"Angel" is a song recorded by American group

Fifth Harmony Fifth Harmony, often shortened to 5H, is an American girl group based in Miami, composed of Ally Brooke, Normani, Dinah Jane, Lauren Jauregui, and formerly Camila Cabello until her departure from the group in December 2016. The group signed a ...

for their self-titled third studio album (2017). The song was written and produced by

Skrillex Sonny John Moore (born January 15, 1988), known professionally as Skrillex, is an American DJ, record producer, musician, singer. Raised in Northeast Los Angeles and Northern California, he began his career in 2004 as the lead vocalist of the ...

and

Poo Bear Jason Paul Douglas Boyd, known professionally as Poo Bear, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known for his songwriting work for Canadian singer Justin Bieber, having been credited on each of his albums since hi ...

. It was released as the first promotional single from the record on August 10, 2017.

Composition

"Angel" was described by Mike Wass from ''

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'' writing that it finds the group veering "deep into

hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...

territory." Its production is supported by heavy

bassline Bassline (also known as a bass line or bass part) is the term used in many styles of music, such as blues, jazz, funk, Dub music, dub and electronic music, electronic, traditional music, traditional, and classical music, for the low-pitched P ...

drum machine A drum machine is an electronic musical instrument that creates percussion sounds, drum beats, and patterns. Drum machines may imitate drum kits or other percussion instruments, or produce unique sounds, such as synthesized electronic tones. A d ...

sound, "squiggly

synths A synthesizer (also synthesiser or synth) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis an ...

" and distorted vocal samples. The song is about being in a relationship based on unrealistic expectations. As

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's writer Madeline Roth commented, the group are "warning that they have no problem shrugging off a fuckboy if it needs to be." The group delivers a half-rapped performance on the first and second verses of the song, while in the

chorus Chorus may refer to: Music * Chorus (song), the part of a song that is repeated several times, usually after each verse * Chorus effect, the perception of similar sounds from multiple sources as a single, richer sound * Chorus form, song in whic ...

, they raise a

rhetorical question A rhetorical question is a question asked for a purpose other than to obtain information. In many cases it may be intended to start a discourse, as a means of displaying or emphasizing the speaker's or author's opinion on a topic. A simple example ...

: "When you look at me, what do you see? / Open your eyes, I’m more brilliant than you’ll ever be / Who said I was an angel?” The group continue to ask the same question throughout the record, as Rachael Ellenbogen from ''

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'' commented.

Critical reception

Sadie Bell from ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' considered "Angel" as a "different direction" for the group describing it as "a bit harder than their more recent releases." Madeline Roth of MTV News praised its production and felt that "Angel" is "less poppier" than Fifth Harmony's previous single “ Down", providing a "harder backdrop for their brassiness."

Music video

The song's official music video was released on August 11, 2017 and directed by David Camarena. The clip opens in a dimly lit setting, featuring a man who's been dreaming, then it features the group in an entirely new light, in which they are revealed to be the subject of the man's dream, tormenting those of someone who has wronged them, complete with flashing images and dark VCR filters and neon lighting aesthetics.

Charts

References

{{authority control 2017 singles 2017 songs Fifth Harmony songs Epic Records singles Syco Music singles Songs written by Poo Bear Songs written by Skrillex Trap music songs