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Skyfall (song)

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Widr (talk | contribs) at 19:23, 28 November 2012 (Undid revision 525393154 by Widr (talk) On second thought, undoing the previous edit. This chart reflects the song's success in Finland better than the singles chart.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

"Skyfall"
Song

"Skyfall" is a song performed by English singer-songwriter Adele, and the eponymous theme song of the 23rd James Bond film from Eon Productions, Skyfall.[1] The track was written by Adele and producer Paul Epworth, and features orchestration by J. A. C. Redford.[2] "Skyfall" was released on 5 October 2012 at 0:07 BST, as part of "Global James Bond Day", celebrating the 50th anniversary of the release of Dr. No, the first James Bond film.[3]

Background

Adele first mentioned recording a "special project" in September 2011 in an interview on The Jonathan Ross Show, leading to speculation in the media that she would be recording the theme for the film.[4] She later told NRJ in April 2012 that she would have a new single out by the end of 2012, but that the single would not be from a new album.[5] Rumours continued to spread in September after Adele was reportedly seen at Abbey Road Studios where Thomas Newman was recording Skyfall's score.[6]

The song was originally rumoured to be called "Let The Sky Fall"[7] and, in September 2012, OneRepublic vocalist Ryan Tedder posted a message on Twitter claiming he had heard the title track and that it was "the best James Bond theme in his lifetime". Adele's publicist, Paul Moss, mentioned the song on his Twitter. Both later deleted their messages.[8] Cover art for the single release was later leaked online,[9] but Adele's involvement in the project was not officially confirmed until 1 October.[1]

Composition

After being approached to perform the theme song for the film, Adele enlisted Paul Epworth as her co-writer and producer. The song was recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London, and features a seventy-seven piece orchestra arranged by J. A. C. Redford.[3] With the announcement that she would be performing the theme, Adele admitted that she was apprehensive about the project when she first got involved because of the pressure involved in producing a Bond theme. Her enthusiasm was piqued after reading the script and ideas for the theme began to take shape, with the lyrics intended to reflect the narrative of the film, rather than emphasise romanticism.[10] In discussing the composition of the song, Paul Epworth described the inclusion of Monty Norman's "James Bond theme" in the harmonies and chord progression as a conscious decision.[10]

According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com, "Skyfall" is written in common time in the key of C minor with a tempo of 76 beats per minute. The song follows the chord progression Cm – A♭ – Fm7 for six measures, followed by Cm/D – Gsus4 – G. Adele's vocals range from G3 to C5.[11]

Critical reception

The song received generally positive reviews. Entertainment Weekly wrote that it was "finally" a great James Bond theme.[12] Huffington Post described the song as a "brassy and soulful tune [that] fits perfectly alongside the work of Shirley Bassey in the oeuvre of James Bond title tracks."[13] RedEye gave the song four out of four stars and declared that the song "is a return to form, and if it doesn't get you hyped for the movie, you're not a Bond fan."[14] Scottish Daily Record named the song its 'Single of the Week' and gave the song five stars out of five.[15] PopCrush gave the song four-and-a-half stars out of five and called the song "wholly satisfying and worth the wait."[16] Idolator wrote that "during the song’s final third, Adele does, in fact, make the sky fall, in typical Adele fashion."[17] Consequence of Sound commented that "rousing instrumentation elevates the vocals to soaring heights."[18] Hitfix called the song a "majestic ballad" and a "classic James Bond theme".[19] Newsday was also very positive, writing that "Skyfall" is "unlike anything else she's done in her young career. It's self-assured and grand, drawing inspiration from Dame Shirley Bassey, while adding her own powerful phrasing to make it her own. Adele's style so far has been to downplay her massive voice with lyrics that are questioning and self-deprecating. On "Skyfall," though, it sounds like the diva point of view suits her, too."[20]

The Los Angeles Times complimented the song and said that the song "tells good things for this winter's blockbuster-to-be. It's not a reimagining or a musical departure, but simply a righting of the ship. The song is big, bold and seems to have a little spot-o-fun."[21] MTV was also positive, stating that "Adele's lush song fits right in with classics by Shirley Bassey, Paul McCartney and Carly Simon."[22] The Wall Street Journal felt similarly, writing that the song "has sweep and drama, [with] orchestral support [that] gives it a classical timelessness that sets it apart from typical pop songs. Because it is a theme for a Bond film, after all, the song is also shot through with the threat of violence and death."[23] E! Online wrote that Adele's song was "a cross, and a good one at that, between the 1971 Bassey classic and a more-focused version of Garbage's 'The World Is Not Enough.'"[24] The Hollywood Reporter wrote that the song "instantly feels like a Bond theme, with the singer's sultry voice set against a minor chord progression. Done in big, orchestral style, the mood -- like the singer -- is all 1960s throwback, back when Bond themes like "Goldfinger" were smooth, seductive and larger than life."[25] The Harvard Crimson wrote "Adele's retro leanings and rich voice make her a perfect fit for this now-nostalgic elegance. It's no small feat that, in a pantheon that includes "Goldfinger," "You Only Live Twice," "Diamonds are Forever," and "Live and Let Die," Adele's "Skyfall" holds its own."[26]

Some other reviews were positive, but more critical. Jim Farber of the New York-based Daily News wrote in his review: "It suffers from a similarly meandering melody and ponderous progression. The grandeur of its arrangement easily upstages the tune" but "Even so, the luster of Adele's tone, and the bravura arc of her vocal, makes it enjoyable enough. And, fifty years down the line, isn't that all we really expect from a Bond product these days?"[27] Yahoo!'s Rob O'Connor gave the standalone song a positive review, but felt that it was too soon to tell how the song would fit into the wider canon of James Bond theme songs.[28] Neil McCormick of The Daily Telegraph was less-complimentary, describing the song as "classy", but at the same time, "overly predictable".[29]

Commercial reception

The song went to number one at the UK's iTunes online store less than ten hours after it was released,[10][30] surpassing "Diamonds" by Rihanna in that country,[10] and Taylor Swift's "Red" in the US. At 6 a.m. on 5 October, Clear Channel began airing "Skyfall" on 180 radio stations around the United States at the top of every hour. Within 24 hours, "Skyfall" had garnered 10 million audience impressions and had already begun to rank within the Top 50 of the Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems-based Radio Songs chart.[31]

On 7 October, "Skyfall" entered the UK Singles Chart at number 4 after less than 48 hours on sale. The single sold 84,000 copies in the UK during its first two days of release.[32] On 14 October, "Skyfall" rose to number 2 on the UK Singles Chart with sales of 92,000 copies. This tied "Skyfall" with Duran Duran's "A View to a Kill" as the highest-charting James Bond theme song on the UK Singles Chart.[33] "Skyfall" debuted at number one in Ireland based on downloads alone.[34]

"Skyfall" entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number 8, Adele's first song to debut in the Top 10, selling 261,000 copies in the United States in its first three days.[35] Though "Skyfall" debuted at number 8, it was actually the third best-selling single in the US that week – the Hot 100 ranks songs based on sales, radio airplay, and online streaming. "Skyfall" is the first James Bond theme to chart within the Top 10 in the US in a decade[36] and is the first James Bond theme to debut in the Top 10.[37] Interest in "Skyfall" led to a 10% increase in sales of Adele's last album, 21, in the US.[38]

After Skyfall was released in cinemas in North America, Adele's song saw a sales increase of 66%.[39]

Track listing

  • Digital download
  1. "Skyfall" – 4:46
  • CD/ 7" Vinyl single[40]
  1. "Skyfall" – 4:48
  2. "Skyfall" (Instrumental) – 4:45

Credits and personnel

Recording[40]
Personnel[40]

Charts and certifications

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Adele confirms Skyfall Bond theme song" BBC Newsbeat, retrieved 1 October 2012
  2. ^ "Skyfall sheet". Adele Official Twitter. 1 October 2012. Retrieved 1 October 2012.
  3. ^ a b "Skyfall Official Theme Song News: Release To Coincide With Bond's 50th Anniverary". 007.com. Eon Productions. 1 October 2012. Retrieved 1 October 2012.
  4. ^ "Adele's back! Listen to the new James Bond theme tune, Skyfall, here". The Daily Mirror. 5 October 2012. Retrieved 5 October 2012. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
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  36. ^ "Adele's 'Skyfall' is not a skyrocket hit, yet". USA Today. 11 October 2012. Retrieved 12 October 2012.
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