With speculation mounting over who will deliver the next James Bond theme, Amazon and EON have a rare opportunity to rethink the definition of a Bond theme.  While Billie Eilish’s contribution to No Time To Die was haunting and deservedly acclaimed, there’s no rule that the theme must come from a current global pop titan and in fact, the franchise may benefit from a bolder, less predictable approach.

If Bond 26 truly embraces the idea of an origin story set in the 1960s or 1970s like I am hoping, the musical landscape of that era opens up a wealth of possibilities.  There’s no reason a legendary act from that period couldn’t craft a fresh, era-authentic theme: imagine an unsettling yet propulsive track from The Rolling Stones, a slick and rhythmic groove from George Benson, or even a triumphant return of Paul McCartney (an artist who already knows how to write a Bond classic as we heard in Live And Let Die).

But there’s an even more intriguing direction: foregoing a vocal track altogether and creating a consuming orchestral piece or tapping a jazz musician like Wynton Marsalis or Joshua Redman.  The Bond franchise has precedent here (with John Barry’s exhilarating instrumental theme for On Her Majesty’s Secret Service), but in a contemporary context where streaming metrics and TikTok virality often drive musical decisions, choosing an instrumental might seem risky.  The good thing is, Amazon is not a studio hamstrung by commercial pressure and can afford to privilege artistry over algorithm.