With the release of a brand new James Bond film comes a brand new title theme song. Sam Mendes has revealed that the artist to perform the next title theme has already been chosen, but it is still being kept under wraps. Following in the footsteps of Adele and the legendary Shirley Bassey alike would be a daunting task for anyone – so who will be the next artist to take up the gauntlet?
The bookie’s favourite as of December 2014 is Sam Smith, closely followed by Ed Sheeran. Sam Smith came into the limelight earlier this year, releasing his debut album and also winning the BRITS Critics Choice Award 2014. Adele also received this award in 2008, so perhaps this is a sign that he will be next Bond singer.
If we look back at previous theme tunes it would be hard to ignore the musical legends that have contributed to the Bond legacy. Tom Jones, Tina Turner and Louis Armstrong to name just a few, each artist has performed the title theme of only one film each. The exception to this rule is Shirley Bassey who recorded three songs for the James Bond films. Goldfinger, Diamonds are Forever and Moonraker. According to MTV, ‘The idea of a theme song for a James Bond movie brings with it a few basic connotations. There are usually bombastic horns, a slinky, snake-like rhythm, and a femme fatale vocal, beautiful but deadly sharp at the same time. While the first two signatures can be credited to a number of musicians over the years, one woman is largely responsible for that James Bond sound: Dame Shirley Bassey.’
Adele’s ‘Skyfall’ reached number one in the iTunes download chart a mere 10 hours after being released and entered the Billboard Hot 100 at No.8, so whoever may be the artist to perform the title theme for Spectre, they have a tough act to follow.