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

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  • OOWolfOOWolf Savannah
    Posts: 140
    Better to not go down this path, but I'll say it anyway. Maybe Bond indeed, is not for these times. That's why I'm doubtful that Billie Eilish fans have much place going to see 'NTTD.'
  • MakeshiftPythonMakeshiftPython “Baja?!”
    Posts: 8,188
    That's assuming none of her fans would like Bond, or already do. I think you just have to accept this is a generational thing you can't grasp.

    One thing that is unique in this case is that Billie Eilish only grew up with Craig's run. So she's approaching a Bond song that's more reflective of how Craig's run has been, especially recently: Dark and moody. All other incarnations of Bond, when the adventures were more jovial and evoking Shirley Bassey's belting are well before her time.
  • BonSimonLeBon_1BonSimonLeBon_1
    Posts: 2,436
    MakeshiftPython wrote: »
    That's assuming none of her fans would like Bond, or already do. I think you just have to accept this is a generational thing you can't grasp.

    One thing that is unique in this case is that Billie Eilish only grew up with Craig's run. So she's approaching a Bond song that's more reflective of how Craig's run has been, especially recently: Dark and moody. All other incarnations of Bond, when the adventures were more jovial and evoking Shirley Bassey's belting are well before her time.

    There is a possibility she has seen other Bond films other than the Craig ones ...
  • MakeshiftPythonMakeshiftPython “Baja?!”
    Posts: 8,188
    It's possible, but judging by the song she actually made, it sounds like she's much more influenced by Craig's run than anything that came before. And that's fine. Kids that grew up with a particular era tend to gravitate more towards that than any other. A friend of mine who's 52 regards Craig as the best Bond, but deep down in his heart the Roger Moore films are really HIS Bond because that's who Bond was when my friend was growing up in the 70s and 80s. I can imagine for someone of Billie Eilish's generation Craig IS their Bond.
  • George_KaplanGeorge_Kaplan Being chauffeured by Tibbett
    edited July 2020 Posts: 688
    Yes she’s clearly been influenced by Adele and Sam Smith since those are the only two she’s likely seen at the cinema. It is worth considering that due to the long gaps between the films, the current generation doesn’t necessarily have such a strong connection to Bond. I was born in 2000 and Connery has always been Bond for me, but that's only because I was interested enough to start at the beginning. Most casual filmgoers will just stick to the latest film because that's all they're interested in. I'm not knocking it that's just what I've observed.
  • DoctorNoDoctorNo USA-Maryland
    Posts: 755
    I don’t think it’s a matter of influence, Eilish’s song is completely within her wheelhouse. It’s what she does. If she had come out with a rock song, it would be a first and you could then say she was strongly influenced by another artist.
  • MakeshiftPythonMakeshiftPython “Baja?!”
    Posts: 8,188
    George_Kaplan wrote: »
    Yes she’s clearly been influenced by Adele and Sam Smith since those are the only two she’s likely seen at the cinema. It is worth considering that due to the long gaps between the films, the current generation doesn’t necessarily have such a strong connection to Bond. I was born in 2000 and Connery has always been Bond for me, but that's only because I was interested enough to start at the beginning. Most casual filmgoers will just stick to the latest film because that's all they're interested in. I'm not knocking it that's just what I've observed.

    It is what it is. It’s only natural. It’s why we have different generations of Bond fans who got introduced to the series via the concurrent actor of the time.
  • BT3366BT3366
    Posts: 1,917
    Didn't when she was announced as the performer for NTTD, Eilish talk about how she was excited to be a part of the Bond tradition? Maybe she was being PR-friendly but it sounded sincere. She could've easily gone down the just another job route.
  • MakeshiftPythonMakeshiftPython “Baja?!”
    Posts: 8,188
    BT3366 wrote: »
    Didn't when she was announced as the performer for NTTD, Eilish talk about how she was excited to be a part of the Bond tradition? Maybe she was being PR-friendly but it sounded sincere. She could've easily gone down the just another job route.

    Whether she was sincere or not I think she was always going to get some flack due to her age.
  • BT3366BT3366
    Posts: 1,917
    I'm not a big fan of the song, but I appreciate the producers getting somebody of her caliber at a moment she's hot, whether that brings in new fans or not. I never see an age limitation when it comes to talent.
  • BonSimonLeBon_1BonSimonLeBon_1
    Posts: 2,436
    MakeshiftPython wrote: »
    BT3366 wrote: »
    Didn't when she was announced as the performer for NTTD, Eilish talk about how she was excited to be a part of the Bond tradition? Maybe she was being PR-friendly but it sounded sincere. She could've easily gone down the just another job route.

    Whether she was sincere or not I think she was always going to get some flack due to her age.

    I don't think she's received much flack ...
  • OOWolfOOWolf Savannah
    Posts: 140
    George_Kaplan wrote: »
    Yes she’s clearly been influenced by Adele and Sam Smith since those are the only two she’s likely seen at the cinema. It is worth considering that due to the long gaps between the films, the current generation doesn’t necessarily have such a strong connection to Bond. I was born in 2000 and Connery has always been Bond for me, but that's only because I was interested enough to start at the beginning. Most casual filmgoers will just stick to the latest film because that's all they're interested in. I'm not knocking it that's just what I've observed.

    That was very well said. There's a lot of assumption on EON's part as to what's hip or not. Eilish was chosen because she's an industry plant. She may or may not attract an audience, but the producers must remember that they have a 55+ year legacy to fall back on, so I don't think it'll make a major difference who sang the theme song. Now, with this mess that we're going through, Eilish may not even be the flavor of the month when the film comes out.
  • RichardTheBruceRichardTheBruce I'm motivated by my Duty.
    Posts: 13,820
    Billie Eilish did a great song, that can carry the day.
  • MakeshiftPythonMakeshiftPython “Baja?!”
    Posts: 8,188
    BonSimonLeBon_1 wrote: »
    MakeshiftPython wrote: »
    BT3366 wrote: »
    Didn't when she was announced as the performer for NTTD, Eilish talk about how she was excited to be a part of the Bond tradition? Maybe she was being PR-friendly but it sounded sincere. She could've easily gone down the just another job route.

    Whether she was sincere or not I think she was always going to get some flack due to her age.

    I don't think she's received much flack ...

    Sure. Only by disgruntled Bond fans that seemed to want a more jovial song with a singer belting her voice out.
  • OOWolfOOWolf Savannah
    Posts: 140
    MakeshiftPython wrote: »
    BonSimonLeBon_1 wrote: »
    MakeshiftPython wrote: »
    BT3366 wrote: »
    Didn't when she was announced as the performer for NTTD, Eilish talk about how she was excited to be a part of the Bond tradition? Maybe she was being PR-friendly but it sounded sincere. She could've easily gone down the just another job route.

    Whether she was sincere or not I think she was always going to get some flack due to her age.

    I don't think she's received much flack ...

    Sure. Only by disgruntled Bond fans that seemed to want a more jovial song with a singer belting her voice out.


    Uh, the only thing I would want is a song that's compositionally dynamic, involves a singer who annunciates the words, and doesn't perform a musical eulogy. Eilish's song would have potentially worked in between two themes that had more of a dynamic edge; however, as we know, 'TWOTW' was quite languid and 'SF' wasn't much of a banger, but was a tad bit more dynamic. So, I personally don't care if the artist belts or not, but I think there needs to be some sort of musical excitement that fuses with the excitement of the film.

    Actually, the whole thing is quite perplexing, because after Skfall, Craig's Bond was supposed to become more of the Bond we had known and loved from decades past. If 'NTTD' is supposed to be about a dramatic betrayal, then that goes against the original intention of the "full circle" thing. It would have only felt natural to incorporate a modern musical artist who's capable of nodding to the past, while remaining relevant and ending the Craig run on a climactic crescendo.
  • MakeshiftPythonMakeshiftPython “Baja?!”
    Posts: 8,188
    I think what's more important is whether the song works for the film above all else. If her song for NTTD is that, then I rather they stick with it. That said, I could hear her quite clearly. When it comes to unintelligible mumbling, that crown belongs to Kurt Cobain.
  • WalecsWalecs On Her Majesty's Secret Service
    Posts: 3,157
    DoctorNo wrote: »
    I don’t think it’s a matter of influence, Eilish’s song is completely within her wheelhouse. It’s what she does. If she had come out with a rock song, it would be a first and you could then say she was strongly influenced by another artist.

    Exactly.
  • BonSimonLeBon_1BonSimonLeBon_1
    Posts: 2,436
    MakeshiftPython wrote: »
    BonSimonLeBon_1 wrote: »
    MakeshiftPython wrote: »
    BT3366 wrote: »
    Didn't when she was announced as the performer for NTTD, Eilish talk about how she was excited to be a part of the Bond tradition? Maybe she was being PR-friendly but it sounded sincere. She could've easily gone down the just another job route.

    Whether she was sincere or not I think she was always going to get some flack due to her age.

    I don't think she's received much flack ...

    Sure. Only by disgruntled Bond fans that seemed to want a more jovial song with a singer belting her voice out.

    A minority then.
  • George_KaplanGeorge_Kaplan Being chauffeured by Tibbett
    edited July 2020 Posts: 688
    MakeshiftPython wrote: »
    I think what's more important is whether the song works for the film above all else. If her song for NTTD is that, then I rather they stick with it. That said, I could hear her quite clearly. When it comes to unintelligible mumbling, that crown belongs to Kurt Cobain.

    I agree that's the main thing. The focus of the Craig era has been on Bond's emotions and personal relationships. To mixed results admittedly, but with that in mind, the use of another slow ballad makes perfect sense. It would be jarring if they decided to suddenly jettison that approach with his final film. I didn't actually mind the song even though I don't like Eilish. It was the same with Writing's on the Wall. The song itself was fine, it's just unfortunate that it was ruined by a bland, poppy singer. Although I certainly found Eilish more tolerable than Smith.
  • MakeshiftPythonMakeshiftPython “Baja?!”
    Posts: 8,188
    George_Kaplan wrote: »
    The focus of the Craig era has been on Bond's emotions and personal relationships.

    I'd extend that to the Brosnan films, and even LTK which was the first of the franchise to make things personal. As I mentioned in another thread, the focus on Bond's emotions and personal relationships is more of a reflection of where action/adventure films have shifted since the 1980s, when it was no longer just about the hero stopping the villain's plot. Movies like FIRST BLOOD, LETHAL WEAPON, and DIE HARD basically made it the standard operating procedure to give the protagonist an emotional journey of sorts.

    Because of this, and the fact that all Bond films have included something personal for Bond since 1989 (31 years ago!), I will never expect a future Bond film, or any other action film, to just be about the mission with zero personal stakes.
  • matt_umatt_u better known as Mr. Roark
    Posts: 4,343
    I'm 100% sure the song will work perfectly for the film, given the emotional nature of the PTS mini film.
  • OctopussyOctopussy Piz Gloria, Schilthorn, Switzerland.
    Posts: 1,081
    I'll be the first to admit that I've listed to Eillish's song many a time since it's release, and while my initial impression was that of disappointment (which I didn't hold back on airing on these pages), I've grown to really like the song. While I prefer my Bond title songs more balls-to-the-wall and brassy, this is definitely one of the best sombre Bond tunes in the series, IMO. I think it will work well within the context of the film.
  • ContrabandContraband Sweden
    Posts: 3,022
    She's putting out a new album 30 July. Nothing to with NTTD but still..
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    Contraband wrote: »
    She's putting out a new album 30 July. Nothing to with NTTD but still..

    So it won t feature?
  • Junglist_1985Junglist_1985 Los Angeles
    Posts: 1,033
    Just had an idea...

    Many of us (perhaps) are hoping for “You Know My Name” during the ending credits of NTTD. It would be the perfect bookend to Craig’s turn as Bond.

    Then by accident I sang the lyrics wrong...

    What if there’s an updated rendition/cover of YKMN with this small change in lyrics:

    “ Arm yourself because no-one else here will save you
    The odds will betray you
    And I will replace you
    You can't deny the prize it may never fulfill you
    It longs to kill you
    But there’s NO TIME TO DIE”
  • MonsieurMerciMonsieurMerci France
    edited July 2020 Posts: 98
    Eilish's new song. I love the retro feeling

  • RyanRyan Canada
    Posts: 692
    Love the new song, and I like the sentiment of the lyrics. When I first listened to it I couldn't help but feel like it felt somewhat cinematic, and therefore it might have been a great reference song for those who were on the fence about her doing a Bond theme (had we not heard No Time To Die already, of course).
  • GeneralGogolGeneralGogol
    Posts: 928
    With No Time To Die and My Future, it's a very different sound from Billie compared to her last album.
  • MakeshiftPythonMakeshiftPython “Baja?!”
    Posts: 8,188
    I gave it a listen recently and it still holds up for me, but it makes me more eager to see it with the proper titles.
  • jake24jake24 Sitting at your desk, kissing your lover, eating supper with your familyModerator
    edited August 2020 Posts: 10,591
    Eilish’s song is incredible and easily rivals other classic mellow Bond themes like YOLT and NDIB. I can’t wait to see how it fits into the film.
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