Single Review: Billie Eilish - No Time To Die

When it was announced that Billie Eilish would be taking on a Bond theme, most probably wondered how it would sound. Especially those for whom the only Billie Eilish song they knew was "Bad Guy". But the one reason I knew we'd get something good and on brand for both Billie and Bond is because of two things. The song "Lovely". And Finneas.

Finneas has established himself as a producer to watch, having shown great range across the material he's produced and written for Billie, as well as his own solo stuff. The guy knows music. And it's clear the more you listen to the fruits of the siblings' work that they take their craft seriously and nothing that they do is by chance. So of course they were going to get this shit right.

Billie's music has always had an underlying darkness and stirring. Even in its brightest moments with songs like "Ocean Eyes". So whilst the choice of making Billie helm a Bond theme may seem random for some, it makes sense, even if you take her mega stardom out of the equation. Billie helming a Bond theme made more sense to me than the rumoured Beyoncé. Not that Bey007ncé would have been a bad choice. But I had to think for a while as to how a Beyoncé Bond theme could and would sound. When Billie was announced as the one who would actually be doing it, I didn't think nor wonder for a second. I just got it. It's well within Billie and Finneas' wheelhouse. Probably more so than Bondyoncé's.

From the moment "No Time To Die" starts it sounds like a Bond theme. And within its 4 minute run-time there are no surprises, no twists nor turns. It is just a very respectful take on a Bond theme, which adheres to all of the rules of a classic 007 film theme. If I were to be really picky, I'd say that it sticks almost too close to the formula. Bond style note progressions, swelling strings, chord choices, guitar twangs plucking away at what sound like fractured pieces of the James Bond 007 theme. It's very safe. But it's also to be expected. Billie and Finneas aren't what I'd call risk takers, and I don't mean this as an insult.

As wild and free spirited as Billie seems, she seems incredibly particular about the types of songs she does, and Finneas is very protective of Billie's music and respectful as a producer. So between the two of them, I can't imagine it ever crossed their minds to do anything wildly radical. They also both seem very self-aware that they're still new to all of this music shit and probably don't see themselves as being in a position to do something as wild with a Bond theme as Madonna did with "Die Another Day" or Paul McCartney did with "Live And Let Die". Even though they are and they could. But by being respectful they've crafted something really good. But it's not just the respect that allowed them to create a damn good Bond theme. It's the core understanding between the two of them of what actually makes a good Bond theme.

Adele and Sam Smith's Bond themes weren't bad, but they were safe to the point of boring. And whilst they both sounded Bond-esque, they were missing something. A sense of progression. "Skyfall" peaks too early in its first run of the chorus and then goes nowhere further than that. "The Writing's On The Wall" feels like its going to build to something, but never does. As with "Skyfall", it peaks too early. "No Time To Die" on the other hand builds continuously, before it begins to swell in its final moments to deliver a satisfying payoff at its end. The song feels complete and the progression feels right, but you're still left wanting more in the best way. The lack of a fully complete and resolute end is masterful, because it not only signifies that the continuation will be the film itself, but the uncertain future of this particular iteration of 007 that we've been with since Casino Royale. What the fuck is gonna happen to this Bond? The song structure is spot on.

But for all of the Bond tropes and faithfulness to the Double 0, Billie herself doesn't get lost in any of it. "No Time To Die" still manages to sound like a song that Billie and Finneas would have done any way; in its sound, its execution, even down to the subject matter. Both have given us songs which aren't far off sounding like Bond themes.

The only thing I don't like about the song is that ir just doesn't sound as clean as I'd like. I know that Finneas has a particular way in which he produces Billie's vocals, but they sound really compressed, or as though she's singing too close into a bad quality mic. And the mix of the song gets really muddy once the strings come in towards the end. The lo-fi shit works fine with Billie' usual shit. But we should have gotten a far cleaner mix with this. But it's probably something that most won't notice. It's just me being a nitpicker of a bitch.

The impact of "No Time To Die" is going to be interesting to see. Older generations of Bond fans who are probably tired of these young people coming in and delivering these lacklustre ass themes will have no idea who Billie is, but will discover who she is through this song and be surprised at how good it is after a string of not so great ones. And the younger generation around Billie's age who could not care less about a James Bond (Bitch, who!?) may just decide to jump down the 007 rabbit hole because Billie did a song for one of the films. There's real potential for the bridging of generations which is attributed not only down to the choice of giving Billie the honour of singing a Bond theme, but the quality of the song itself.

RATING: 7 / 10

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