Following an unsuccessful bid to garner success with the previous 007 theme song for The World Is Not Enough from alternative-rock band Garbage, MGM wanted a high-profile artist to perform the 20th James Bond film's theme, "Die Another Day." It was decided the Queen of Pop, Madonna, was the right choice for the film series' significant milestone. Receiving co-writing and producing credit was Mirwais Ahmadzai and Michel Colombier composed the track.
While "Die Another Day" was nominated for two Grammies and a Golden Globe, critics were mixed on its sound. Some liked Madonna's exodus from the traditional Bond sound, but others found its electronic and stuttered editing uninspired. One of the latter critics was Die Another Day soundtrack composer David Arnold, who, it has been rumored, loathed the tune so much he refused to include it in the film's score. Along with award nominations praising its quality, the song also received a Golden Raspberry Award nomination for Worst Original Song.
Madonna included the song on her ninth studio album, along with her greatest hits album in 2009, and the single made its way to number eight on the Billboard Hot 100. It was also the top selling dance song in the United States in 2002 and 2003. It reached the top spot on music charts in Canada, Italy, Spain, and Romania and was a top ten hit in several more countries worldwide. In the UK, it debuted at number three. "Die Another Day" was certified silver in France, gold in Australia, Belgium, and Greece, and double platinum in Canada.
Not counting Sheena Easton's appearance in the opening credits of For Your Eyes Only, Madonna has the distinction of being the only theme song performer to have a cameo in the film. She plays Verity, a fencing instructor at Blades Club in London. The song also is the only one in the series that include s a scene from the film being shown as the credits roll.
Born October 23, 1960, in Switzerland to an Afghan father and Italian mother, Mirwais Ahmadzai, is a leader in the French style of progressive electronic dance music. In the 1980s, Mirwais began as a guitarist in the punk band Taxi Girl and later formed the acoustic group Juliette et les Independents. He then set off on a solo career in the 1990s.
His collaboration with Madonna began in 2000, and he has produced and co-written songs for three Madonna albums. His work on Madonna's album Music garnered three Grammy nominations, including Record of the Year.
His other work includes producing tracks for Fischerspooner and Uffie. He has also produced remixes of songs from Madonna and Franz Ferdinand.
Michel Colombier is a French composer, songwriter, arranger, and conducter whose filmography includes scores for Against All Odds, Purple Rain, The Golden Child, Major League II, Barb Wire, and How Stella Got Her Groove Back. Colombier was born May 23, 1939, and died November 14, 2004. Colombier was married to Dana Colombier and had two children.
With the same first and middle name as her mother, Madonna Louise Ciccone was born August 16, 1958. Madonna gained fame as a singer in the 1980s by pushing social conventions in her music and reinventing herself over the years. Her music videos were fixtures on MTV when released, despite controversial imagery and suggestive lyrics.
Prior to signing a solo deal with Sire Records in 1982, Madonna worked with music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy. Recognized as the greatest-selling female musical artist of all time by Guiness World Records, she has sold more than 300 million records worldwide. She has released 12 studio albums with an upcoming album scheduled for 2015. According to the Recording Industry Association of America, Madonna is the best-selling female artist of the 20th century and the second best-selling artist in the United States, only behind Barbra Streisand, with 64.5 million certified albums. Billboard ranked her second behind the Beatles on the Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists. The magazine also declared her the top-touring female artist of all time.
Along with being a gay icon, her legacy includes influencing current artists Adam Lambert, Backstreet Boys, Beyonce, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Fergie, Gloria Estefan, Gwen Stefani, Jennifer Lopez, Justin Timberlake, Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, Kesha, Kylie Minogue, Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, New Kids on the Block, Nicki Minaj, 'N Sync, Paula Abdul, Pink, Rihanna, Spice Girls, and Taylor Swift.
Madonna has won seven Grammy awards, with an additional 21 nominations, received seven Golden Globe nominations, with two wins, two Ivor Novello Award wins, was named MTV's Artist of the Decade in 1989, and countless other accolades throughout her career. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in her first year of eligibility and is a founding member of the UK Music Hall of Fame.
Besides music, Madonna's other ventures include film work, fashion design, writing children's books and founding the entertainment company Maverick. Her filmography includes Dick Tracy, A League of Their Own, and Evita, for which she won one of her Golden Globes.
While her marriages include actor Sean Penn and director Guy Ritchie, both of which ended in divorce, her list of romantic entanglements include Robert F. Kennedy Jr., comedienne Sandra Bernhard, Warren Beatty, Antonio Banderas, Lenny Kravits, Vanilla Ice, Willem Dafoe, Jose Canseco, Dennis Rodman, and Alex Rodriguez. Madonna has two children, one with fitness trainer Carlos Leon and the other with Ritchie.
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