"Skyfall" U.S. CD Single

"Skyfall", theme song to the film of the same name, sung by Adele, written by Adele and Paul Epworth, U.S. CD single, Columbia Records, 11/6/2012.

CD was one of the three formats on which the single was released, along with vinyl (which will be the subject of a future post) and digital download.  The CD single was released in the United States a month after the digital download, and three days before the film's U.S. theatrical release.

The cover art is cropped from the Skyfall U.S. teaser poster (which will also be the subject of a future post), with two additions: most of Adele's face, and a filter of aquamarine -- a color that prominently figures in the film's title sequence over which the theme plays.  And on the top left corner of the case, there's a superfluous sticker.

The CD single version clocks in at 4 minutes, 46 seconds.  Unlike on the UK release, there is no instrumental track.

The British singer-songwriter was the first female solo act to record a Bond theme since Madonna did “Die Another Day” a decade before.  Adele's song was popular with critics, the public at large, and Bond fans alike -- a win-win-win situation that hadn't happened in many years.

Firstly, and least importantly, her theme garnered generally positive reviews from critics, and won numerous awards, the most prestigious of which was the Academy Award for Best Original Song.  "Skyfall" was the first Bond theme to be nominated for that award since Sheena Easton's "For Your Eyes Only" in the early 80's, and the first ever to win.

Secondly, her single sold well and received ample radio play -- unlike the last two Bond themes songs, “You Know My Name” from Casino Royale (one of the better modern themes) and “Another Way To Die” from Quantum of Solace (possibly the worst ever). The digital download hit #1 on the iTunes charts.  Then the song entered the Billboard Hot 100 at # 8, immediately joining “Goldfinger”, “Live and Let Die”, “Nobody Does It Better”, “For Your Eyes Only”, “A View to a Kill”, and “Die Another Day” in the pantheon of Bond themes to reach the top ten of that chart.  The single has since been certified Platinum.

And lastly, and most importantly, her theme was a Bond theme.  "Skyfall" was the best and most Bondian since at least Sheryl Crow's “Tomorrow Never Dies” or Tina Turner's “Goldeneye”.  Her voice naturally lent itself to a Bond theme.  She fondly recalled Shirley Bassey without sounding like she was trying to sound like her.