Speculation has run rampant with regard to the upcoming theme song for Spectre, which director Sam Mendes recently confirmed has been recorded and sounds “fantastic.” As is traditional for the James Bond franchise, the title tune has been shrouded in secrecy, leaving fans to scrutinize every possible contender for the gig.
Adele recorded the Skyfall theme and won both an Oscar and a Grammy for the recording back in 2013, so whoever is lending their pipes to the next Bond movie certainly has big shoes to fill. Mendes has teased that we won’t have to “wait long” to find out which artist got the job, but Bond aficionados are an impatient bunch, so the rumor mill has been churning incessantly for weeks now. British bookies are busy taking bets on just about everything about the James Bond franchise, and THR reports that the following singers have strong odds:
- Sam Smith (2/5) – We previously reported that the Grammy-winning artist, who broke out in a big way last year with In the Lonely Hour, had been in talks for the gig, and despite his saying that rumors he recorded the track are “definitely not true,” he’s hot enough at the moment that no one would be very surprised to hear his emotive pipes tackle the Bond theme.
- Ed Sheeran (8/1) – Sheeran has directly addressed speculation that he may be involved by saying he’s not and adding “maybe in ten years time when [his] balls drop.” A British solo male vocalist hasn’t recorded a Bond song since 1965, which makes it very curious that bookies are high on two of them right now.
- Ellie Goulding (10/1) – The British chanteuse has proven exceedingly soundtrack-friendly over the years, and she’s been nothing if not coy when it comes to rumors that she recorded the Spectre theme (including Smith name-dropping her as a candidate). Goulding tweeted “live and let die” recently and also dropped an Instagram picture of herself leaving Abbey Road Studios, where Adele recorded “Skyfall,” accompanied by the caption “That’s a wrap!”
- Adele (12/1) – Adele has been very quiet lately, and it’s not unheard of for a singer to do multiple Bond themes (Shirley Bassey did three iconic ones). Thomas Newman is composing Spectre, as he did Skyfall, so it could be a reunion for the pair.
- Lana Del Rey (14/1) – Del Rey is hard at work on her third studio album, so there’s no reason she should have had time to record a Bond theme, but the American singer certainly has the mystique and dark sex appeal necessary to pull off a steamy Bond theme. This, and she’s proven exceptionally good at nailing the tone of a film within music – look at how huge her Great Gatsby track “Young and Beautiful” became.
- Lorde (16/1) – Lorde has been hard at work curating the soundtrack for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2, but some bookies like her chances. The singer is just about old enough to be a Bond Girl, but she’d be one of the youngest to ever record a Bond theme.
- Noel Gallagher (25/1) – The Oasis singer volunteered to sing the theme song, but it would be shocking to see him land the gig.
Out of all those contenders, my money is on Goulding. She’s been stoking the fires of fan speculation for weeks now, and Showbiz 411 has also reported that Goulding has a song registered with BMI Music called “Spy.” That sounds a lot like a Bond tune, now doesn’t it?
All will surely be revealed soon, as Spectre is hitting theaters November 6, and Mendes has so far been a man of his word when it comes to revealing tidbits about the anticipated spy thriller.
In the meantime, tell us, who would you want to see tackle the Bond theme?