Adele’s James Bond Theme “Skyfall”: Review Revue

Robbie Daw | October 5, 2012 8:59 am

As with most things surrounding James Bond, the details of Adele‘s Skyfall theme song were kept top secret — until earlier this week. Last night the much-awaited soundtrack offering premiered in full and hit iTunes, and it’s pretty much soared to #1 within a matter of hours all around the world. So how does “Skyfall” stack up against all the other great Bond themes? Reviews have been a tad mixed. (Or should be say, “shaken, not stirred”?) Read what the critics had to say in our roundup below.

:: Entertainment Weekly declares that “Skyfall” does “not disappoint,” and adds,”Beyond its lush cinematic sweep, I’m most impressed by how the lyrics manage to work as a classically composed torch song while also evoking what appears to be the inciting incident of the film: Daniel Craig’s James Bond plummeting from a gunshot into the river below.”

:: The Los Angeles Times is a bit more reserved: “Adele’s ‘Skyfall’ foretells 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. It likely won’t have much of a life outside the Bond universe, but Adele is certainly enjoying her stay.”

:: Zap2It notes the following: “‘Skyfall’ immediately brings to mind the more classic Bond themes of yore, which makes sense considering Adele’s trademark vintage sound.”

:: Chart Rigger sees Adele’s latest going all the way to the top: “This song is pretty fantastic, and more than lives up to the promise of the 90-second snippet that leaked earlier this week. Adele’s ‘Skyfall’…could quite literally become the first Bond theme to top the Billboard Hot 100 since Duran Duran’s ‘A View To A Kill,’ which did so in 1986.”

:: SPIN hears several influences: “Part ‘Yesterday,’ part ‘Dream On,’ and very obviously all Bond theme, the dramatic string-puller is about the end of the world.”

:: The New York Daily News isn’t too impressed: “It’s rich. It’s sweeping. And it’s definitely Bond-ian. But is it catchy? Adele’s passionately anticipated new 007 theme for Skyfall, which debuted Thursday evening on the singer’s web site, has plenty of the franchise’s essential elements. But, ultimately, it does a far better job at conforming to the form’s cliches that it does pushing it to any thrilling new heights.”

:: The Telegraph agrees: “It is, in fact, so slavish in its adherence to the template established in the Sixties that it’s a kind of a relief when the answer backing vocals kick in on the second chorus, lending it at least a hint of Adele’s own style.”

:: The Huffington Post gives a more upbeat appraisal, and points out that “the brassy and soulful tune fits perfectly alongside the work of Shirley Bassey in the oeuvre of James Bond title tracks.”

:: Finally, Pop Dash has this to say: “The record is a traditionalists dream, 007 geeks around the world will no doubt be rejoicing at the back to basics style of the song. It’s not exactly subtle, but then again neither is the Bond franchise. Congrats Adele, you’ve done it again.”

Did you fall for “Skyfall”? Let us know your thoughts on Adele’s new song in the comments, or on Facebook and Twitter.