The China Mail - Lana Del Rey takes on Bond with new game title track

"I was so excited to work with Lana, an artist who brought elegance, atmosphere and her totally unique character to this piece," co-composer David Arnold, who also scored a string of Bond movies in the late 90s and 2000s, said in a statement.

Published to streaming platforms Thursday, Del Rey's track "First Light" sticks to a familiar formula of haunting lyrics and brassy hooks evoking the musical history of the Bond series.

Music has been a key facet of the franchise since its first film, 1962's "Dr. No", with the world-famous theme song composed by Monty Norman used in every movie since.

Later films' themes have been performed by stars like Shirley Bassey, Paul McCartney, Madonna, Adele and Billie Eilish.

Built by "Hitman" developers IO Interactive for PC, Playstation 5 and Xbox Series, "First Light" will place players into the shoes of a young James Bond earning his "licence to kill".

It is the first James Bond game in over a decade and one of the year's most anticipated titles -- especially after a two-month delay to publication for what IO said was final polishing.

More than three million fans have added the game to online wishlists, IO said, ahead of its release on May 27.

P.Ho--ThChM