Angels (The xx song)
"Angels" | ||||
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Young Turks | ||||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | Jamie xx | |||
The xx singles chronology | ||||
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"Angels" is a song by English
The xx premiered the song on 14 May 2012 at their first live show since touring in 2010. Upon its release, "Angels" received positive reviews from music critics, who commended Croft's performance and the song's minimalist musical style. The song was remixed by electronic musician Four Tet, whose version was aired on BBC Radio on 19 September.[2]
Was used as an interlude for the On the Run Tour recorded concert performance.
Writing and recording
"Angels" was recorded during the sessions for Coexist at The xx's recording studio in London.[1] Its demo was originally recorded solely by Romy Madley Croft, who wrote the song's lyrics.[3] Jamie xx said of the song's recording in an interview for Spin, "It took a while to work out how to arrange it for the band. The demo was quite perfect, but it was just Romy. It took the entire length of the recording process to get it right."[3]
Music and lyrics
"Angels" is a sparsely-produced,
Croft's transparent lyrics express lovesick emotion,[4][14] adoration,[15] and private knowledge acquired from intimacy:[16] "You move through the room / Like breathing was easy / If someone believed me / They would be as in love with you as I am".[8] They also compare a relationship that ended prematurely to "dreaming of angels, and leaving without them".[17] Her repetition of "love" in the song's chorus expresses the depth and intensity of the narrator's feeling.[18] Priya Elan of NME opines that she repeats the word "like she's been sucker-punched by the sheer intensity of her heart-shaped feeling. She's revelling in the joy of it, but also realising the utter failure of the simple four-letter word to express the depth of what she's experiencing."[18] Croft said that the song is "very positive lyrically" and that its album "goes through a few different stages, and this would be the lightest."[3] Puja Patel of Spin characterizes its subject matter as "loverlorn" and observes a balance "between honest[y], gut-wrenching desire and stalker-like idolization".[8]
Live performances
The xx premiered the song at
Reception
Cover versions
In 2012, British band
Track listing
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Angels" | Jamie xx | 2:51 |
Personnel
Credits adapted from Coexist liner notes.[1]
- Romy Madley Croft – composer, guitar, vocals
- Oliver Sim – bass, composer
- MPC, producer
- Rodaidh McDonald – mixing
- Mandy Parnell – mastering
Charts
Weekly charts
Charts (2012–2013) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australia (ARIA)[26] | 46 |
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[27] | 29 |
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Wallonia)[28] | 43 |
France ( SNEP)[29]
|
102 |
Ireland (IRMA)[30] | 70 |
UK Indie (OCC)[31] | 2 |
US | 3 |
Year-end charts
Chart (2013) | Position |
---|---|
Australia Streaming (ARIA)[33] | 99 |
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Canada (Music Canada)[34] | Gold | 40,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI)[35] | Gold | 400,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Release history
Country | Date | Format | Label |
---|---|---|---|
United Kingdom[36] | 17 July 2012 | Digital download |
|
United States[37] | |||
Japan[38] | 18 July 2012 |
References
- ^ Young Turks. 2012. YT080CD.)
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link - Pitchfork Media. Archived from the originalon 2012-09-23. Retrieved 2012-09-23.
- ^ a b c Marchese, David (16 August 2012). "The xx Share the Secrets Behind the Songs on 'Coexist'". Spin. New York. Retrieved 2012-09-23.
- ^ a b c d Pan, Arnold (11 September 2012). "The xx: Coexist". PopMatters. Retrieved 2012-09-11.
- ^ a b c Thompson, Stephen (16 June 2012). "The xx Teases New Album 'Coexist' With The Simplest Of Love Songs". NPR. Retrieved 2012-09-25.
- ^ a b Mejia, Paula (6 September 2012). "Album Review: The xx - Coexist". Prefix. Retrieved 2012-09-08.
- ^ Sundermann, Eric (11 September 2012). "The xx: Coexist". The A.V. Club. Chicago. Retrieved 2012-09-11.
- ^ a b c Patel, Puja (10 September 2012). "The xx, 'Coexist' (Young Turks)". Spin. New York. Retrieved 2012-09-10.
- ^ Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2012-09-14.
- ^ Pitchfork Media. Archived from the originalon 2012-09-20. Retrieved 2012-09-23.
- ^ a b c Cragg, Michael (16 July 2012). "New music: The xx - Angels". guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 2012-09-23.
- ^ a b "LISTEN: The xx - 'Angels'". The Quietus. 16 July 2012. Retrieved 2012-09-23.
- Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 2012-09-08.
- ^ Woolley, Hayden (5 September 2012). "The xx - Coexist". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on 2012-09-06. Retrieved 2012-09-07.
- ^ Doerfler, Andrew (September 11, 2012). "The xx, 'Coexist'". The Boston Globe. Retrieved September 21, 2012.
- ^ Hann, Michael (6 September 2012). "The xx: Coexist – review". The Guardian. London. section G2, p. 25. Retrieved 2012-09-07.
- ^ Lipshutz, Jason (7 September 2012). "The xx, 'Coexist': Track-By-Track Review". Billboard. New York. Retrieved 2012-09-21.
- ^ a b c Elan, Priya (7 September 2012). "The xx - 'Coexist'". NME. London. Retrieved 2012-09-11.
- ^ Hogan, Marc (17 May 2012). "The xx Preview New Songs at First Shows Since 2010". Spin. New York. Retrieved 2012-09-23.
- Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 2012-09-04.
- ^ Rowe, Siân (13 July 2012). "NME Track Reviews - The xx - 'Angels'". NME. London. Retrieved 2012-09-23.
- ^ Frank, Brendan (17 July 2012). "Track Review: The xx – "Angels"". Beats Per Minute. Retrieved 2012-09-23.
- YouTube
- ^ "Download: Bastille - Other People's Heartbreak, Pt. 2". Faded Glamour. 2012-12-11. Retrieved 2013-01-06.
- YouTube
- ^ "The xx – Angels". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
- ^ "The xx – Angels" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
- Ultratip.
- Les classement single.
- ^ "Chart Track: Week 37, 2012". Irish Singles Chart.
- ^ "Official Independent Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company.
- ^ "Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles – Issue Date: 2012-09-29" (requires registration). Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved September 12, 2012.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "End Of Year Charts - Top 100 Streaming Tracks 2013". ARIA. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
- ^ "Canadian single certifications – The xx – Angels". Music Canada. Retrieved 22 January 2023.
- ^ "British single certifications – Xx – Angels". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
- ^ "Angels by The xx". 7digital. Archived from the original on 2012-11-06. Retrieved 2012-10-22.
- ^ "Angels: The XX: MP3 Downloads". Amazon. Retrieved 2012-09-23.
- ^ "Angels - Single" (in Japanese). iTunes. Apple Inc. Retrieved 2012-09-23.