Who’s Primed and Ready for a Bond Theme?

Is it too early to consider who will perform the next Bond song? We think not. It’s never too early to ponder what will happen in the Bond series. It’s all part of the fun. And this is particularly true when it comes to the music.

This isn’t a wish list, as Entertainment Weekly created prior to Spectre. Rather, it is a list of ten artists who not only can pull off a Bond song, but are also marketable enough, by EON’s standards, to be given the chance to do so. After all, the past two Bond songs, “Skyfall” and “Writing’s On the Wall” were Oscar winners. So the bar is pretty high.

10. Harry Styles

Bond fans might laugh at this selection, but we’re at least eighteen months away from Bond 25. There is no telling how high Styles’s star will rise by then. And if “Sign of the Times”  is any indication (and the song sounds very Bondian, indeed), he has the potential to belt out a classic Bond tune in the manner of Sam Smith. This, of course, is assuming EON wants to go in that direction again.

9. Twenty One Pilots

Over the past twenty years, EON has a developed an affinity for American rock music. Garbage, Sheryl Crow, Chris Cornell, and Jack White all performed the theme. But Garbage is the only American-based band to ever perform the theme song. If anyone is ready to be the second, it might be Twenty One Pilots. The Columbus-based duo have seen a meteoric rise in popularity. Their contribution to Suicide Squad is a good indication of their ability to do film music.

8. Pink

A female rocker has not tackled Bond since Shirley Manson (and Garbage) belted out “The World Is Not Enough.” And the last solo female to do so was Sheryl Crow, one film earlier, with “Tomorrow Never Dies.” No, Madonna doesn’t count–her music is  more pop/dance oriented.

Pink is a perfect combination of “edginess” and marketability. And she can carry a move theme, as evidenced by “Just Like Fire,” the theme for Alice Through the Looking Glass.

7. U2

In some circles, U2 is considered the “biggest band” in the world. Taking this into consideration, EON could do a lot worse than roping the Irish quartet for Bond. However, Bono and the Edge have already written a Bond song (1995’s “Goldeneye”) and if doing the theme were on the band’s radar, they would have done it a long time ago. But the band is older now, and their demographic also fits Bond’s. Plus, an Oscar has eluded them, and the right song, in a blockbuster Bond film, could put the little gold statue within reach.

6. Sia

The Australian singer writes quirky, mesmerizing tunes that could be a good fit, depending on the tone of Bond 25. It doesn’t hurt that her style is also a hit with listeners, as she has produced a number of hits over the past decade.

5. Arctic Monkeys

A British rock band has not performed the Bond theme since Duran Duran in 1985, with “A View to a KIll.” Is this by design? Or by accident? Let’s assume it’s the latter. EON is not adverse to having a rock band perform the theme.  Radiohead recorded a song for Spectre (and it was actually very good) but it is unlikely that they will attempt to do it again. That brings us to Arctic Monkeys, who have placed themselves in position to be the British alt-rock band that breaks through. Like Radiohead, they are a favorite of Daniel Craig’s. But also, like Radiohead, they might not be marketable enough.

4. Ellie Goulding

Another pop star out of England, Ellie could follow in the footsteps of Shirley Bassey, Lulu, and Adele. She was already rumored to be doing the theme for “Bond 24,” which turned out to be Sam Smith’s gig. The fact that many in the media didn’t question this rumor would suggest her vocal style is a perfect fit for Bond.

3. The Weeknd

This may be viewed as another laughable choice, but readers ought to take a long listen to “Earned It” (the video for which we can’t provide here–too NSFW). The Weeknd’s smooth vocals would couple nicely with a well-conceived title sequence.

Note: readers might notice that The Weeknd is the third artist on this list who performed on the Fifty Shades of Grey soundtrack. Ellie Goulding and Sia are the others. There may be a reason for this, as director Sam Taylor-Johnson (a friend of Daniel Craig’s) attempted to cast Christian Grey in a Bondian light, in terms of appearance, mannerisms, and decor. Music was a part of that, too.

2. Lady Gaga

If EON wants to continue in the direction of Adele and Sam Smith, then Lady Gaga might be the logical choice. Over the years, her sound has become more refined, with an emphasis on her tremendous vocal abilities. She can write hits, and one can only imagine her on the big stage, in a sequin gown, belting out a traditional-sounding Bond song.

Honorable Mention

Before we get to the number one selection, who are some others capable of performing the next Bond theme?

James Bay: The English singer-songwriter received critical acclaim for Chaos and the Calm. But is he established enough yet? We’ll know with the follow-up album.

Beck: If EON wants to go with moody alt-rock, there is no better choice than Beck, whose sound has matured and over the past decade.

Ed Sheeran: He certainly has the following and the English background. But is his mix of folk and pop suitable for Bond?

Bruno Mars; If the material is right, Mars would be a good fit for Bond. But that’s a big if.

Taylor Swift: As with Mars, the material has to be right. Pink and Lady Gaga are stronger, vocally.

1. Coldplay

As mentioned earlier, the time is right for a British band to take on the theme song. Coldplay has routinely put singles on the charts, so they are marketable. Plus, their sound can have a Bond-like quality to it (see the clip below, for “Charlie Brown,” as a perfect example. Make no mistake, the London-based quartet is “primed and ready” for Bond. We should start the campaign now.