Lana Del Rey will sing the theme tune for the new James Bond video game 007 First Light - years after her track for the film was rejected.
The US pop star, 40, will voice the title track, which has been written by acclaimed composer David Arnold, who has previously worked on five Bond films.
007 First Light - which follows a 26-year-old James Bond as he is recruited into MI6 and gains his 007 title - is set to be released on May 27..
Arnold said the track - now available on streaming platforms and YouTube - would join "a long line of genre-defining songs".
"That's why I was so excited to work with Lana, an artist who brought elegance, atmosphere and her totally unique character to this piece, external, which I hope will open the world of Bond to a whole new audience," he added.
The tune has a slow introduction, with Del Rey’s signature smoky, melancholy vocals enticing the listener in. It later swells to the chorus as the orchestral band joins in.
Del Rey previously revealed she wrote her song 24, from her fourth album Honeymoon, for James Bond - only to have it rejected by producers.
The Summertime Sadness singer told the BBC in 2024: “I mean, how has that not happened yet? Can we just say, (singing) ‘it’s only 24 hours in a day’, I wrote that for them, but Sam (Smith, who sang Writing’s On The Wall, the theme to 2015’s Skyfall) you did a wonderful job, really, no I’m just kidding…
“One day maybe, but probably not, but I’m going to continue to sing and do my little Nancy Sinatra thing every now and then, and just pretend that it’s the title track.”
Sam Smith scored the theme track for 2015’s Spectre with their song Writing’s On The Wall, which won an Oscar.
Del Rey joins a line of famous artists in recording a Bond theme for a game.
Joss Stone recorded I'll Take It All in 2010 for the opening titles of James Bond 007: Blood Stone, while Mya sang Everything or Nothing for the 2004 game of the same name.
007 First Light will be the first Bond video game since 2012’s 007 Legends.
Creators IO interactive pushed back its release in December to “further polish” the game.
A slew of other famous faces are involved in the project, with Dexter: Original Sin actor Patrick Gibson playing Bond, and US singer Lenny Kravitz voicing the villain, Bawma.
Crazy Rich Asians star Gemma Chan will appear as key MI6 figure Selina Tan.
Hakan Abrak, chief executive of IO Interactive, said Del Rey’s song has made the return of the Bond game “even more special”.
"It's a joy to watch two extraordinary talents like Lana Del Rey and David Arnold combine forces, the result feels instantly 'Bond' while still bringing a fresh identity for 007 First Light," he added.
© The Standard Ltd