With the date of the next installment of the James Bond franchise already set for a November 2019 release, speculation of all things related to the upcoming film has now begun. Daniel Craig is officially reprising his role as the titular character and the new film dubbed Bond 25 is bound to be a big one. For such an important milestone as the 25th film in the Bond franchise, an impactful and potentially popular song should be in the works. Though there is no proven evidence of any artist being signed on to helm the Bond 25 theme song yet, here are some thoughts to whom they might choose (in no particular order).
Radiohead
Radiohead was already given an opportunity to make the Bond theme for the last entry in the franchise, Spectre. Though their track wasn’t ultimately selected for being too dark, the work is an incredibly haunting song that is cued into their current sound. Since the release of the scrapped track, we have received the critically-acclaimed album A Moon Shaped Pool in 2016 that proves they still belong in the modern music zeitgeist. Also Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood is a proven composer, having scored There Will Be Blood, The Master, and Inherent Vice. Last year he even earned an Oscar nomination for his work in Phantom Thread. Some of the finest moments in the first season of HBO’s Westworld were punctuated by Radiohead’s music and the show continues to use their tracks in the second season. Right now Radiohead is in an even better place, both creatively and in popularity, to lay down the music for Bond 25.
Arctic Monkeys
For the last two entries in the series, the Bond people (I have no clue who they are) have looked to artists in the UK to make the song. Which brings us to Alex Turner and Arctic Monkeys. The latest album from the group shows their ability to make eerie, beautiful piano driven rock tracks that would piece together perfectly with the Bond title credits. Look at tracks “American Sports” or “Golden Trunks” and tell me you can’t see Daniel Craig slow motion falling through a dark psychedelic dreamscape. If you tell me you can’t I will personally cut either song to the title sequence of Spectre just for you. I shouldn’t fail to mention that Turner also wrote six original tracks for the 2011 film Submarine, proving his ability to write songs that work well cinematically.
Adele
“Skyfall” was incredible. Adele is incredible. Adele’s last album was incredible. Though the franchise hasn’t had a repeat artist for the Bond theme since Shirley Bassey, it goes without saying that Adele is the biggest and probably most like-able artist in the world. Whatever she puts her voice on turns to gold. If they can convince her with a big bag of cash, I’m sure she would bring the exact kind of presence needed for Bond’s milestone to be thrust in the limelight. It’s hard to argue with the 315 million views that “Skyfall” has on Youtube.
Car Seat Headrest
Yeah. This one is a little bizarre. I’m sure 99% of you are saying, who the hell is Car Seat Headrest? The band is the indie rock project of Will Toledo, whose last two albums Teens of Denial and Twin Fantasy have pushed his band into the edges of the mainstream. Daniel Craig is apparently a huge fan of the group and even took his fellow cast members of the film Logan Lucky to see them live. Craig is known to have influenced both Adele and Radiohead to make themes for previous Bond’s, so he might be interested seeing what Car Seat Headrest could offer. The last real rock themes were Chris Cornell’s for Casino Royale and Jack White’s for Quantum of Solace, but a return to a harder sound could be key in setting up the mood for Bond 25. A song like “Sober to Death” could reach a sound suitable for the film if it just had an orchestra in the back. Maybe it’s time for an indie rocker to take the helm.
Ed Sheeran
Apparently the guy already has a theme penned incase he is picked. Obviously he’s no amateur and one of the biggest artists in the UK. I don’t have many thoughts on this one but he did do a fantastic song for The Hobbit.
Beyonce
I mean c’mon. It’s Beyonce. It’s crazy that the only artist whose status rivals Adele’s, hasn’t recorded a Bond theme. Right now Beyonce is undoubtedly larger than ever. After her incredible performance at the Grammy’s in 2017 and this year’s Coachella, it would be fitting to pick her now. With a versatile voice that can fit over any style of music, it would be beneficial for the franchise to get her to boost the popularity of the next film.
Dua Lipa
Okay so this one is weird. For some reason, British bookies have her at 4-to-5 odds to do the theme. After some thought, the odds make sense. She’s a huge star right now with her two EDM-laced hits, “New Rules” and “One Kiss.” She’s also British, which gives her a little boost in appealing to the UK audience. Looking at her album, which is mainly synth-pop, she comes across as a strong singer with a unique voice. Her cover of “I Would Rather Go Blind” shows off her ability to slow things down and work emotion. Though she might not be exactly what people expect, a well written song with her on it could skyrocket into the Top Ten on both US and UK charts.
Paloma Faith
I admittedly know nothing about this artist. But she has been asked in interviews multiple times about recording a Bond theme. So I had to learn about her following the speculation. Paloma Faith has never made waves in the US, but in the UK, her latest album took the number one spot from Taylor Swift’s Reputation. After a bit of research, she has a voice that is reminiscent of the former Bond themes sang by women in the ’60s and ’70s. Her cover of INXS’ “Never Tear Us Apart” literally sounds like an audition for the job.
Obviously there are many artists both inside and outside the mainstream that would be suited to recording the Bond theme. Like whatever happened to Ellie Goulding? She would’ve been a great pick in the early 2010’s. No matter who makes the theme for Bond 25, hopefully it’s on par with the last few films’ and celebrates the franchise in this historic milestone.