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

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  • RichardTheBruceRichardTheBruce I'm motivated by my Duty.
    Posts: 13,006
    You're gonna love it, @GadgetMan.
  • GadgetManGadgetMan Lagos, Nigeria
    Posts: 4,247
    You're gonna love it, @GadgetMan.

    Thanks @RichardTheBruce. I think I will, I really want to love it. That's why am putting myself through this somewhat ordeal. Coz I have read too many negative reviews about the song, so I think an image or visual designed by Kleinman would get stuck in my head whenever I listen to the song, so there's no way am going to hate it after that kind of experience.
  • DoctorNoDoctorNo USA-Maryland
    Posts: 754
    DoctorNo wrote: »
    DoctorNo wrote: »
    Eilish is making a lot of $. It's a great song, and I'm sure Eon were also thinking of $ when they got her to do it.

    It's a good song, with mediocre production. Eon were thinking Adele, but that didn't repeat here. It's hard to exactly compare because the movie didn't coincide with song to feed into each other. But the song isn't radio.

    This song is radio.

    Not in the US. and that’s where the money is

    Depends where you turn the dial.

    Exactly. It didn’t cross formats, go in heavy rotation, become ubiquitous which is why it’s only sold a fraction compared to Skyfall. It could still happen if the movie is a big hit and radio revisits but it didn’t happen by the song itself.
  • Posts: 2,436
    DoctorNo wrote: »
    DoctorNo wrote: »
    DoctorNo wrote: »
    Eilish is making a lot of $. It's a great song, and I'm sure Eon were also thinking of $ when they got her to do it.

    It's a good song, with mediocre production. Eon were thinking Adele, but that didn't repeat here. It's hard to exactly compare because the movie didn't coincide with song to feed into each other. But the song isn't radio.

    This song is radio.

    Not in the US. and that’s where the money is

    Depends where you turn the dial.

    Exactly. It didn’t cross formats, go in heavy rotation, become ubiquitous which is why it’s only sold a fraction compared to Skyfall. It could still happen if the movie is a big hit and radio revisits but it didn’t happen by the song itself.

    She's one of the biggest selling artists out there today.
  • MakeshiftPythonMakeshiftPython “Baja?!”
    Posts: 8,025
    I’m sure it’ll get a nice boost if NTTD is a huge hit. And if Hans Zimmer uses the instrumental of the song a lot in his score, that really helps ingrain the song in one’s head much like how “Goldfinger” was used.
  • WalecsWalecs On Her Majesty's Secret Service
    Posts: 3,157
    I’m sure it’ll get a nice boost if NTTD is a huge hit. And if Hans Zimmer uses the instrumental of the song a lot in his score, that really helps ingrain the song in one’s head much like how “Goldfinger” was used.

    +1
  • GadgetManGadgetMan Lagos, Nigeria
    edited July 2020 Posts: 4,247
    I’m sure it’ll get a nice boost if NTTD is a huge hit. And if Hans Zimmer uses the instrumental of the song a lot in his score, that really helps ingrain the song in one’s head much like how “Goldfinger” was used.

    Yeah, fans are hoping for this. Even if am yet to hear the song, we all know weaving a Bond song into the score works....whether the song is excellent, average or bad.
  • talos7talos7 New Orleans
    Posts: 7,969
    It’s a good but not great song. I’m disappointed that it’s another ballad; In the past they’ve done a better job of alternating ballads with more up tempo songs.
    Craig came in with a roar accompanied by Chris Cornell; I was hoping that he would go out with one.
  • Posts: 4,400
    talos7 wrote: »
    It’s a good but not great song. I’m disappointed that it’s another ballad; In the past they’ve done a better job of alternating ballads with more up tempo songs.
    Craig came in with a roar accompanied by Chris Cornell; I was hoping that he would go out with one.

    What is with this Chris Cornell love? YKMN is bad...it's only made better by having Kleinman's inventive visuals. Otherwise, the song has aged hideously. It's a generic, bland bit of Dad rock.

    Cornell's voice is so much more powerful when he's singing ballads and not shouting and trying to sound all tough. The weakest part of CR is the anonymous and forgettable title song. It just felt like an afterthought.....I even think Sam Smith's song blew it out of the water.

    maxresdefault.jpg

    Meanwhile, Billie Eilish's song is close to perfect. It's haunting, atmospheric, emotional and actually impactful. Her vocally performance is so sincere and beautiful. It's both intimate and epic.

    I haven't seen it in the context of the film yet (obviously), but pending the title sequence and how Zimmer incorporates it into the score. It could be the best of the Craig era.

    PRC_120053813.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&zoom=1&resize=644%2C338&ssl=1
  • MakeshiftPythonMakeshiftPython “Baja?!”
    Posts: 8,025
    talos7 wrote: »
    It’s a good but not great song. I’m disappointed that it’s another ballad; In the past they’ve done a better job of alternating ballads with more up tempo songs.
    Craig came in with a roar accompanied by Chris Cornell; I was hoping that he would go out with one.

    I prefer to have a song that perfectly reflects the film, rather than consider previous entries and how many ballads or upbeat songs were used. EON should only focus on what’s good for the film, not how it fits in the franchise. Given what we know of NTTD, it doesn’t sound like the kind of movie that would be suitable with an upbeat song. For example, that Gladys Knight song for LTK might have worked fine for a different film but felt so out of place with a dark revenge thriller.
  • GadgetManGadgetMan Lagos, Nigeria
    edited July 2020 Posts: 4,247
    Eilish's song could be an excellent Bond theme, after I listen to it. But YKMN?....Cornell's YKMN is an infectious Bond theme, I listen to it everyday,
    am even listening to it now .....Loooooove it!!!!!!!!....Probably because am a huge fan of Rock music.
  • talos7talos7 New Orleans
    Posts: 7,969
    talos7 wrote: »
    It’s a good but not great song. I’m disappointed that it’s another ballad; In the past they’ve done a better job of alternating ballads with more up tempo songs.
    Craig came in with a roar accompanied by Chris Cornell; I was hoping that he would go out with one.

    What is with this Chris Cornell love? YKMN is bad...it's only made better by having Kleinman's inventive visuals. Otherwise, the song has aged hideously. It's a generic, bland bit of Dad rock.

    Cornell's voice is so much more powerful when he's singing ballads and not shouting and trying to sound all tough. The weakest part of CR is the anonymous and forgettable title song. It just felt like an afterthought.....I even think Sam Smith's song blew it out of the water.

    maxresdefault.jpg

    Meanwhile, Billie Eilish's song is close to perfect. It's haunting, atmospheric, emotional and actually impactful. Her vocally performance is so sincere and beautiful. It's both intimate and epic.

    I haven't seen it in the context of the film yet (obviously), but pending the title sequence and how Zimmer incorporates it into the score. It could be the best of the Craig era.

    PRC_120053813.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&zoom=1&resize=644%2C338&ssl=1

    YKMN bad? Sam Smith's song blew it out of the water.? Thankfully that’s an opinion and not a fact. 😏
  • MakeshiftPythonMakeshiftPython “Baja?!”
    Posts: 8,025
    It's interesting to look at the charts. Both Adele and Billie Eilish did very well all around, but the other three title songs didn't even come close. The only thing all five songs have in common is that they all scored in the top 10 UK singles charts, with AWTD at #9, YKMN at #7, SF at #2, and WOTW & NTTD at #1.
  • OOWolfOOWolf Savannah
    Posts: 140
    I love how Billie Eillish's song is perfect for the time we live in because like our times, it's hopeless, lackluster, brooding, apocalyptic, not sexy, and rhythmless. The song sounds as if it were performed by a kid who just survived a nuclear holocaust and is underground and finds an antiquated machine called a record player, which plays the famous motif on trumpet.

    Anyway, wouldn't add up to have something as grand as 'DAF,' 'LALD,' or 'AVTAK' in this mess. If Craig is supposed to go out with a bang, how could they not produce a banger? The theme should have been a propulsive classic, played all summer long, while hyping up the film with every play. I've listened to the song once or twice and haven't gone back to it since. Don't have the slightest inclination to do so either.
  • DoctorNoDoctorNo USA-Maryland
    Posts: 754
    OOWolf wrote: »
    I love how Billie Eillish's song is perfect for the time we live in because like our times, it's hopeless, lackluster, brooding, apocalyptic, not sexy, and rhythmless. The song sounds as if it were performed by a kid who just survived a nuclear holocaust and is underground and finds an antiquated machine called a record player, which plays the famous motif on trumpet.

    Anyway, wouldn't add up to have something as grand as 'DAF,' 'LALD,' or 'AVTAK' in this mess. If Craig is supposed to go out with a bang, how could they not produce a banger? The theme should have been a propulsive classic, played all summer long, while hyping up the film with every play. I've listened to the song once or twice and haven't gone back to it since. Don't have the slightest inclination to do so either.

    Lol. Good post.
  • MakeshiftPythonMakeshiftPython “Baja?!”
    Posts: 8,025
    I don't think NTTD looks like the kind of film that demands a "banger" kind of song.
  • Posts: 97
    @Pierce2Daniel Why do you always illustrate your comments with photos that don't add ANYTHING to what you are trying to say? Also, YKMN is universally considered as being far better than NTTD.
  • ResurrectionResurrection Kolkata, India
    Posts: 2,541
    OOWolf wrote: »
    I love how Billie Eillish's song is perfect for the time we live in because like our times, it's hopeless, lackluster, brooding, apocalyptic, not sexy, and rhythmless. The song sounds as if it were performed by a kid who just survived a nuclear holocaust and is underground and finds an antiquated machine called a record player, which plays the famous motif on trumpet.

    Anyway, wouldn't add up to have something as grand as 'DAF,' 'LALD,' or 'AVTAK' in this mess. If Craig is supposed to go out with a bang, how could they not produce a banger? The theme should have been a propulsive classic, played all summer long, while hyping up the film with every play. I've listened to the song once or twice and haven't gone back to it since. Don't have the slightest inclination to do so either.

    Haha Spot on, perfectly suited for our time 😁
  • MakeshiftPythonMakeshiftPython “Baja?!”
    Posts: 8,025
    The_Return wrote: »
    Also, YKMN is universally considered as being far better than NTTD.

    How?
  • Posts: 97
    The_Return wrote: »
    Also, YKMN is universally considered as being far better than NTTD.

    How?
    What do you mean how? YKMN is consntantly ranked as one of the top Bond theme songs and the reactions to Eilish's song were pretty lukewarm.
  • ResurrectionResurrection Kolkata, India
    Posts: 2,541
    Yes, YNMN has aged quite well amongst the fan but we have yet to see how Eilish's song will do. Especially after seeing it in the title sequence.
  • MakeshiftPythonMakeshiftPython “Baja?!”
    Posts: 8,025
    Yes, YNMN has aged quite well amongst the fan but we have yet to see how Eilish's song will do. Especially after seeing it in the title sequence.

    Yup. It’s too early now to declare NTTD a dud, especially since it’s done well on the charts (which was even better than YKMN).
  • Posts: 1,883
    YKMN is very underrated as a Bond song. It never fails to bring the energy whenever I hear it. It also fits into Arnold's soundtrack well in the few places he works it in, it has energy.

    I just listened to NTTD for the first time since it was released. I wasn't big on it then. It was a little better this time but nowhere near the series' top songs.

    The sparse instrumentation in the beginning doesn't pull you in the way a Bond song should grab you. Eilish's vocals are an acquired taste; nothing against her, she's obviously talented, but I just am not a fan of this style of singing where it's almost talking, a trend I hear on a lot of covers of popular songs on commercials these days. The music does get a better as the song goes on. Some of the lyrics seem to strain to work in the rhymes: there, pair, bear, fair.

    As others have said, I look forward to hearing it in the context of the credit sequence and will go from there.
  • GadgetManGadgetMan Lagos, Nigeria
    edited July 2020 Posts: 4,247
    YKMN has really aged well indeed....The song is now about age 15, but it's still very fresh to my ears, Wow!...I know CR is a very good Bond film, and I know YKMN is just a title song, but there's every chance that if EON didn't get the title song right introducing the new Bond, the film might not have been the same. I think this song helped the world to quickly accept Craig as Bond....even if his performance was already stellar.
  • Posts: 1,883
    Another thing I really like with YKMN is the lyrics. In another thread a while back, I had a conversation with another member about how it's like M or Fate addressing Bond about what he's about to undertake in becoming a 00 and maybe it's Bond responding with you know my name since Bond, James Bond is an iconic phrase.
  • OOWolfOOWolf Savannah
    Posts: 140
    I don't think NTTD looks like the kind of film that demands a "banger" kind of song.

    Regardless of the events, it's not exactly supposed to be a melodrama. If Bond is really to fly the coup, or something tragic is supposed to happen, I'd be more inclined to think that someone CLASSIC like Shirley Bassey would be more appropriate for the theme as someone who has had a huge impact on the lore of the series. I mean, a kid like Billie has as much of a relationship with Bond as a centennial has with a computer.
  • MakeshiftPythonMakeshiftPython “Baja?!”
    Posts: 8,025
    Old timers like Bassey had their day.
  • George_KaplanGeorge_Kaplan Not a red herring
    Posts: 564
    OOWolf wrote: »
    I don't think NTTD looks like the kind of film that demands a "banger" kind of song.

    Regardless of the events, it's not exactly supposed to be a melodrama. If Bond is really to fly the coup, or something tragic is supposed to happen, I'd be more inclined to think that someone CLASSIC like Shirley Bassey would be more appropriate for the theme as someone who has had a huge impact on the lore of the series. I mean, a kid like Billie has as much of a relationship with Bond as a centennial has with a computer.

    They'll be trying to bring in a younger audience remember. Which is especially important now given how irregular the release schedule's been in the last few years. I can't stand her myself and I'm only a year older than her, but if she's going to get kids into the cinema then fair enough.
  • Posts: 1,883
    OOWolf wrote: »
    I don't think NTTD looks like the kind of film that demands a "banger" kind of song.

    Regardless of the events, it's not exactly supposed to be a melodrama. If Bond is really to fly the coup, or something tragic is supposed to happen, I'd be more inclined to think that someone CLASSIC like Shirley Bassey would be more appropriate for the theme as someone who has had a huge impact on the lore of the series. I mean, a kid like Billie has as much of a relationship with Bond as a centennial has with a computer.

    They'll be trying to bring in a younger audience remember. Which is especially important now given how irregular the release schedule's been in the last few years. I can't stand her myself and I'm only a year older than her, but if she's going to get kids into the cinema then fair enough.

    And that's how it should be. If a hot contemporary performer can bring more attention then it has my full support.

    I'm not Elish's audience, but her talent is apparent and whether I like the song or not is secondary. I agree on no Shirley Bassey; series lore shouldn't have anything to do with her performing a title song. If they want to include her in a different song somewhere else in the film I wouldn't be opposed, but the title song is such a vital part of the series.

    Back when AVTAK was new, I heard there were Duran Duran fans who went just to hear their song. Who knows how many people become Bond fans because they are first a fan of the performer?
  • MalloryMallory Do mosquitoes have friends?
    Posts: 2,056
    I like the song and Eilish's vocal performance. I do feel (oddly, considering Zimmer orchestrated it) that the instrumentation is quite underpowered. There are some unofficial "epic" versions of the song on youtube with a bit more oomph in the orchestra and they work really well. Perhaps the movie version will be a bit more powerful, much like the YKMN movie version.

    Will be interested to see how Kleinman's titles work with the song.
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