Ed Sheeran Says Losing Out on Chance to Sing James Bond Theme Song to Billie Eilish ‘Hurt’

“I started writing it,” Ed Sheeran said of his dedication to the iconic theme song

Ed Sheeran isn’t giving up on his dream to sing a James Bond theme song, even after losing the opportunity to Billie Eilish.

Serving as the guest on the latest installment of That Peter Crouch Podcast, the “Shape of You” singer, 31, opened up about his chance to lend his vocals for a Bond movie.

Sheeran explained he was devastatingly close to achieving his dream for No Time to Die.

“They changed directors and then they just changed scripts and that was it. We had done all the meetings, I started writing it…” the singer said.

When asked if he would still want to sing a Bond theme song in the future, Sheeran said, “Yeah, of course. I’m not gonna pretend it didn’t hurt not doing it, but yeah I would. If they came back I’d be like, ‘Yeah, of course.’ ”

Representatives for Sheeran did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

Originally, Danny Boyle was set to direct the James Bond film No Time to Die. However, he dropped out in August 2018 due to “creative differences,” causing the release date to be pushed back. Cary Joji Fukunaga directed the movie, which officially premiered in September 2021.

Daniel Craig also returned as the title character, marking his fifth time playing agent 007.

Eilish was later selected to record the official Bond song, “No Time to Die,” in February 2020.

The “Bad Guy” singer, now 20, joined the ranks of other stars like Sam Smith and Adele to sing the James Bond theme, but Eilish is the youngest to ever do so.

The track is produced by Eilish’s brother Finneas and Stephen Lipson; Hans Zimmer and Matt Dunkley handled the orchestral arrangements, and Johnny Marr provided the guitar.

“It feels crazy to be a part of this in every way,” said Eilish in a statement at the time. “To be able to score the theme song to a film that is part of such a legendary series is a huge honor. James Bond is the coolest film franchise ever to exist. I’m still in shock.”

“Writing the theme song for a Bond film is something we’ve been dreaming about doing our entire lives,” Finneas added. “There is no more iconic pairing of music and cinema than the likes of Goldfinger and Live and Let Die. We feel so so lucky to play a small role in such a legendary franchise, long live 007.”

PEOPLE reached out to a representative for Eilish but did not immediately hear back.

As for Sheeran, he revealed in 2017 that he penned a Bond song long before he was ever asked —just in case he ever needed it.

“With Bond, I’ve actually had a theme tune written for about three years, just in case,” he said while on Ireland’s The Late Late Show, before admitting that he hadn’t been asked to write one … yet.

He refused to reveal the song’s title. “I’m not going to say ’cause someone might steal it, but it’s good,” he said, reassuring the audience.