Skyfall: Adele's James Bond theme performance is "jaw-dropping"

Snippets of the four-minute ballad have leaked onto the internet. Epworth, who worked on Adele's multi-million-selling album 21, said: "I'm quite pleased [by the positive reaction so far]. But I can't wait for people to hear the rest of it. Particularly, Adele's performance is really jaw-dropping."

In an interview with the BBC, Epworth said he and Adele "felt like we'd nailed it" when they first heard the full orchestral version of the song in the recording studio – the end of a long songwriting process. "The initial chords happened quite quickly," Epworth said, "but we spent a few months shaping it, tweaking it. A song like this has to have a gravity and dynamic rather than [be] an instant pop song. Hopefully it's got lasting value."

Asked how it felt to be asked to write a Bond theme, Epworth said: "It's a total honour. Until you're asked to do it and the possibility is put in front of you, you don't realise what pressure comes with it, and the degree of pride in being asked. But then you've got to deliver.

"You’ve got to switch off from the pressure and do something that's true to the artist you're working with and to the story. The best Bond songs feel like they're part of the film – they're part of the narrative."

The theme to Skyfall will be available to download from 0.07am on Friday.