Imagine a tune so fitting for James Bond that it seems to have been plucked right out of a high-stakes chase scene—this was Lana Del Rey’s vision when she penned a song she hoped would be the theme for 2015’s Spectre.
But as she revealed in a BBC interview, despite her incredible artistry & the prestigious accolades, the producers of James Bond passed on her creation. The singer acknowledged the setback while speaking at the May Ivor Novello Awards in London. According to the singer-songwriter, she wrote a portion of her song 24 for the 2015 James Bond film, Spectre, starring Daniel Craig.
Despite the undeniable brilliance of her artistry, the producers opted for Sam Smith’s Writing’s on the Wall, a decision that ultimately led him to win a 2016 Academy Award for Best Original Song.
Lana Del Rey Revealed Why Her James Bond Song Didn’t Make the Cut
Lana Del Rey may be the queen of melancholy melodies and sultry vocals, but there’s one thing the songstress just can’t seem to get her hands on—a coveted James Bond theme song. In a May interview (via BBC), the singer, 39, opened up about her disappointment at being snubbed by the iconic film franchise’s producers, despite her best efforts to land a spot on the soundtrack.
In 2015, Del Rey wrote a track she believed was tailor-made for Spectre, only to have her hopes dashed when the producers chose Sam Smith’s Writing’s on the Wall for Daniel Craig’s fourth outing as the dashing spy. The rejection stung, but Del Rey took it in stride, brushing off the setback with her trademark wit and charm. She quipped backstage at the Ivors in London, where she was honored for her songwriting prowess:
I mean, how has that not happened yet?
With a twinkle in her eye, the Summertime Sadness songstress crooned a snippet of her song 24, making it clear that she had the goods to deliver a James Bond-worthy anthem:
I wrote that for them.
Moreover, the singer playfully teased Smith for snagging the spot, all the while lamenting her own missed opportunity with a wry smile:
Sam, you did a wonderful job. One day, maybe…But I’m going to continue to do my little Nancy Sinatra thing every now and then and just pretend it’s the title track.
Though the James Bond franchise may have turned a deaf ear to her siren call, Lana Del Rey remains undeterred, continuing to mesmerize audiences with her soul-stirring music & vintage mystique.
Lana Del Rey’s Strong Desire to Sing in Daniel Craig’s Spectre
Lana Del Rey’s heartbreaking confession about being passed over for a James Bond film came more than nine years after she told NME in 2015 that she “was not asked” to write a song for Spectre. She added:
I would’ve done it if I was asked but I wasn’t asked. I love all of the Bond music that’s been put out over the years and I love soundtracks in general.
But at the time, referring to 24 and Swan Song, she said that there were “a couple of songs on this record that have a Bond feel.” Not only is Del Rey a female crooner who came close to landing a song in the spy film franchise, but Amy Winehouse was also approached to write & perform the theme song for 2008’s Quantum of Solace.
We learned this from Barbara Broccoli’s interview with Entertainment Weekly in 2022. Recalling her meeting with the late singer, Broccoli said:
Well, that was a very very distressing meeting, she was not at her best and my heart really went out to her. She was very fragile emotionally and, you know, you understood how she could create such moving material, because she has a great depth of feeling and it was very, very tragic.
So while Lana Del Rey may have not gotten the chance to croon a James Bond theme, we can’t deny that the songstress will always have a license to thrill, delivering hit after hit with her signature blend of heartache and allure.
Stream Spectre on Amazon Prime Video.
