronounced (similar to YKMN). I think this version is more suited to Billie's musical style. Is it safe? Somewhat, but I prefer 'low key' instead. I put it on par with SF. Though I think its potential is huge depending on what film we get, and how its woven into the soundtrack and title sequence.

    Super excited now.
  • WalecsWalecs On Her Majesty's Secret Service
    Posts: 3,157
    I've been listening to the song a lot and I just love the trombone kicking in after Eilish sings "No Time To Die". It's beautiful. I hope Zimmer will weave it into the score.
  • TripAcesTripAces Universal Exports
    Posts: 4,582
    Univex wrote: »
    antovolk wrote: »

    Oh man that sounds so good. That last part gave me chills. Strings and Brass! Bond is back!

    I sensed this would be the main motif.
  • zebrafishzebrafish <°)))< in Octopussy's garden in the shade
    edited February 2020 Posts: 4,341
    Obanno wrote: »
    I remember When YKMN was first released and the response was lukewarm, myself included. I honestly didn't know what to make of it. It was so hard, aggressive and forceful while introspective at the same time. Hell, I wasn't even sure if it had the 'Bond Sound'. All that changed when I saw the movie and the title sequence. Cornell did something unique and I feel that, to this day, this song is the definitive theme for the Craig era that best encapsulates Craig's take on the character. It is religiously and uniquely a Bond song.

    AWTD was a disaster. The instrumental is actually top notch but the singing is just all over the place and Jack and Alicia make for an unlikely duo who's styles do not mesh at all. Forgettable.

    SF is a song that wouldn't have been well regarded if Adele hadn't sung it. But it works for the movie and is serviceable. The musical arrangement is very good and Adele really does it justice. I expected more but its definitely a classic and memorable.

    TWOTW is a great song in and of itself, and the instrumental is sweeping and grandiose. But considering it's sung from Bond's perspective, the falsetto grates and it really baffles how Mendes allowed this to be included. It wasn't aided by the awkward title sequence and it really doesn't suit Spectre at all. I was really hoping for a song from the villains perspective or something focused on the villain or his scheme. The love ballad just sounds misplaced and I honestly think Mendes really didn't give a damn at this point. But like i said, independent of Bond its a great song.

    Now for NTTD...I love it. The lyrics, the arrangement, the voice, the build up at the end etc. Its perfect and quintessentially a JB song. Whilst I agree that it could have gone bigger and broader, I think we will have that for the title sequence with the instrumentals being more pronounced (similar to YKMN). I think this version is more suited to Billie's musical style. Is it safe? Somewhat, but I prefer 'low key' instead. I put it on par with SF. Though I think its potential is huge depending on what film we get, and how its woven into the soundtrack and title sequence.

    Super excited now.

    +1
  • Posts: 1,490
    I also think the song's lyrics confirm the pre-titles are the Ice Lake (as we already know from clapperboards) and then the Matera scenes - which means we are in for a long pre-title - likely the longest ever.
  • mtmmtm United Kingdom
    edited February 2020 Posts: 16,331
    NicNac wrote: »
    Octopussy wrote: »
    I feel now more then ever that hiring Eilish to sing this song was a marketing move to attract a younger audience to Bond.

    Well of course. Any strategy to attract an audience is necessary. Bond films are to all intents and purposes fast food for the masses. They need to succeed for audiences of the day. Cubby knew it. He absorbed any hit film of the day, or any popular artist to help sell his Bond films.

    Yeah I've absolutely no issue with that. Tom Jones had his first big hit in the very same year Thunderball was released- he wasn't exactly unfashionable! And don't forget that John Barry himself had been in the hit parade for a couple of years before he got hired. If anyone doesn't like them hiring new artists from the charts then they obviously disagree with John Barry being hired! :D


    Basically, following the Smith/Adele model has meant that Billie has her Oscar on pre-order….


    Yeah, if they don't give this one an Oscar too then the Oscars really are meaningless... because it's essentially the same song that's won for Bond the last two times! :D
  • DoctorKaufmannDoctorKaufmann Can shoot you from Stuttgart and still make it look like suicide.
    Posts: 1,261
    sabrina wrote: »
    Ranks right up there with QOS and MWTGG as one of the worst ever. Was hoping for a blowout hit for DC last film but not here. The classics themes seems dead as this is a attempt to invoke SkyFall. It may be accurate to what we know of the plot that Maddy decieves Bond but other than that very dull. Hans Zimmer must not have had much time to input here. If you want pizzazz listen to the Wonder Women 1984 trailer with Hans Zimmer music and imagine what could have been here :)

    There's no Hans Zimmer music in the Wonder Woman trailer.

    No, it's New Order's Blue Monday. Congratulation on your good hearimg.
  • mtmmtm United Kingdom
    Posts: 16,331
    jorgem wrote: »
    Billie Eilish is arguably the Britney Spears of the 2020s! She's only 18 and she will be the biggest diva of the decade!

    Billie rose to popularity as a teenager just like Britney back in the last days of the 1990s and 2000s.

    Wow, never though Billie Eilish would get compared to Britney Spears! Very different kettle of fish.

    Well not massively. They're both very big and very pop.
  • JamesCraigJamesCraig Ancient Rome
    Posts: 3,497
    boldfinger wrote: »
    JamesCraig wrote: »
    When was the last time a Bond film didn´t use real strings? Even GE had lots of pieces with real strings.
    In fact, this will be the Bond soundtrack with the most instances of artificial strings so far.

    Yes and your point being?

    I just love stringed instruments, hence my enthousiasm. We cannot all nitpick and dislike everything just for the sake of being negative.

    My apologies.
  • CraigMooreOHMSSCraigMooreOHMSS Dublin, Ireland
    edited February 2020 Posts: 8,205
    sabrina wrote: »
    Ranks right up there with QOS and MWTGG as one of the worst ever. Was hoping for a blowout hit for DC last film but not here. The classics themes seems dead as this is a attempt to invoke SkyFall. It may be accurate to what we know of the plot that Maddy decieves Bond but other than that very dull. Hans Zimmer must not have had much time to input here. If you want pizzazz listen to the Wonder Women 1984 trailer with Hans Zimmer music and imagine what could have been here :)

    There's no Hans Zimmer music in the Wonder Woman trailer.

    No, it's New Order's Blue Monday. Congratulation on your good hearimg.

    Yes, thank you. We covered the whole thing of it being a cover of that, but not one handled by Zimmer, on a previous page. If only your spelling was as good as my hearing, we'd both be doing okay! :)



    Regarding the new song, I've had it on repeat in work all morning. It's quite good. Not a classic, but good. It works incredibly well in that 40-something second montage of new footage on the 007 page.
    I've a feeling it'll be firmly rooted in my head by the time of release. I wonder if we'll get a different version over the main title sequence? Extra instrumentation, etc.
  • Posts: 3,327
    I've heard it a few times now and I have a firm opinion on it. The song is CRAP! I'm expecting once the dust has settled on this abysmal mess, many will eventually reach the same conclusion.

    Meandering, dreary, weak. Yet another song to rival DAD, QoS or SP as the worst songs in the franchise, and it sounds like another Sam Smith TWOTW effort (as if we needed another).

    The Babs era is being properly defined now, and her reign boasts the worst songs in the franchise. SF and YKMN are the only exceptions.

    Let's hope the film is better than the song (shouldn't be too difficult), but its not looking good. Yet another sign that we are in for SP Part II.

  • mtmmtm United Kingdom
    Posts: 16,331
    I've heard it a few times now and I have a firm opinion on it. The song is CRAP! I'm expecting once the dust has settled on this abysmal mess, many will eventually reach the same conclusion.

    It's fine.

  • edited February 2020 Posts: 1,661
    The song is pretty good but it does have one noticeable flaw...

    The end of the chorus is near idential to Writing's On The Wall. Near exact same melody.

    WOTW chorus

    "How do I live? How do I breathe?"

    repeated in NTTD as

    "Fool me once, fool me twice"

    WOTW chorus:

    "For you I have to risk it all
    'Cause the writing's on the wall"


    "Same melody repeated in NTTO

    "Now you never see me cry
    There's just no time to die."


    Same melody more or less. In this regard the song is a bit disappointing because the chorus mirrors WOTW too much.

  • JamesCraigJamesCraig Ancient Rome
    Posts: 3,497
    I've heard it a few times now and I have a firm opinion on it. The song is CRAP! I'm expecting once the dust has settled on this abysmal mess, many will eventually reach the same conclusion.

    Meandering, dreary, weak. Yet another song to rival DAD, QoS or SP as the worst songs in the franchise, and it sounds like another Sam Smith TWOTW effort (as if we needed another).

    The Babs era is being properly defined now, and her reign boasts the worst songs in the franchise. SF and YKMN are the only exceptions.

    Let's hope the film is better than the song (shouldn't be too difficult), but its not looking good. Yet another sign that we are in for SP Part II.

    That's a little harsh. :-??
  • DoctorKaufmannDoctorKaufmann Can shoot you from Stuttgart and still make it look like suicide.
    Posts: 1,261
    As for the Craig theme song, this at present is third rank, with YKMN being number one and SF being second. And were we üromised a rock song? Methinks, this hath no been the case, masters.
  • AntiLocqueBrakesAntiLocqueBrakes The edge
    Posts: 538
    I've heard it a few times now and I have a firm opinion on it. The song is CRAP! I'm expecting once the dust has settled on this abysmal mess, many will eventually reach the same conclusion.

    Meandering, dreary, weak. Yet another song to rival DAD, QoS or SP as the worst songs in the franchise, and it sounds like another Sam Smith TWOTW effort (as if we needed another).

    The Babs era is being properly defined now, and her reign boasts the worst songs in the franchise. SF and YKMN are the only exceptions.

    Let's hope the film is better than the song (shouldn't be too difficult), but its not looking good. Yet another sign that we are in for SP Part II.

    It's awful.
  • LeonardPineLeonardPine The Bar on the Beach
    Posts: 3,994
    Well it doesn't punch you in the face but I do like it a lot. Haunting and Bondian at the same time.
    She has a good voice 👍
  • mtmmtm United Kingdom
    Posts: 16,331
    JamesCraig wrote: »
    I've heard it a few times now and I have a firm opinion on it. The song is CRAP! I'm expecting once the dust has settled on this abysmal mess, many will eventually reach the same conclusion.

    Meandering, dreary, weak. Yet another song to rival DAD, QoS or SP as the worst songs in the franchise, and it sounds like another Sam Smith TWOTW effort (as if we needed another).

    The Babs era is being properly defined now, and her reign boasts the worst songs in the franchise. SF and YKMN are the only exceptions.

    Let's hope the film is better than the song (shouldn't be too difficult), but its not looking good. Yet another sign that we are in for SP Part II.

    That's a little harsh. :-??

    I think he's trying to be provocative. Bit of a running theme.
  • edited February 2020 Posts: 1,661
    Boy George No Time To Die doesn't have a similar chorus to WOTW so for that reason alone I prefer Mr George's effort. I do like Billie's song though. Nice and sultry but I do find the chorus too similar in melody structure to Sam Smith's song to make it stand out.

    I think Boy George's song with a big brass backing could be a corker!

    "There's always time to die, Mr Bond."

    "Not according to the song!"


    :P
  • JamesCraigJamesCraig Ancient Rome
    Posts: 3,497
    mtm wrote: »
    JamesCraig wrote: »
    I've heard it a few times now and I have a firm opinion on it. The song is CRAP! I'm expecting once the dust has settled on this abysmal mess, many will eventually reach the same conclusion.

    Meandering, dreary, weak. Yet another song to rival DAD, QoS or SP as the worst songs in the franchise, and it sounds like another Sam Smith TWOTW effort (as if we needed another).

    The Babs era is being properly defined now, and her reign boasts the worst songs in the franchise. SF and YKMN are the only exceptions.

    Let's hope the film is better than the song (shouldn't be too difficult), but its not looking good. Yet another sign that we are in for SP Part II.

    That's a little harsh. :-??

    I think he's trying to be provocative. Bit of a running theme.

    Oh, I do know him. =))
  • 00Agent00Agent Any man who drinks Dom Perignon '52 can't be all bad.
    edited February 2020 Posts: 5,185
    Cary Fukunaga (via Instagram):

    "Billie Eilish has been my number one choice to do this theme song since I came on board this project, 18 months later, I can hardly contain my excitement for this moment. She and Finneas have delivered a spectacular and haunting song that gives me chills every time I listen to it."
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