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''No Angel'' is the debut studio album by English singer-songwriter
Dido Dido ( ; , ), also known as Elissa ( , ), was the legendary founder and first queen of the Phoenician city-state of Carthage (located in Tunisia), in 814 BC. In most accounts, she was the queen of the Phoenician city-state of Tyre (located ...
. It was released on 1 June 1999, by
Arista Records Arista Records ( ) is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the American division of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. The label was previously a division of Bertelsmann Music G ...
and Cheeky Records. Dido began recording what would become ''No Angel'' in 1995, having already written numerous songs, principally based on real-life circumstances at the time. She simultaneously collaborated with her brother
Rollo Armstrong Rowland Constantine O'Malley Armstrong (born 8 May 1966), known professionally as both Rollo and R Plus, is an English DJ and music producer. He is one half of the remix/production duo Rollo & Sister Bliss and is a founding, non-touring, membe ...
's
electronic dance Electronic dance music (EDM), also referred to as dance music or club music, is a broad range of percussive electronic music genres originally made for nightclubs, raves, and List of electronic dance music festivals, festivals. It is generally ...
band
Faithless Faithless are an English dance music Band (rock and pop), band that formed in 1995, with its core original members being Rollo Armstrong, Rollo, Sister Bliss and Maxi Jazz. During the band's initial period of success, Sister Bliss and Maxi Ja ...
, attracting the attention of
Clive Davis Clive Jay Davis (born April 4, 1932) is an American record producer, A&R executive, record executive, and lawyer. He has won five Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as a non-performer, in 2000. From 1967 to 1 ...
, founder and then-president of Arista. Dido subsequently signed with the label and completed the album, predominantly producing it with Rollo. She wrote all of the album's tracks, exploring lyrical themes such as love, codependency, and introspection. Further collaborators on the record included
Rick Nowels Richard Wright Nowels Jr. (born March 16, 1954) is an American songwriter and record producer. He has co-written and co-produced over 90 hit singles with multiple artists,Youth Youth is the time of life when one is young. The word, youth, can also mean the time between childhood and adulthood (Maturity (psychological), maturity), but it can also refer to one's peak, in terms of health or the period of life known as bei ...
, Jamie Catto, and Sister Bliss, whose contributions resulted with a
folk-pop Folk-pop is a broad Music genre#Subtypes, musical fusion genre that includes contemporary folk songs with pop music, pop arrangements, and pop songs with intimate, acoustic music, acoustic-based folk music, folk arrangements. Folk-pop has been ...
and
folktronica Folktronica is a genre of indie electronic music comprising various elements of folk music and electronica, often featuring uses of acoustic instruments—especially stringed instruments—deploying hip hop, electronic or dance rhythms, and ...
musical style experimenting with
trip hop Trip hop is a musical genre that has been described as a psychedelic music, psychedelic fusion of hip hop music, hip hop and electronica with slow tempos and an atmospheric sound. The style emerged as a more experimental music, experimental var ...
,
electronica Electronica is both a broad group of electronic-based music styles intended for listening rather than strictly for dancing and a music scene that came to prominence in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the term is mos ...
, and
dream pop Dream pop (also typeset as dreampop) is a subgenre of alternative rock and neo-psychedelia that emphasizes atmosphere and sonic texture as much as pop melody. Common characteristics include breathy vocals, dense productions, and effects such ...
. Due to contractual reasons, ''No Angel'' would not be released outside the US until 16 October 2000, when it was issued in Dido's native UK, being progressively made available worldwide in subsequent months. Upon release, the album received generally mixed to positive reviews from
music critics Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on ...
, who complimented its sonic quality and Dido's vocal performance, but criticized the lyricism. Commercially a
sleeper hit In the entertainment industry, a sleeper hit refers to a film, television series, music release, video game or other entertainment product that was initially unsuccessful on release, but eventually became a surprise success. A sleeper hit may have ...
, the album debuted at low positions in both the UK and the US, before steadily ascending to number one on the
UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for album, albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the O ...
and in nine other countries, and number four on the US ''Billboard'' 200. It become one of the best-selling albums of 2001 worldwide, and won British Album of the Year at the Brit Awards 2002. ''No Angel'' produced three commercial singles—" Here with Me", "
Thank You "Thank you" (often expanded to ''thank you very much'' or ''thanks a lot'', or informally abbreviated to ''thanks'' or alternately as ''many thanks''Geoffrey Leech, ''The Pragmatics of Politeness'' (2014), p. 200.) is a common expression of gr ...
", and "
Hunter Hunting is the human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, and killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to obtain the animal's body for meat and useful animal products ( fur/ hide, bone/tusks, ...
". "Here with Me" and "Thank You" both reached the top five on the UK Singles Chart, while the latter peaked at number three on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, after receiving widespread exposure due to being sampled on
Eminem Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all time, he is credited with popula ...
's " Stan". To further promote the album, Dido embarked on an extensive world tour. ''No Angel'' went on to become one of the best-selling albums of all time in the UK, being certified decuple platinum by the
British Phonographic Industry BPI (British Recorded Music Industry) Limited, trading as British Phonographic Industry (BPI), is the British recorded music industry's trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards; is home to the Mercury Prize; co-owns the Official Charts C ...
(BPI) for sales of three million units. It was also certified
quadruple platinum Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...
by the
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA), selling over four million units in the US. As of 2025, it has sold over 15 million copies worldwide.


Writing and recording

Dido began writing songs for what would become ''No Angel'' around 1994, as she signed multiple ephemeral management deals, as well as her first publishing deal. Suffering from depression and frequent panic attacks, she wrote "Honestly OK" and "Slide". Soon thereafter, she met the entertainment lawyer Bob Page, with whom she would be in a 12-year relationship. A day after meeting him, she wrote " Here with Me", "
Thank You "Thank you" (often expanded to ''thank you very much'' or ''thanks a lot'', or informally abbreviated to ''thanks'' or alternately as ''many thanks''Geoffrey Leech, ''The Pragmatics of Politeness'' (2014), p. 200.) is a common expression of gr ...
", "I'm No Angel", and " Take My Hand". In 1995, Dido began collaborating with her brother
Rollo Armstrong Rowland Constantine O'Malley Armstrong (born 8 May 1966), known professionally as both Rollo and R Plus, is an English DJ and music producer. He is one half of the remix/production duo Rollo & Sister Bliss and is a founding, non-touring, membe ...
's
electronic dance music Electronic dance music (EDM), also referred to as dance music or club music, is a broad range of percussive electronic music genres originally made for nightclubs, raves, and List of electronic dance music festivals, festivals. It is generally ...
band
Faithless Faithless are an English dance music Band (rock and pop), band that formed in 1995, with its core original members being Rollo Armstrong, Rollo, Sister Bliss and Maxi Jazz. During the band's initial period of success, Sister Bliss and Maxi Ja ...
, recording backing vocals for their debut studio album '' Reverence'' (1996) and co-writing its track "Flowerstand Man". She simultaneously recorded material for her own album, assembling an 11-track demo collection '' Odds & Ends'', which circulated via
Nettwerk Music Group Nettwerk Music Group is an independent record label founded in 1984. The Vancouver-based company was created by principals Terry McBride and Mark Jowett as a record label to distribute recordings by the band Moev, but the label expanded in Ca ...
, with whom she had recently signed a management deal. Alongside "Take My Hand", ''Odds & Ends'' included "Sweet Eyed Baby", which would later be remixed and retitled " Don't Think of Me", and the tracks "Worthless" and "Me", which would be included as bonus tracks on the Japanese edition of ''No Angel''. Dido spent 1996 touring with Faithless, recording additional songs while on tour, and signed a publishing deal with
Warner Chappell Music Warner Chappell Music, Inc. is an American music publishing company and a subsidiary of the Warner Music Group. Warner Chappell Music's catalog consists of over 1.4 million compositions and 150,000 composers, with offices in over 40 countries. ...
that October. She recorded vocals for two tracks on Faithless' second studio album ''
Sunday 8PM ''Sunday 8PM'' is the second album by English electronic music group Faithless, released on 28 September 1998. The album contains the hit singles "Bring My Family Back", "Take the Long Way Home", and "God Is a DJ". The album reached number 10 on ...
'' (1998), one of which incorporated elements of then-unreleased "My Lover's Gone". Her collaborative work with Faithless attracted attention of
Clive Davis Clive Jay Davis (born April 4, 1932) is an American record producer, A&R executive, record executive, and lawyer. He has won five Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as a non-performer, in 2000. From 1967 to 1 ...
, founder and then-president of
Arista Records Arista Records ( ) is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the American division of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. The label was previously a division of Bertelsmann Music G ...
, who instantly offered Dido a record deal with the label after attending their concert in London in 1998. She initially refused, opting to remain signed to Rollo's label Cheeky Records, but eventually accepted the offer after Rollo sold Cheeky to the
Bertelsmann Music Group Bertelsmann Music Group (BMG) was a division of a German media company Bertelsmann before its completion of sale of the majority of its assets to Sony Corporation of America on 1 October 2008. Although it was established in 1987, the music c ...
(BMG), Arista's parent company, in 1999, as she was finishing recording ''No Angel''. Dido recorded over 25 songs for the album, 12 of which made the final track listing, at six locations in London—the Angel Recording Studios,
The Church Studios The Church Studios is a recording studio located in a former church in Crouch End, North London, England. It was rented and then owned by Dave Stewart (Eurythmics), Dave Stewart in the 1980s and 1990s, and was used to record Eurythmics' second ...
, the Eden Studios, the
Olympic Studios Olympic Studios was a British independent recording studio based on Church Road, Barnes, Church Road, Barnes, London, Barnes, London. It is best known for its recordings of many artists throughout the late 1960s to the first decade of the 21st ...
, Sarm West, and the Swanyard Studios. She wrote all of the album's tracks, and produced all except "Don't Think of Me", which is the sole track produced by
Youth Youth is the time of life when one is young. The word, youth, can also mean the time between childhood and adulthood (Maturity (psychological), maturity), but it can also refer to one's peak, in terms of health or the period of life known as bei ...
. Rollo co-wrote five and produced seven of the album's 12 tracks, while
Rick Nowels Richard Wright Nowels Jr. (born March 16, 1954) is an American songwriter and record producer. He has co-written and co-produced over 90 hit singles with multiple artists,Jamie Catto and Sister Bliss also contributed to the album, with Catto co-writing and producing "My Lover's Gone", and Sister Bliss producing "Take My Hand" and co-writing and producing the bonus track "Worthless".


Music and lyrics

''No Angel'' is, according to critical commentaries, predominantly a
folk-pop Folk-pop is a broad Music genre#Subtypes, musical fusion genre that includes contemporary folk songs with pop music, pop arrangements, and pop songs with intimate, acoustic music, acoustic-based folk music, folk arrangements. Folk-pop has been ...
and
folktronica Folktronica is a genre of indie electronic music comprising various elements of folk music and electronica, often featuring uses of acoustic instruments—especially stringed instruments—deploying hip hop, electronic or dance rhythms, and ...
record, incorporating elements of genres such as
trip hop Trip hop is a musical genre that has been described as a psychedelic music, psychedelic fusion of hip hop music, hip hop and electronica with slow tempos and an atmospheric sound. The style emerged as a more experimental music, experimental var ...
and
electronica Electronica is both a broad group of electronic-based music styles intended for listening rather than strictly for dancing and a music scene that came to prominence in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the term is mos ...
. In ''
The New Rolling Stone Album Guide ''The Rolling Stone Album Guide'', previously known as ''The Rolling Stone Record Guide'', is a book that contains professional music reviews written and edited by staff members from ''Rolling Stone'' magazine. Its first edition was published in 1 ...
'' (2004), journalist Ernesto Lechner further classified the album as a
dream pop Dream pop (also typeset as dreampop) is a subgenre of alternative rock and neo-psychedelia that emphasizes atmosphere and sonic texture as much as pop melody. Common characteristics include breathy vocals, dense productions, and effects such ...
work. Its lyrical themes primarily encompass love, lust, and complexities of relationships and friendships. John Aizlewood of ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' described Dido's vocals as "ice-maiden" while possessing an "undertow of humanising vulnerability". Dido's vocal performance received frequent comparisons to
Sarah McLachlan Sarah Ann McLachlan (born January 28, 1968) is a Canadian singer-songwriter. As of 2015, she had sold over 40 million albums worldwide. McLachlan's best-selling album to date is ''Surfacing (album), Surfacing'' (1997), for which she won two G ...
and
Sinéad O'Connor Shuhada' Sadaqat (born Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor; , ; 8 December 1966 – 26 July 2023) was an Irish singer, songwriter, record producer and activist. Her debut studio album, ''The Lion and the Cobra'', was released in 1987 and achieve ...
, while numerous critics likened the album's musical style to
Beth Orton Elizabeth Caroline Orton (born 14 December 1970) is an English musician known for her "folktronica" sound, which mixes elements of folk and electronica. She was initially recognised for her collaborations with William Orbit, Andrew Weatherall ...
. Further comparisons were made to Faithless,
Dolores O'Riordan Dolores Mary Eileen O'Riordan ( ; 6 September 1971 – 15 January 2018) was an Irish musician and singer-songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead vocalist of the rock band The Cranberries. O'Riordan was the principal songwriter of ...
, Sting, and
Peter Gabriel Peter Brian Gabriel (born 13 February 1950) is an English singer, songwriter, musician, and human rights activist. He came to prominence as the original frontman of the rock band Genesis. He left the band in 1975 and launched a solo career wit ...
. ''No Angel'' opens with " Here with Me", a "languid" folktronica track driven by "heart-monitor" synths and "dramatic" strings. The song depicts Dido as a woman dependent on her lover, attempting to imagine her life without him, while on "
Hunter Hunting is the human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, and killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to obtain the animal's body for meat and useful animal products ( fur/ hide, bone/tusks, ...
", she yearns to descend from the unsolicited pedestal he placed her on. String-infused " Don't Think of Me" shows a protagonist angrily scorning her former partner. "
All You Want "All You Want" is a song recorded by English singer-songwriter Dido (singer), Dido for her debut studio album ''No Angel (album), No Angel'' (1999). The single was released as an exclusive 3-inch mini-disc in the UK, making it ineligible to chart. ...
" details romantic loss from the perspective of a fixated lover, as evident in the lines: "I'd like to watch you sleep at night / To hear you breathe by my side" and "Now our bed is oh so cold / My hands feel empty, no one to hold / And I can sleep what side I want." "
Thank You "Thank you" (often expanded to ''thank you very much'' or ''thanks a lot'', or informally abbreviated to ''thanks'' or alternately as ''many thanks''Geoffrey Leech, ''The Pragmatics of Politeness'' (2014), p. 200.) is a common expression of gr ...
" expresses gratitude towards a partner alleviating different inconveniences. Musically, it is a
ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and song of Great Britain and Ireland from the Late Middle Ages until the 19th century. They were widely used across Eur ...
built on an
acoustic guitar An acoustic guitar is a musical instrument in the string family. When a string is plucked, its vibration is transmitted from the bridge, resonating throughout the top of the guitar. It is also transmitted to the side and back of the instrument, ...
,
conga The conga, also known as tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed drum from Cuba. Congas are staved like barrels and classified into three types: quinto (lead drum, highest), tres dos or tres golpes (middle), and tumba or salidor (lowest ...
s, a recorder, and a
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 ...
. Folktronica and trip hop track "Honestly OK" displays a minimalist vocal arrangement against an electronic dub background, and is among the more introspective songs on the album: "I'm so lonely, I don't even want to be with myself anymore". "Slide" and "Isobel" are lyrical encouragements directed towards an anguished and remorseful friend. Syncopated up-tempo title track "I'm No Angel" is followed by the
blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...
-influenced closing track "My Life", built on "cinematic" strings and a
Wurlitzer electronic piano The Wurlitzer electronic piano is an electric piano manufactured and marketed by Wurlitzer from 1954 to 1983. Sound is generated by striking a metal reed with a hammer, which induces an electric current in a pickup. It is conceptually similar to ...
. Lyrically, the latter sees Dido regaining control over her situation, concluding the events of the album's lyrics similarly to a
romantic comedy Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a sub-genre of comedy and Romance novel, romance fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount all obstacles. Ro ...
climax, according to Natalie Shaw of
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
.


Marketing and touring

Prior to the completion of ''No Angel'', "Thank You" first appared on the soundtrack for the 1998 film ''
Sliding Doors ''Sliding Doors'' is a 1998 romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Peter Howitt and starring Gwyneth Paltrow while also featuring John Hannah, John Lynch, and Jeanne Tripplehorn. The film alternates between two storylines, showi ...
''. As early as the summer of 1998, Arista began distributing samples of the album to journalists, including the five-track ''The Highbury Fields EP'', while some material also appeared on a promotional cassette for the 1998
Lilith Fair Lilith Fair was a concert tour and travelling music festival, founded by Canadian musician Sarah McLachlan, Nettwerk Music Group's Dan Fraser and Terry McBride (CEO), Terry McBride, and New York talent agent Marty Diamond. It took place during ...
. Consequently, various retailers faced high demand for the album in the months preceding its release. ''No Angel'' was ultimately released on 1 June 1999, with "Here with Me" released as its
lead single A lead single (or first single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. A similar term, "debut ...
two weeks earlier. Dido had begun touring clubs across the US, which commenced in
Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
on 10 May, and was slated to perform on five dates of the 1999 Lilith Fair in July. "Here with Me" was soon chosen as the opening theme for the American television series '' Roswell'' (1999–2002), and reached number 16 on the US
Bubbling Under Hot 100 Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (also known as Bubbling Under the Hot 100) is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. The chart lists the top songs that have not yet charted on the main ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Chart ...
, the ''Billboard'' Hot 100's extension chart. "Don't Think of Me" was released as a
promotional single A promotional recording, promo, or plug copy is an audio or video recording distributed free, usually in order to promote a recording that is or soon will be commercially available. Promos are normally sent directly to broadcasters, such as mu ...
on 7 February 2000, before "Thank You" was released as the second single on 18 September, as Dido continued touring the US throughout the year, also serving as an opening act for Sting. She further promoted ''No Angel'' with televised performances on shows such as '' Live with Regis'', ''
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' is an American television talk show broadcast by NBC. The show is the fourth and sixth installment of ''The Tonight Show''. Hosted by Jay Leno, it aired from May 25, 1992, to May 29, 2009, replacing ''The Ton ...
'', ''
Late Show with David Letterman ''Late Show with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS, the first iteration of the ''Late Show'' franchise. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and was produced by Letterman's production com ...
'', ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...
'', and ''
The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn ''The Late Late Show'' is an American late-night television talk and variety comedy show that originally aired from January 9, 1995, to April 27, 2023, on CBS. Tom Snyder was the show's first host, followed by Craig Kilborn, Craig Ferguson, and ...
''. As Rollo's negotiations regarding the 1999 sale of Cheeky Records to BMG postponed all Cheeky releases for over a year, ''No Angel'' was not released outside the US until 16 October 2000, when it was released in Dido's native UK. It was progressively released worldwide within the following six months. The album's release in Europe and Oceania coincided with the release of
Eminem Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all time, he is credited with popula ...
's international number-one hit single " Stan", a song which incorporates a sample of the opening verse of "Thank You", and was widely credited with propelling Dido to global prominence and accelerating the sales of ''No Angel''. In the UK, the album was reissued as an
enhanced CD Enhanced CD is a certification mark of the Recording Industry Association of America for various technologies that combine audio and computer data for use in both CD-Audio and CD-ROM players. Formats that fall under the ''enhanced CD'' cate ...
on 29 January 2001, while "Here with Me" was released as the lead single on 12 February 2001, peaking at number four on the UK Singles Chart, and within the top 10 in 12 additional countries. Prior to the single's relaunch, Dido filmed a second accompanying
music video A music video is a video that integrates a song or an album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device intended to ...
for the song. Dido began touring the UK for the first time in February, followed by shows across Europe throughout the spring, before returning to North America to perform at larger venues throughout the summer. "Thank You" was internationally released on 21 May 2001, peaking at number three on both the UK Singles Chart and the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100. "Hunter" was released as the third and final single from ''No Angel'' on 18 June, attaining less commercial success than its predecessors by peaking at number 17 on the UK Singles Chart and failing to enter the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Dido also promoted ''No Angel'' with televised performances in the UK, such as those of "Here with Me" and "Thank You" on '' Later... with Jools Holland'', and separate performances of "Here with Me", "Thank You", and "Hunter" on ''
Top of the Pops ''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British record chart television programme, made by the BBC and broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show. For most of its histo ...
'' in February, June, and September 2001, respectively. In Australia, she performed "Here with Me" at the 2001 ARIA Music Awards on 30 October. Earlier that month, a double-disc special edition of the album was released in Japan and Australia, while a double-disc limited edition, including the previously unreleased "Christmas Day", was released in the UK on 19 November. "All You Want" was also released as a limited 3-inch mini single exclusively in the UK on 10 December. Although she had refused to perform at the Brit Awards 2001, where she was slated to perform "Stan" with Eminem, she performed "Here with Me" at the following ceremony on 20 February 2002. In November 2008, ''No Angel'' was digitally reissued to include "Worthless" and a Deep Dish-produced remix of "Thank You" as bonus tracks. In commemoration of its 25th anniversary, the album is set to be made available on
vinyl Vinyl may refer to: Chemistry * Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a particular vinyl polymer * Vinyl cation, a type of carbocation * Vinyl group, a broad class of organic molecules in chemistry * Vinyl polymer, a group of polymers derived from vinyl ...
worldwide for the first time, alongside additional merchandise, in September 2025.


Critical reception

''No Angel'' received generally mixed to positive reviews from
music critics Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on ...
. American journalists, such as those of ''
Elle Elle may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Elle (magazine), ''Elle'' (magazine), a fashion publication ** Elle Style Awards * Elle (India), ''Elle'' (India), the Indian edition * Elle (film), ''Elle'' (film), a 2016 French film * ''Elle: ...
'', ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
'', and ''
Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...
'', as well as Sal Cinquemani of ''
Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New Yor ...
'', welcomed Dido and her "sparkling", "stylish" and "accomplished" debut. Meanwhile, British journalist Christian Ward of ''NME'' opined that Dido failed to match the strength of
Eminem Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all time, he is credited with popula ...
's " Stan", which helped introduce her to her native UK market after she had already become prominent in the US. Jeff Burger from
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
and Beth Johnson of ''Entertainment Weekly'' both directed predominant praise towards the sonic quality of ''No Angel'', which Burger described as "atmospheric, seductive, and beautifully produced and sequenced". Fridae's Ikram Khasim further called the album "an amalgamation of
pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop! (British group), a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Album ...
,
soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...
,
folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk horror ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Fo ...
, and trip-hop (thanks to her brother Rollo from the band Faithless) rolled into a pleasing package", while a critic from ''
Interview An interview is a structured conversation where one participant asks questions, and the other provides answers.Merriam Webster DictionaryInterview Dictionary definition, Retrieved February 16, 2016 In common parlance, the word "interview" re ...
'' concluded that it "feels just about perfect". Conversely, Chris Nettleton of '' Drowned in Sound'' dismissed the record's sound as commercialised and overproduced, concluding that the album lacks a coherent theme. He nonetheless complimented Dido's vocal performance, as did John Aizlewood of ''The Guardian''. Both Nettleton and Aizlewood commended the album's Faithless-influenced aspects, with Nettleton highlighting "My Lover's Gone" for exhibiting a musical style reminiscent of the band, and Aizlewood accentuating a "template of aggressive lushness" shared between the artists. Burger was, however, ambivalent towards the album's lyricism, which he labelled less adventurous than that of Sinéad O'Connor, to whom Dido received frequent critical comparisons. Ward further criticized the lyricism as "tedious", and Dido's artistry as "music for people who buy one CD a year". Regardless of the critical polarity, '' Q'' listed ''No Angel'' as one of the best 50 albums of 2001. At the Brit Awards 2002, the album won British Album of the Year; it would go on to be nominated for British Album of 30 Years at the Brit Awards 2010, but would ultimately lose to ''
(What's the Story) Morning Glory? ''(What's the Story) Morning Glory?'' is the second studio album by the English Rock music, rock band Oasis (band), Oasis. Released on 2 October 1995 by Creation Records, it was produced by Owen Morris and the group's lead guitarist and chief ...
'' by
Oasis In ecology, an oasis (; : oases ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environmentNRJ Music Award for International Album of the Year, in addition to being nominated for the 2001 MTV Europe Music Award for Best Album. In ''The New Rolling Stone Album Guide'' (2004), Ernesto Lechner reflected on ''No Angel'' sounding "surprisingly mature for a debut album", concluding that although Dido's "mellow approach and pretty melodies are a bit too laid-back to qualify as groundbreaking", it would be "cynical to altogether dismiss the ''chanteuse''s sincere intentions and gorgeous voice". In a retrospective review for
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
, journalist Natalie Shaw remarked: "While there's little variation in ''No Angel''s material, its songs do their jobs diligently. But that's exactly the problem – it's all so constructed." Writing for ''
The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
'' upon the album's 25th anniversary, journalist Adam White declared it "neither as bland as conventional wisdom suggests it is, nor quite interesting enough to be a secret classic".


Commercial performance

''No Angel'' was a universal
sleeper hit In the entertainment industry, a sleeper hit refers to a film, television series, music release, video game or other entertainment product that was initially unsuccessful on release, but eventually became a surprise success. A sleeper hit may have ...
. In the US, it debuted at number 50 on the
Top Heatseekers The Heatseekers charts were "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. The Heatseekers Albums and the Heatseekers Songs charts were introduced by ''Billboard'' in 1991 with the purpose of highlighting the sales b ...
chart dated 24 July 1999, after which it fluctuated for a year before reaching the summit on 5 August 2000. On the ''Billboard'' 200, the album debuted at number 144 on the issue dated 3 June 2000, and began rapidly ascending the chart in subsequent months, which was attributed to extensive touring, adult contemporary radio exposure, and Eminem's "Stan". In November, ''No Angel'' was certified
platinum Platinum is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a density, dense, malleable, ductility, ductile, highly unreactive, precious metal, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name origina ...
by the
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA), signifying shipments of one million units in the country, and entered the top 40 of the ''Billboard'' 200. In January 2001, the album leaped towards the top 10 on the ''Billboard'' 200 at number nine, by which point it had already sold two million copies in the country. The album reached its peak position of number four in its 40th week on the ''Billboard'' 200, on the chart dated 3 March 2001. On the year-end ''Billboard'' 200 for 2001, it was positioned at number 17, having been certified quadruple platinum by the RIAA that July. According to
Nielsen SoundScan Luminate Data, LLC (formerly MRC Data and P-MRC Data) is a provider of music and entertainment data. Established as a joint-venture in 2020, it brought together Nielsen Music, Alpha Data (formerly BuzzAngle Music) and Variety Business Intellige ...
, ''No Angel'' had sold over 4.2 million units in the US by November 2008, and has spent a total of 69 weeks on the ''Billboard'' 200. In Canada, the album debuted at number 18 on the
Canadian Albums Chart The ''Billboard'' Canadian Albums is the official record chart A record chart, in the music industry, also called a music chart, is a ranking of Sound recording and reproduction, recorded music according to certain criteria during a given ...
dated 6 January 2001, peaking at number four in its tenth week. For sales of 400,000 copies in the country, it was certified quadruple platinum by the
Canadian Recording Industry Association Music Canada is a non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 in Toronto to represent the interests of companies that record, manufacture, produce, and distribute music in Canada. It also offers benefits to some of Canada's leadin ...
(CRIA) in September 2003. In the UK, ''No Angel'' debuted at number 50 on the
UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for album, albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the O ...
dated 28 October 2000. Despite not yet being supported by a single in the country, it entered the top 10 at number five in its 14th week, ascending to the summit two weeks later, and sold over 400,000 copies in the country by February 2001. As "Here with Me" was commercially released as the lead single, ''No Angel'' remained atop the chart for five further consecutive weeks. On the chart dated 6 October 2001, it returned to the top for a seventh and final week. In the country, the album became the best-selling of 2001, and the second-best-selling of the 2000s, behind
James Blunt James Blunt (born James Hillier Blount, 22 February 1974) is an English singer, songwriter and musician. He is known for his songs "You're Beautiful" and "Goodbye My Lover". As a British Army captain in the aftermath of the Kosovo War, Blunt ...
's '' Back to Bedlam''. With sales exceeding three million units, it is the 26th best-selling album of all time in the UK, and was certified decuple platinum by the
British Phonographic Industry BPI (British Recorded Music Industry) Limited, trading as British Phonographic Industry (BPI), is the British recorded music industry's trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards; is home to the Mercury Prize; co-owns the Official Charts C ...
(BPI) in July 2013. Across Europe, the album reached number one in Austria, Finland, France, Greece, Ireland, and Norway, as well as on the
European Top 100 Albums The European Top 100 Albums chart was the European adaptation of the ''Billboard'' 200 albums chart. It ran from March 1984 until December 2010. Also commonly referred to as Eurochart Top 100 Albums, the chart showcased the sales of an act in 19 E ...
. It was the best-selling album of 2001 in Europe, and the second-best-selling in Finland, Germany, and Ireland. The following year, it was certified quintuple platinum by the
International Federation of the Phonographic Industry The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. It is a non-profit members' organisation registered in Switzerland and founded in Italy in 1 ...
(IFPI), for sales of five million units in Europe. In Australia, ''No Angel'' debuted at number 21, rising to number one in its sixth week and spending eight consecutive weeks at the summit. It went on to be certified sextuple platinum by the
Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival Records (Australia), Festival, Sony Music ...
(ARIA) in 2004, denoting shipments of over 420,000 units in the country. In New Zealand, the album debuted at number 17, reaching the summit in its fifth week; it stayed atop the chart for nine non-consecutive weeks. By April 2002, it had sold 75,000 copies and was certified quintuple platinum by the
Recording Industry Association of New Zealand Recorded Music NZ (formerly the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ)) is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell recorded music in New Zealand. Membership of Recorded ...
(RIANZ). ''No Angel'' was the second-best-selling album of 2001 in both countries. With shipments of 8.6 million copies worldwide, it topped ''
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 ...
''s Global 20 chart for 2001. According to the
International Federation of the Phonographic Industry The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. It is a non-profit members' organisation registered in Switzerland and founded in Italy in 1 ...
(IFPI), the album was the second-best-selling of 2001 worldwide. As of 2025, it has sold over 15 million copies worldwide, and has accumulated 1.2 billion
streams A stream is a continuous body of surface water flowing within the bed and banks of a channel. Depending on its location or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to by a variety of local or regional names. Long, large stream ...
.


Track listing

;Notes * denotes an additional producer * denotes a producer and an additional producer


Personnel

Credits are adapted from the liner notes of ''No Angel''. * Bruce Aisher – additional keyboards (track 7), keyboards (track 8) * Rusty Anderson – electric guitar (tracks 2 and 5) * Aquila – background vocals (track 8) * Mark Bates – keyboards (tracks 6, 11, and 12), organ (track 11), piano (tracks 3, 6, 9, and 11), songwriting (track 11),
Wurlitzer The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, usually referred to as simply Wurlitzer, is an American company started in Cincinnati in 1853 by German immigrant (Franz) Rudolph Wurlitzer. The company initially imported stringed, woodwind and brass instruments ...
(track 11) * Matty Benbrook – live drums (tracks 8, 9, and 11), programming (track 7), songwriting (track 7) * Duncan Bridgeman – keyboards (track 4), production (track 4), programming (track 4), recording (track 4) * Phill Brown – mixing (tracks 6–11), recording (tracks 9 and 10) * Rachael Brown – background vocals (tracks 8 and 11) * Jamie Catto – production (track 4), songwriting (track 4) * Tom Coyne – mastering * Laura de Leon – hair * Richard Dekkard – songwriting (track 12) *
Dido Dido ( ; , ), also known as Elissa ( , ), was the legendary founder and first queen of the Phoenician city-state of Carthage (located in Tunisia), in 814 BC. In most accounts, she was the queen of the Phoenician city-state of Tyre (located ...
– keyboards (tracks 7 and 9), production (tracks 1, 2, and 4–12), recorder (track 6), songwriting (all tracks), vocals (all tracks) *
Geoff Dugmore The Europeans were a British new wave group formed in 1981 and disbanded in 1985. They released three albums, none of which achieved much in terms of chart position. In 1989, their former keyboard player and co-lead vocalist Steve Hogarth joi ...
– live drums (track 3), percussion (track 3) *
Peter Edge Peter Edge is an English-American record executive. He is the chairman and CEO of RCA Records. Early life and education Edge was born near Coventry, England. Fueled in part by his sister's record collection – which included influential re ...
– A&R * Mark Felton – harmonica (track 10) *
Pascal Gabriel Pascal Gabriel (born 15 December 1956) is a Belgian-born musician based in London, England and Provence, France. Background Pascal Gabriel's musical career began in 1977 in the punk rock band The Razors (bass guitar). He left Belgium for Lo ...
– songwriting (tracks 1 and 10) * Goetz – additional recording (track 9), mixing (tracks 4 and 12), recording (tracks 6–8, 11, and 12) * Hosh Gureli – A&R * Paulie Herman – guitar (tracks 3, 6, 8, and 9), harmonica (track 9), songwriting (3, 5, 6, and 8) * Ash Howes – mixing (tracks 1, 2, and 5), recording (tracks 1, 2, and 5) * Len Irish – photography * Sudha Kheterpal – percussion (tracks 8 and 10) * Peter Leak – management * Heidi Lee – makeup * Sheri G. Lee – art direction *
Wil Malone Wil Malone (born Peter Wilson, 29 July 1942, Hornsey, North London) is a British music producer and arranger, who has worked with artists including The Who, Rick Wakeman, Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Todd Rundgren, The Verve, Massive Attack, Dep ...
– string arrangement (tracks 1, 3, 11, and 12) * Martin McCorry – electric guitar (track 9) * Hugo Nicolson – mixing (track 3), recording (track 3) *
Rick Nowels Richard Wright Nowels Jr. (born March 16, 1954) is an American songwriter and record producer. He has co-written and co-produced over 90 hit singles with multiple artists,chamberlin The Chamberlin is an electro-mechanical keyboard instrument that was a precursor to the Mellotron. It was developed and patented by the American inventor Harry Chamberlin from 1949 to 1956, when the first model was introduced. There are several ...
(tracks 2 and 5), keyboards (tracks 1, 2, and 5), production (tracks 1, 2, and 5) * Aubrey Nunn – bass guitar (tracks 4, 8, 10, and 12) * John Pierce – bass (tracks 2 and 5) * Dave Randall – guitar (tracks 4, 10, and 12) * Nick "Manasseh" Raphael – additional programming (track 7), dub effects (track 7) * Jony Rockstar – programming (track 3) *
Rollo Rollo (, ''Rolloun''; ; ; – 933), also known with his epithet, Rollo "the Walker", was a Viking who, as Count of Rouen, became the first ruler of Normandy, a region in today's northern France. He was prominent among the Vikings who Siege o ...
– production (tracks 6–12), programming (tracks 6, 8–10, and 12), songwriting (tracks 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11) * James Sanger – programming (tracks 1, 2, and 5) * Sister Bliss – keyboards (track 12), production (track 12) * Mal Hyde Smith – percussion (tracks 6, 9, and 12) * Andrew Southam – photography * Paul Statham – keyboards (tracks 1 and 10), piano (track 10), songwriting (tracks 1 and 10) * Richie Stevens – additional live drums (tracks 2 and 5), additional percussion (track 5) * Pauline Taylor – additional arrangement (track 8), additional background vocals (tracks 2, 3, and 12), background vocals (tracks 8 and 11), background vocal arrangement (track 11), songwriting (track 3) * John Themis – electric guitar (tracks 1, 2, and 5), percussion (tracks 1, 2, and 5) * Peter Vittese – additional programming (track 1), keyboards (track 1) * Tim Vogt – bass (track 9) * Randy Wine – engineering (tracks 2 and 5) *
Gavyn Wright Gavyn Wright is a British violinist and orchestra leader with the London Session Orchestra and Penguin Cafe Orchestra. He is best known for his orchestral arrangements on pop productions (including Elton John, Simply Red, Bush, Mecano, ...
– strings (tracks 1, 3, 11, and 12) *
Youth Youth is the time of life when one is young. The word, youth, can also mean the time between childhood and adulthood (Maturity (psychological), maturity), but it can also refer to one's peak, in terms of health or the period of life known as bei ...
– bass (track 3), production (track 3) * Basia Zamorska – styling


Charts


Weekly charts


Monthly charts


Year-end charts


Decade-end charts


Centurial charts


All-time charts


Certifications


Release history


See also

* Dido discography *
List of UK Albums Chart number ones of the 2000s The UK Albums Chart is a weekly record chart based on album sales from Sunday to Saturday in the United Kingdom; during the 2000s, a total of 274 different albums by 170 artists reached number one. The chart was compiled weekly by the Official ...
* List of number-one albums of 2001 (Australia) *
List of best-selling albums This is a list of the world's best-selling albums of Comparison of recording media, recorded music in physical mediums, such as vinyl, audio cassettes or compact discs. To appear on the list, the figure must have been published by a reliable so ...
*
List of best-selling albums by women The following albums, recorded by female solo artists and all-female groups, have sold at least 10 million copies. This list can contain any types of album, including studio albums, extended plays, greatest hits, compilations, soundtracks, an ...
*
List of best-selling albums in Europe Since 1996, the IFPI have awarded Platinum Europe Awards for albums that have sold at least one million copies in Europe. Only albums released on or after 1 January 1994 are eligible for the award. This is a list of the best-selling albums in Eur ...
*
List of best-selling albums in France This is a list of the best-selling albums in France that have been certified by the Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique (SNEP). Diamond album certifications The SNEP provides "certifications" for album sales, similar to the RIAA certif ...
* List of best-selling albums in United Kingdom


References


Notes


Citations


Bibliography

* *


External links

*
Official website
{{Authority control Dido (singer) albums 1999 debut albums Arista Records albums Cheeky Records albums Albums produced by Pascal Gabriel Albums produced by Rick Nowels Albums produced by Rollo Armstrong Brit Award for British Album of the Year Dream pop albums by English artists Folk-pop albums Folktronica albums Albums recorded at The Church Studios Albums recorded at Olympic Sound Studios