Billy Idol released new original song “Dying to Live” with collaborator J. Ralph on Friday, a track attached to the rock star’s upcoming documentary Billy Idol Should Be Dead.
Idol dropped a video for the song as well, which The Hollywood Reporter is sharing exclusively first. The video, which is also the documentary’s final sequence, depicts shots of Idol’s life from childhood interspersed with his music career and vintage illustrations of the singer. Those seens are met well with Idol’s warm vocal delivery alongside the swelling strings and light piano lines.
Idol and J. Ralph co-wrote the song alongside Idol’s collaborators Steve Stevens, Tommy English and Joe Janiak. They hope the song will be a contender for a best original song nod in this year’s Oscar race. Billy Idol Should Be Dead premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival this past summer and is expected to hit streaming sometime in early 2026.
“It’s quite something watching a documentary about your own life,” Idol said in a statement Friday. “Seeing the landscape of my story all laid out inspired me to want to write a song for the end of the film that brings together what I saw in the film; all the strands of my life really. It was thrilling to work together with J. Ralph. Symphonic music has a unique cinematic authenticity, we felt this was essential to capturing the range of emotions the climactic moment of the film called for.”
As Ralph adds: “The vision was to create a cinematic finale for the film built around visuals and a thematic orchestral piece featuring Billy’s voice and a string quartet. Composing the song inside this sonic universe reveals every nuance and vulnerability of his vocals and lyrics in a way he had not yet expressed in his previous work. He was totally up for it and brought the same rebellious spirit and fearless energy that defines his life and the very essence of punk rock.”
The doc comes amidst a busy time for Idol. Back in April, the rock icon released Dream Into It, his first album in 11 years. He’s also currently on the road for his “It’s a Nice Day To… Tour Again!” Tour, where he’s slated to perform in Buenos Aires this weekend.
Speaking with THR ahead of the album’s release, Idol opened up about his aspirations for a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction as well as his complicated relationship with his rock and roll life.
“It’s a shame that sometimes, by doing what you’ve got to do, you hurt the people you love,” Idol said in April. “But, if you don’t do it, you’re going to let them down because they won’t know the real you. This rock ‘n’ roll career gave me enough money to help my children bring up their children — my four grandchildren. My dad was incredible, really killer at being the head of the family. I never imagined I’d be able to be the same as him. But funnily enough, at this stage in my life, rock ‘n’ roll has given me the ability to be that guy.”
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