Much like British spy’s tuxedos and gadgets, the theme song of a James Bond film is also essential to the overall Bond experience. From Shirley Bassey’s iconic Goldfinger for Sean Connery’s 1964 classic to Adele’s Skyfall for the best Daniel Craig Bond feature, there has been a plethora of classics over the 25 Bond films.
But there has also been a plethora of acclaimed musicians, who have faced rejection from the Bond creators over the years. This includes Honeymoon creator Lana Del Rey, who wrote a song back in 2015 for Daniel Craig’s penultimate Bond feature.
Lana Del Rey Wrote 24 for the 24th James Bond Feature
Since the release of Lana Del Rey‘s 2015 album, Honeymoon, many speculated one of its songs, 24, was supposed to be the theme song for 2015’s Spectre. Speaking with BBC, the Born to Die singer finally cleared the air when the singer was asked if she had ever considered writing a title track for 007. In a humorous fashion, the acclaimed singer replied “I mean, how has that not happened yet”, as she started to sing the chorus for 24.
Del Rey said that she had written the song for the acclaimed IP, but as the story goes, it was Sam Smith’s Writing’s on the Wall, which made it to the 24th Bond feature. However, despite missing out on being associated with the iconic franchise, the singer doesn’t hold any grudges against Smith.
She said:
I mean, how has that not happened yet? I wrote that for them… But Sam, you did a wonderful job, really. No, I’m just kidding!
While Writing’s on the Wall did earn Smith an Oscar win for Best Original Song, it was seen as a letdown compared to its predecessor, as after Adele’s Skyfall, it had some big shoes to fill. Although 24 isn’t considered the best of Del Rey’s Honeymoon, due its technical prowess, which perfectly encapsulates the overall vibe, it’s easy to see why many consider it fit for a 007 theme.
Lana Del Rey Is Skeptical About Ever Being Associated With the Bond IP
Although she wasn’t asked to write a song about Daniel Craig‘s Spectre, following her love for the IP and all the Bond songs over the years, she chose to incorporate Bond flavor to 24 and Swan Song. But while she is open to doing a Bond theme if asked in the future, the singer isn’t certain if her songs will ever make it to any James Bond feature.
She said:
One day, maybe… Probably not. 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.
With a new Bond around the corner, which is looking to star Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Craig’s successor, fans will hope she is asked to craft the theme for the new chapter in the franchise.
Spectre is available to stream on Apple TV.
