The rejected Bond theme singer returns to claim her place in 007 history.
When Lana Del Rey revealed in 2024 that she had once written a song intended for a James Bond film, it sounded like one of those near-misses that quietly fade into trivia. A decade on from SPECTRE (2015), the moment has come full circle, with Del Rey now confirmed to perform the theme for 007 First Light, a new video game due for release in May.
The song has been composed by David Arnold, whose association with Bond stretches back to Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) and includes five films in total. His involvement lends the project a certain continuity, linking this new interpretation of Bond to the musical language that helped define the series through the late 1990s and early 2000s.
For Del Rey, the announcement carries a sense of unfinished business resolved. Her track 24, written with Bond in mind, was ultimately passed over in favour of Sam Smith’s Writing’s On The Wall, which went on to win the Academy Award for Best Original Song. At the time, it was a reminder of how tightly controlled the Bond brand had become. Now, through a different medium, she has been given the opportunity that once slipped away.
Arnold has suggested the new theme follows in the tradition of earlier Bond songs, combining a restrained opening with a more forceful orchestral arrangement. It is a familiar structure, one that has served the series well since the days of Shirley Bassey, but it also allows space for Del Rey’s unmistakable vocal style to shape the mood.
A return to Bond’s beginnings
007 First Light follows a 26-year-old Bond at the moment he is recruited into MI6 and earns his 00 designation, offering a portrait of the character before the fully formed figure seen in the films.
It is also the first Bond video game since 007 Legends in 2012, ending a gap of more than a decade. Earlier titles made occasional contributions to the musical canon, including Joss Stone’s I’ll Take It All for James Bond 007: Blood Stone (2010) and Mýa’s Everything or Nothing for the 2004 game of the same name. Even so, the involvement of a singer of Del Rey’s profile gives this latest effort a different weight.
The cast reflects the same intention to start afresh. Patrick Gibson will play Bond, with Lenny Kravitz as the villain Bawma and Gemma Chan as MI6 officer Selina Tan. Developer IO Interactive has confirmed that the game was briefly delayed to allow for additional polishing ahead of its release.
