Everyone may be swooning right now over Sam Smith's new James Bond theme for the upcoming movie Spectre, but Duran Duran frontman Simon Le Bon says his band did it better.
In an interview with Gigwise at the Q Awards, Le Bon said he's heard at least part of Smith's "Writing's On The Wall" and said "It's not my favorite -- I prefer ours."
But before Smith fans rush to his defense, Le Bon has the numbers to back up his bold claims. Duran Duran's 1985 song "A View To Kill" is the first and only Bond theme to hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the film series' 53-year history.
Despite all this big talk, Le Bon said there's no beef between him and Smith.
"But he's Sam Smith. He's got a beautiful voice and I'm a big fan of him," he said during the interview. "I support him and what he stands for."
"A View To Kill" definitely strays from what fans might consider a classic Bond song. There's less orchestral swooning and it's missing that huge vocal climax that so many themes have had over the years. However, that's probably what made it so appealing at the time. The '80s were a good time for Duran Duran and the band knew how to make a hit pop song.
Smith's "Writing's on the Wall" more closely follows some of those Bond theme tropes, but his voice is just so gorgeous fans can't help but fall in love with the crooner.
Compare the two songs below.
Duran Duran are out promoting their new album Paper Gods, which includes a new music video for the band's single "Pressure Off" featuring Janelle Monáe and Nile Rogers. Spectre hits theaters Oct. 26 in the UK, where "Writing's on the Wall" topped the singles chart. The U.S. Release is slated for Nov. 6.
