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Lifestyle/ Entertainment

Billie Eilish drops James Bond track on YouTube – theme song No Time to Die racks up 2.2 million views in six hours

  • The ballad, which takes its title from the name of the upcoming Bond movie, has the grungy melancholic feel that has propelled Eilish to star status
  • The 25th instalment of the British spy saga sees James Bond drawn out of retirement by his old friend and CIA agent Felix Leiter
Billie Eilish has released her James Bond theme tune. Photo: AP

Teenage pop iconoclast Billie Eilish dropped her James Bond theme tune on Friday, and it racked up 2.2 million views in just six hours as the teenage prodigy continues her stunning rise.

Taking its name from the title of the upcoming movie, No Time To Die has the grungy melancholic feel that has propelled Eilish to star status. Its success caps a remarkable few weeks for the teenager.

Last month, Eilish was the breakout star at the Grammys, sweeping five awards including the “big four” prizes: Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Record of the Year and Best New Artist.

The Los Angeles-born singer, who only turned 18 in December, is the youngest artist to record a Bond track. The song was written with her primary creative collaborator – and brother – Finneas O’Connell.

Her Facebook page said Eilish would perform the world premiere of the new track at next Tuesday’s Brit Awards in London alongside O’Conner, movie score maestro Hans Zimmer and former Smiths legend Johnny Marr.

The 25th instalment of the British spy saga, due out in April, sees Bond drawn out of retirement in Jamaica by his old friend and CIA agent Felix Leiter.

Rami Malek, who won a best actor Oscar for his depiction of Queen frontman Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody , plays the villain.

Craig, 51, who had to undergo minor ankle surgery after an injury on set, is expected to bow out after eight years as agent 007.

Trailers feature the Bond staples that have made the franchise so successful over the decades: car chases, gunfire, gadgets and femmes fatales.

But Eilish’s track will guarantee interest from a younger demographic.

The biggest globally renowned musician to emerge from Generation Z, the candid Eilish draws young fans with a personal social media presence and internet-speak fluency.

Her signature style features oversized sweatshirts and baggy pants, often paired with sunglasses and the garish extra-long nail extensions more often associated with rapper Cardi B.

Billie Eilish’s Bond theme song was written with her primary creative collaborator – and brother – Finneas O’Connell. Photo: Reuters
Billie Eilish’s Bond theme song was written with her primary creative collaborator – and brother – Finneas O’Connell. Photo: Reuters

At just 13, she unveiled her debut bedroom-produced single Ocean Eyes on SoundCloud, the do-it-yourself streaming platform that has also brought a generation of young rappers to fame.

Interscope signed her at age 14 – making the Californian a rare internet-age pop star to win big online and then see a label invest time and money in cultivating her talent over the long term.

Last year she dropped a number one album entitled “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?”, led the hot songs chart with her single Bad Guy and played a set on a prime stage at the Coachella music festival.