Die Another Day (song)

"Die Another Day"
Single by Madonna
from the album Die Another Day
Released	October 22, 2002
Format	12", CD
Recorded	2002
Genre	Dance-pop, electropop
Length	4:36 (album version) 3:30 (radio edit)
Label	Warner Bros.
Writer(s)	Madonna Mirwais Ahmadzaï
Producer	Madonna Mirwais Ahmadzaï
Certification	2xPlatinum (CRIA)[1] Gold (ARIA)
Madonna singles chronology
"What It Feels Like for a Girl" (2001) "Die Another Day" (2002) "American Life" (2003)
James Bond theme chronology "The World Is Not Enough" (1999) "Die Another Day" (2002) "You Know My Name" (2006) Audio sample file info · help

"Die Another Day" is the theme to the James Bond film of the same name recorded by Madonna. The single was released in late 2002, marking Madonna's 20th career anniversary, and peaked at number eight in the United States^[2] and number three in the United Kingdom, selling 167,863 copies - making it the most successful Bond theme since Duran Duran's "A View to a Kill." The song was later included on her 2003 studio album, American Life,^[3] and her 2009 compilation album, Celebration. The song received a nomination for Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Original Song; but lost to "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman" by Britney Spears.

Background and composition

The song was co-written and co-produced by Madonna and Mirwais Ahmadzaï in the key of C minor^[4] with string arrangements written by Michel Colombier.^[5] The single was released worldwide on October 22, 2002 as the lead single from American Life, Madonna's ninth album.

The song was chosen to be featured as the theme song for the James Bond movie Die Another Day. It was featured in its soundtrack. The song was later released on Madonna's ninth studio album American Life (2002). Then in 2009, the single version was featured on her third greatest hits album Celebration (2009). Die Another Day was the most successful Bond theme-song since the 1980s. "Die Another Day", the single, marked Madonna's 20th anniversary in the music business; Madonna's first single, "Everybody", had been released in October 1982.

None of Die Another Day's melody was employed by David Arnold in the development of the motion picture score. Instead, the instrumentals of the song's Dirty Vegas Mix can be heard during one scene of the film. Some of the remixes of the song feature bonus spoken word vocals by Madonna. She performed "Die Another Day" as part of her 2004 Re-Invention Tour^[6] and used it as a video interlude in the Sticky & Sweet Tour (2008). A live performance of the song is included on Madonna's live CD I'm Going to Tell You a Secret (2005). According to The Official Charts Company, the song has sold 175,000 copies there.^[7]

Critical reception

The song received an amount of mixed reviews. Stephen Thompson writing for The A.V. Club called the track "pneumatic (and) hook-deficient"^[8] Ken Tucker wrote for Entertainment Weekly that the song is a "flat James Bond" and that it "was neither Madonna Classic nor Diet Madonna With Lemon."^[9] James Hannaham from Spin was positive, writing that it's a "brilliant, melodramatic song, that sounds like a stoic response to a world gone mad. While a spooky orchestra scrapes away, Mirwais struggles to defuse a Moog-synthesizer bomb before it explodes, and Madonna declares, "It's not my time to go."^[10] Dan Gennoe wrote for Yahoo! Music that "With the style to content ratio weighed heavily in style's favour, it's hard not to see her one dimensional club tracks as trying too hard to be too clever; especially when teeth grindingly unBond Bond theme 'Die Another Day' bodypops into view."^[11] Stylus Magazine called it "a great slice-and-dice hit of fucked-up electroclash".^[12]

Critical opinion of the song widely varies as evidenced by the fact that it was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Original Song as well as for a Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Original Song in 2002.^[13] In an official MORI poll in the UK for the Channel 4 program James Bond's Greatest Hits, the song was voted 9th most popular James Bond theme by the general public. Those polled aged 24 and under voted it their number 1 favorite Bond song. Incidentally, while Die Another Day, the film, marked the 40th anniversary of the James Bond franchise.

Chart performance

The single spent 11 weeks at number one on the United States Billboard Singles Sales Charts and is her most successful title on the sales chart to date. It became the fifth best-selling dance single of the 2000s decade in the United States.^[14] The song peaked #1 in 12 different countries, including an 8 week stint at #1 on the World Music Charts. The song became Madonna's 35th US Top 10 hit peaking at number 8. In Oceania, the song peaked at number five in Australia, staying in the charts for nineteen weeks and peaked at number twenty-two in New Zealand, staying in the charts for three weeks ^[15].

Music video

The music video was directed by Traktor, a Swedish directing team, and filmed from August 22–27, 2002 at Hollywood Center Studios in Hollywood, California. The video features references to Honey Ryder (from 1962's Dr No), Rosa Klebb and Blofeld's white Persian cat (from 1963's From Russia With Love), Oddjob and Jill Masterson (from 1964's Goldfinger), Tee Hee's metal arm from the 1973 Live and Let Die, Francisco Scaramanga's golden gun from 1974's The Man With The Golden Gun, as well as a spacesuit, a fencing battle in a Venetian glass factory, and a Jaws-like man with metal teeth, all referencing 1979's Moonraker, and even contains a reference to Luke Skywalker's lightsaber battle with Darth Vader in The Empire Strikes Back. And from the film of the same name, the opening titles torture scene with General Moon, a portrait of the then-Bond Pierce Brosnan from a fight scene with Gustav Graves, and the dual role (in black and white fencing costumes) played by double agent Miranda Frost, herself a protege of Verity, played in the film by Madonna herself. The very end of the video has sparked some discussion as Madonna appears to escape Houdini-like from the electric chair, leaving behind only a smouldering chair with a Hebrew expression לאו, a phrase that can be interpreted as "great escape" or "freedom," one of the "72 Names of God," used in the Kabbalah.^[16] The video ends with the gun barrel sequence, as Madonna throws open the doors of the torture facility in her escape. The total production costs for the video were over $6,000,000, making it the second most expensive music video ever made, after "Scream" by Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson.^[17]

• Director: Traktor (Mats Lindberg, Pontus Löwenhielm, Ole Sanders)
• Producer: Jim Bouvet
• Director of Photography: Harris Savides
• Editor: Rick Russell
• Production Company: Traktor Films

Track listings and formats

UK 2 x 12" promo vinyl (SAM 00721)^[18]

US 2 x 12" promo vinyl (PRO-A-101005)^[19]

• A "Die Another Day" (Dirty Vegas Main Mix) - 10:08
• B1 "Die Another Day" (Thee RetroLectro Mix) - 6:59
• B2 "Die Another Day" (Deepsky Remix) - 7:27
• C "Die Another Day" (Thunderpuss Club Mix) - 9:25
• D "Die Another Day" (Thee Die Another Dub) - 8:26

UK 2 x 12" vinyl (W 0595 T)^[20]

US 2 x 12" vinyl (42492-0)^[21]

EU 12" vinyl (9362 42492-0)^[22]

• A "Die Another Day" (Dirty Vegas Main Mix) - 10:08
• B "Die Another Day" (Thunderpuss Club Mix) - 9:25
• C1 "Die Another Day" (Thee RetroLectro Mix) - 6:59
• C2 "Die Another Day" (Deepsky Remix) - 7:27
• D "Die Another Day" (Dirty Vegas Dub) - 9:10

US 7" vinyl (7-16684)^[23]

• A "Die Another Day" (Radio Edit) - 3:27
• B "Die Another Day" (Album Version) - 4:38

US CD single (5439-16681-2)^[24]

1. "Die Another Day" (Radio Edit) - 3:27
2. "Die Another Day" (Dirty Vegas Main Mix) - 10:08

EU CD single (9362 42494-2)^[25]

1. "Die Another Day" (Radio Edit) - 3:27
2. "Die Another Day" (Thunderpuss Club Mix) - 9:25
3. "Die Another Day" (Thee RetroLectro Mix) - 6:59

US Maxi-CD (42492-2)^[26]

Japanese CD single (WPCR-11398)^[27]

EU Maxi-CD (9362 42492-2)^[28]

AU CD single 1 (9362-42492-2)^[29]

1. "Die Another Day" (Radio Edit) - 3:27
2. "Die Another Day" (Dirty Vegas Main Mix) - 10:08
3. "Die Another Day" (Thee RetroLectro Mix) - 6:59
4. "Die Another Day" (Thunderpuss Club Mix) - 9:25
5. "Die Another Day" (Deepsky Remix) - 7:27
6. "Die Another Day" (Brother Brown's Bond-Age Club) - 7:51

German CD single (9362 42495-2)^[30]

Australian CD single 2 (9362-42495-2)^[31]

1. "Die Another Day" (Radio Edit) - 3:27
2. "Die Another Day" (Dirty Vegas Main Mix) - 10:08
3. "Die Another Day" (Deep Sky Edit) - 4:06

Official versions

• Album Version (4:38)
• Radio Edit (3:30)
• DJ Tiësto mix (8:55) (Unreleased)
• Dirty Vegas Main Mix (10:10)
• Dirty Vegas Main Dub (9:10)
• Dirty Vegas Radio Edit (4:24) (Promo Only)
• Thunderpuss Club Mix (9:26)
• Felix da Housecat/Thee RetroLectro Mix (7:00)
• Felix da Housecat/Thee RetroLectro Radio Edit (3:41) (Promo Only)
• Felix da Housecat/Thee Die Another Dub (8:33) (Promo Only)
• Brother Brown Bond-Age Club (7:51)
• Brother Brown Bond-Age Dub (7:19) (Promo Only)
• Brother Brown Bond-Age Radio Edit (3:36) (Promo Only)
• Deepsky Mix (7:29)
• Deepsky Dub (7:35) (Promo Only)
• Deepsky Radio Edit (4:12)
• Calderone & Quayle Afterlife Mix (8:52)
• Calderone & Quayle Afterlife Dub (10:08) (Promo Only)
• Richard "Humpty" Vission Electrofried Mix (6:02)
• Richard "Humpty" Vission Radio Edit (3:36)
• Re-Invention World Tour live audio from I'm Going to Tell You a Secret (4:03)
• Sticky & Sweet Tour Official Studio Version (2:59)

Charts and certifications

Charts Chart (2002) Peak Position Australian ARIA Singles Chart[32] 5 Austrian Singles Chart 2 Canadian Singles Chart 1 Dutch Singles Chart 4 Finnish Singles Chart 4 French SNEP Singles Chart 15 German Singles Chart 4 Greek Singles Chart[33] 2 Hungary (Rádiós Top 40)[34] 19 Italian FIMI Singles Chart 1 Japanese Oricon Weekly Singles Chart 80 Japanese Oricon International Singles 1 New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart 22 Romanian Singles Chart[35] 1 Spanish Singles Chart[36] 1 Swedish Singles Chart 4 Swiss Singles Chart 4 UK Singles Chart 3 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 8 U.S. Billboard Adult Top 40 23 U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play 1 U.S. Billboard Top 40 Mainstream 4 U.S. Billboard Top 40 Tracks 8

Certifications Country Certifications Australia Gold[37] Belgium Gold[38] Canada 2× Platinum[1] France Silver[39] IFPI Greece Gold[33]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA): Gold & Platinum - January 2003
2. ^ Madonna artist chart history Billboard Retrieved 2008-03-12
3. ^ American Life Madonna official site Retrieved 2008-03-12
4. ^ American Pop Female The-Sheet-Music-Store Retrieved 2008-03-12
5. ^ Die Another Day Madonna official site Retrieved 2008-03-12
6. ^ Re-Invention tour book Madonna official site Retrieved 2008-03-12
7. ^ "Madonna: The Official Top 40". MTV. MTV Networks. http://www.mtv.co.uk/music/charts/official-uk-countdowns/madonna-official-top-40. Retrieved 2010-12-20. 
8. ^ Thompson, Stephen (April 23, 2011). "Madonna - American Life". The A.V. Club. http://www.avclub.com/articles/madonna-american-life,12006/. Retrieved August 8, 2011. 
9. ^ Tucker, Ken (April 25, 2003). "EW - MUSIC REVIEW - American Life (2003) Madonna". Entertainment Weekly. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,444558~4~0~americanlife,00.html. Retrieved August 8, 2011. 
10. ^ Hannaham, James (April 24, 2003). "Madonna 'American Life' Madonna addresses a fearful nation.". Spin. http://www.spin.com/reviews/madonna-american-life-maverickwarner-bros. Retrieved August 8, 2011. 
11. ^ Gennoe, Dan (2003-04-23). "Madonna "American Life"". Yahoo! Music UK. http://uk.launch.yahoo.com/l_reviews_a/29133.html. Retrieved 2010-01-19. 
12. ^ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named stylus; see Help:Cite errors/Cite error references no text
13. ^ The 23rd Annual Razzie Awards Golden Raspberry Award Foundation Retrieved 2008-03-12
14. ^ Billboard Charts - Decade-end Singles - Dance Singles Sales
15. ^ http://australian-charts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Madonna&titel=Die+Another+Day&cat=s
16. ^ The moth of Taurus: Iyar Kabbalah Centre Retrieved 2008-03-12
17. ^ Welt Online
18. ^ Madonna - Die Another Day (The Remixes)
19. ^ Madonna - Die Another Day (The Remixes)
20. ^ Madonna - Die Another Day
21. ^ Madonna - Die Another Day
22. ^ Madonna - Die Another Day
23. ^ Madonna - Die Another Day
24. ^ Madonna - Die Another Day
25. ^ Madonna - Die Another Day
26. ^ Madonna - Die Another Day
27. ^ Madonna - Die Another Day
28. ^ Madonna - Die Another Day
29. ^ Madonna - Die Another Day
30. ^ Madonna - Die Another Day
31. ^ Madonna - Die Another Day
32. ^ http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/23790/20030107-0000/Issue663.pdf
33. ^ ^{a b} Ελληνικό Chart
34. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ – Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége" (in Hungarian). Rádiós Top 40 játszási lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége.
35. ^ "Romanian Top 100" Please see "Issue 48" of the year 2002
36. ^ "Hits of the World: Spain". Billboard (Nielsen Business Media, Inc) 114 (47): 84. 2002-11-23. ISSN 0006-2510. http://books.google.com/books?id=QA0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA84#v=onepage&q&f=false. Retrieved 2010-07-11. 
37. ^ ARIA Charts - Accreditations - 2002 Singles
38. ^ ultratop.be - ULTRATOP BELGIAN CHARTS
39. ^ Disque en France

External links

• Mad-eyes.net - "Die Another Day" Single Page

Preceded by "Electrical Storm" by U2	Italian FIMI Singles Chart number-one single October 26, 2002 – November 23, 2002	Succeeded by "Per Me È Importante" by Tiromancino
	Canadian Singles Chart number-one single November 23, 2002 – December 28, 2002	Succeeded by "I'm Gonna Getcha Good!" by Shania Twain
Preceded by "Asereje" by Las Ketchup	Romanian Top 100 number-one single December 2, 2002 – December 15, 2002	Succeeded by "Objection (Tango)" by Shakira