The full version of Sam Smith’s “Writing’s On the Wall” theme song for the upcoming James Bond movie Spectre is now live.
British artist Sam Smith revealed his Spectre song “Writing’s On the Wall” on BBC One this morning.
Earlier this week we were treated to a short teaser, but the track is now available in full. Listen below:
The soft, orchestral theme is very reminiscent of Skyfall‘s eponymous Adele theme from 2012, but a lot less epic. However, perhaps the more melancholic vibe is a good fit for the new movie, which is set to finally reveal the origins of James Bond.
Related: Spectre director says film reveals Bond’s origin story
Writing for The Guardian, Alex Petridis confesses himself underwhelmed by the new Bond theme, saying, “It feels like an X-Factor ballad.”
While Petridis gives Smith credit for being, “a male singer using a Bond theme to convey vulnerability,” he doesn’t think the song is very noteworthy or memorable. “You keep expecting it to arrive at a showstopping chorus that never comes.”
(And of course lyrics like, “I’ve been here before, but always hit the floor,” don’t exactly help to convey the grand nature of the James Bond series.)
When Sam Smith was first revealed as the Spectre theme song artist, he admitted that he wrote the song in 20 minutes. Perhaps “Writing’s On the Wall” reflects that process.
Spectre is directed by Sam Mendes, and brings back Daniel Craig as the titular James Bond. The movie hits cinemas on October 26 in the U.K., and on November 6 in the U.S.