Adele Drops Haunting 007 Theme, "Skyfall"

Adele Drops Haunting 007 Theme, "Skyfall"

: Published on Friday, October 05 2012; Written by Felix Kay

I love the James Bond franchise. Besides the superior story and action, these films have always been known for having great theme songs performed by fabulous artist such as Nancy Sinatra, Madonna, Tina Turner, Gladys Knight, and many others, so when it came to making a decision on who would be singing the theme to Skyfall, the 23rd installment of the Bond series, Adele seemed like a shoe-in.

Indeed, Adele will officially lend her talents for "Skyfall", the official theme song to the upcoming 007 adventure of the same name. After reading the script for the film, Adele enlisted Paul Epworth to co-write and produce the theme song. Adele admits, "I was a little hesitant at first to be involved with the theme song for Skyfall. There's a lot of instant spotlight and pressure when it comes to a Bond song. But I fell in love with the script, and Paul had some great ideas for the track, and it ended up being a bit of a no-brainer to do it in the end. It was also a lot of fun writing to a brief, something I've never done, which made it exciting. When we recorded the strings, it was one of the proudest moments of my life. I'll be back combing my hair when I'm 60 telling people I was a Bond Girl back in the day I'm sure!"

The highly-anticipated song is currently available online, and after listening to it, I have no doubt in my mind that Adele was the perfect choice. It sounds like a classic, perhaps more traditional Bond theme – which in turn is a good thing. The last two movies in the Bond series -- Quantum of Solace and Casino Royale -- went an alternative/rock route with Jack White and Alicia Keys, while Adele's tune swings it back to the Bond style we all know and love with her big beautiful voice.

Accompanied by a grand 77-piece orchestra and choir, Adele’s vocals keeps everything grounded, especially during the song's final third. Sure, it's not breaking any new ground, but it does the familiar very well; after all, Adele is best known for her ballads and her albums 19 and 21. To date 21 has sold over 24 million albums worldwide and garnered Adele 6 Grammy Awards, 2 BRIT Awards, and 2 Ivor Novello Awards, thanks to her stand-and-take-notice voice and casually understated slow-build delivery.

"Skyfall" is the first recording by Adele since releasing her massively successful sophomore album 21 in early 2011. The song is available globally via her official site today (which marks the 50th anniversary of the release of Dr. No, and thus the entire James Bond film franchise, and will be celebrated as Global James Bond Day). The track is also available to purchase as a download. Check it out below and let us know what you think!