Fans Baffled as Raye Performs 'Skyfall' at Oscars 2025 Instead of Adele: 'Get Your Lawyers On the Phone!'

Sunday night viewers of the 2025 Academy Awards were shocked after British singer Raye took the stage to perform "Skyfall," the Oscar-winning "James Bond" theme by its original artist Adele.

Fans were confused and frustrated when Raye—who flew over from the UK to perform—was featured at the Oscars instead of Adele, who lives in Los Angeles.

Fans took to X reacting to the disappointment and questioning why Adele wasn't invited to sing her song.

Some theorized about scheduling conflicts or behind-the-scenes politics, with one post stating:

It alluded to the fact that the streaming giant currently owns the Bond franchise.

Others praised Raye's performance, and some suggested that she should try a future Bond theme.

A star-studded medley featuring Lisa and Doja Cat, dedicated to the legendary music of the James Bond franchise, paid tribute to the genre at the 2025 Academy Awards. Introduced by actress Margaret Qualley, the performance brought some of the best Bond tunes in cinematic history to life.

Lisa performed an energetic cover of Paul McCartney's "Live and Let Die," featuring eye-catching choreography to pump up the crowd. Soon after, Doja Cat paid tribute to the iconic track with a sensuous rendition of Shirley Bassey's classic "Diamonds Are Forever."

It highlighted how Bond's distinctive sound has been a defining feature of the franchise since the very beginning. The "James Bond Theme," which Monty Norman wrote and John Barry arranged, created a template that resulted in decades of memorable songs, from Shirley Bassey's "Goldfinger" (1964) and Duran Duran's "A View to a Kill" (1985) to more recent Oscar winners Adele's "Skyfall" (2012), Sam Smith's "Writing's on the Wall" (2015), and Billie Eilish's "No Time to Die" (2020).

Bond in the Headlines

The tribute comes as the "James Bond" franchise makes waves outside of Hollywood. Now, producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli — the longtime stewards of 007 — have announced that they have sold their interest in EON Productions to Amazon, considerably complicating the future of the franchise.

They were also presented with the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award at the Governors Awards, adding another credential to their film industry legacy.

Tags

Adele, RAYE, Oscars