Gaming
A composite image of James Bond in 007 First Light and Lana Del Rey
IO Interactive & Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images
James Bond theme songs are absolutely iconic and they're usually a huge cultural moment.
It seems gaming studio IO Interactive is aiming to recapture some of that magic with its upcoming Bond game 007 First Light as a theme tune for it performed by Lana Del Rey has been released.
The track is simply called 'First Light' and it's a classic Bond track in the sense that it starts slow and builds through a crescendo, focusing on vocals with sparse instrumentation to begin with before building intensity using a mix of a band and an orchestra to create a high-stakes atmosphere.
The lyrics from the track refer to 007 First Light being an origin story as an early lyric says "your strength is your youth" and a game adaptation is referenced through the final lines of the chorus as the lyrics say "people try and stop you, but all the fates just watch you, dying just to know whether you'll play your life like a game".
'First Light' has been written and composed by Lana Del Rey and David Arnold.
Arnold said: "The music of James Bond has always been a huge part of its identity. A title song has to tell us about the world we are about to enter into. It has to intrigue, excite, and beckon us in.
"This song joins a long line of genre defining songs, each one creating a benchmark of style that adds to the magnificent heritage that is 'The Bond Song'.
"That's why I was so excited to work with Lana, an artist who brought elegance, atmosphere and her totally unique character to this piece, which I hope will open the world of Bond to a whole new audience."
007 First Light is one of the most highly anticipated games of the year with more than three million Wishlists across the platforms it's releasing on.
Hakan Abrak, IO Interactive CEO, added: "It's a joy to watch two extraordinary talents like Lana Del Rey and David Arnold combine forces, the result feels instantly 'Bond' while still bringing a fresh identity for 007 First Light.
"Bond's return to gaming is a landmark moment for us at IO Interactive and having a title song of this quality makes it even more special."
007 First Light releases on 27 May on PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC. A Nintendo Switch 2 release is planned for later in the Summer.
Elsewhere from indy100:
- 007 First Light is 'insane magnum opus' - and it's finished, reveals studio boss
- 007 First Light is easily the best James Bond game since GoldenEye - can it beat it?
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