After a long bout of anticipation, the theme for the newest James Bond movie, Spectre, has finally dropped. Performed by British soul singer Sam Smith, the song (which he penned in 20 minutes with producer Jimmy Napes) is already making the Internet rounds to massively positive reviews.

Titled "Writing's on the Wall," the song is accompanied by a flight of classically Bond-ish strings. The song is surprisingly stripped bare of layered orchestration, opting instead for a "Skyfall"-like rawness that accentuates Smith's almost-pleading falsetto and wide, affecting vocals.

"I tried to put myself in the shoes of Bond," Smith told NPR, elucidating the emotional nature of the song. "My music is a diary and it's a recap of my life, and I wanted to bring that kind of honesty,"

Lyrics like "I've been here before / But always hit the floor / I've spent a lifetime running / But I always get away" seem to allude not only to the many faces of James Bond that came before Craig's induction into the Hall of 007, but also to the possibility that Spectre will mark his last turn as the infamous spy for MI6. 

The song is already getting some early blurbs and accolades. Rolling Stone's Marielle Anas lauds Smith for his vocal achievements as he "delivers a grand accomplishment by entertaining the romantic danger of the Bond character while staying true to his hallmark simplicity and elegance."

According to Reuters, "Writing's On the Wall" marks the first time in more than half a century that a British male solo artist has performed a Bond theme song — the last was Tom Jones' easy-listening ballad "Thunderball" in 1965. And the last singer to record a song for a Bond movie was Adele, whose track "Skyfall" won her a Grammy for Best Song Written for Visual Media and an Academy Award for Best Original song in 2013

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In an interview with Reuters, Smith confessed his difficulties with keeping the news of his selection for the Bond roster a secret.

"It was harder than normal because everyone kind of guessed at the beginning and said it was going to be me and I had to just be really good at lying," he said, "...[recording the track is] at the top for me ... I never expected this to happen."

Listen to Smith's new Bond song below.

Via: Comic Book

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