"Angels" is a song by American electronica act Owl City. It was released on September 20, 2011, for Christian radio airplay as the fourth and final single from his third studio album, All Things Bright and Beautiful.[2]
| "Angels" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Owl City | ||||
| from the album All Things Bright and Beautiful | ||||
| Released | September 20, 2011 | |||
| Studio | Sky Harbor Studios | |||
| Genre | Christian rock[1] | |||
| Length | 3:40 | |||
| Label | Universal Republic | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Adam Young | |||
| Producer(s) | Young | |||
| Owl City singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Background
editSpeaking about the song in an interview with Songfacts, Young stated, "I've never had a Lifetime movie encounter with an angel but I definitely do believe they exist and I wanted to write a song to touch on that belief."[3]
Composition and lyrics
edit"Angels" was written and produced by Adam Young. The track runs at 120 BPM and is in the key of C-sharp minor.[4] Young's range in the song spans from the notes B3 – C♯6.[4] The song refers to Young's faith to God. The song mentions references about "the beauty of our surroundings" and that there are angels all around us, saying, "So if you're dying to see, I guarantee there are angels around your vicinity." The song also makes reference to space with the lyrics going, "Among my frivolous thoughts, I believe there are beautiful things seen by the astronauts."[5]
The song features a lot of guitar. Young stated, "The song 'Angels' has a lot of electric guitar - I do play electric guitar on stage, along with another guitarist. If there's going to be electric guitar on a track, I want to hit it really hard and then pull out so there's lots of dynamics. I like the guitar to jump out at you."[6]
Live performances
edit"Angels" was performed live regularly during the All Things Bright and Beautiful Tour and was featured in Owl City's live album Owl City: Live From Los Angeles.[7]
Chart performance
edit"Angels" peaked at number 43 on the US Dance/Electronic Digital Song Sales chart. The song also debuted at number six of the UK Cross Rhythms Weekly Chart and stayed on the chart for two weeks.[8]
Charts
edit| Chart (2011) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Cross Rhythms Weekly Chart[9] | 6 |
| US Dance/Electronic Digital Song Sales (Billboard)[10] | 43 |
Release history
edit| Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | September 20, 2011 | Christian radio | Universal | [2] |
References
edit- ^ Chad Grischow (June 14, 2011). "Owl City: All Things Bright And Beautiful". IGN. Archived from the original on June 20, 2011. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
- ^ a b "R&R Going for Adds: Christian CHR". Radio & Records. Archived from the original on December 24, 2013. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
- ^ Dan MacIntosh (June 6, 2012). "Adam Young of Owl City". Songfacts. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
- ^ a b "Angels by Owl City - Digital Sheet Music". musicnotes.com. 19 December 2011. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
- ^ Scott Fryberger (June 3, 2011). "Owl City - All Things Bright and Beautiful Review". Jesus Freak Hideout. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
- ^ Joe Bosso (May 6, 2011). "Owl City talks new album, All Things Bright And Beautiful". Music Radar. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
- ^ Scott Fryberger (February 10, 2012). "Owl City – Live From Los Angeles DVD". Jesus Freak Hideout. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
- ^ "Cross Rhythms Top Ten: Week Beginning 18 March 2012". Cross Rhythms. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
- ^ "Cross Rhythms Top Ten: Week Beginning 11 March 2012". Cross Rhythms. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
- ^ "Owl City — Chart History: Dance/Electronic Digital Songs". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 21, 2019. Retrieved March 11, 2023.