• About
  • Editorial Board
    • Staff Writers
  • Advertise
  • Join Us
  • Archives
The Wellesley News -
  • News and Features
    • The Wellesley (COVID) 100
      The Wellesley (COVID) 100
    • In memory of Professor Rebecca Summerhays
      In memory of Professor Rebecca Summerhays
    • Trans flag controversy: College power washes staircase after trans flag is painted over Harry Potter spray paint
      Trans flag controversy: College power washes staircase after trans flag is painted over Harry Potter spray paint
    • News
      • News in Brief
      • Nation & World
      • President’s Corner
      • Senate Report
    • Features
      • Alumnae Spotlight
      • Eye on Science
      • Faculty Focus
      • LGBTQIA+ Column
  • Opinions
    • The News in Conversation: Wellesley Against Mass Incarceration
      The News in Conversation: Wellesley Against Mass Incarceration
    • Editorial Board calls for keeping up trans flag murals
      Editorial Board calls for keeping up trans flag murals
    • No, Elon Musk’s Twitter will not restore free speech
      No, Elon Musk’s Twitter will not restore free speech
    • Staff Editorial
    • Letters to the Editor
    • The Elephant in the Room
  • Arts
    • Be/longing Centers Connection and Care
      Be/longing Centers Connection and Care
    • No image
      Birds Falling Upwards: Wellesley College Theater’s The Moors is a Must-See
    • No image
      Sometimes you just need to read a YA “Groundhog Day” to feel something
    • Arts In The News
    • Reviews
    • Music Peek
    • Books Before Boys
  • Health and Wellness
    • February Student Athlete of the Month
      February Student Athlete of the Month
    • Athletics Update
      Athletics Update
    • Victoria Garrick Speaks on Mental Health
      Victoria Garrick Speaks on Mental Health
    • Athlete of the Week
    • Boston Sports Update
    • The Vegan Digest
    • The SHE Corner
  • The Wellesley Snooze
    • Wellesley News Leadership Changes Completely Peacefully Without Any Suspicious Disappearances At All
      Wellesley News Leadership Changes Completely Peacefully Without Any Suspicious Disappearances At All
    • Solve Your Connection Problems With Wellesley Insecure
      Solve Your Connection Problems With Wellesley Insecure
    • Mayhem strikes Wellesley as paper towels removed from campus
      Mayhem strikes Wellesley as paper towels removed from campus
  • Miscellanea
    • President’s Column: The Butterfly Effect
      President’s Column: The Butterfly Effect
    • Administrators shocked to learn that students dislike being left in dark
      Administrators shocked to learn that students dislike being left in dark
    • 50 Lies You Tell Yourself in Order to Survive Until Graduation
      50 Lies You Tell Yourself in Order to Survive Until Graduation
    • The Dose
    • The Olive Branch
    • Multimedia
      • Galleries
      • Infographics
      • Videos
By Virginia Faust Arts, Popular CultureSeptember 18, 2019

Pop Queens Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus and Lana Del Rey Attempt to Merge Styles with “Don’t Call Me Angel”

Photo Courtesy of Ariana Grande, Youtube.

This past Friday, girl power anthem “Don’t Call Me Angel,”officially dropped. The track, written for the upcoming “Charlie’s Angels” reboot, is dominated mainly by the vocals of Ariana Grande with features from pop icons Miley Cyrus and Lana Del Rey. Reviews thus far have been mixed; however, the pop song has been performing extraordinarily well on the charts and is reportedly “heading straight for number one.” The song’s success is most likely due to its big name singers and recently released music video, which transform what could be a brief radio-friendly bop into a legendary collaboration. 

In trendy, Billie Eilish fashion, the track begins with an off-kilter beat reminiscent of sixties horror. Its resounding spookiness is offset with the universally recognized voices of Ariana Grande in the opening and later Miley Cyrus, who seem, in brief, pissed. One of the main joys of listening to the song is the digestion of its cryptic lyrics, topical given the latest news of Cyrus’s divorce. Many fans have found success connecting ties from the song’s content to the Instagram comments of the singer’s ex-husband, Liam Hemsworth. In all, Cyrus’s verse is the best and most authentically performed — if a bit awkward paired with Grande’s wannabe R&B stylings. 

The lead singer of the makeshift girl group, Ariana Grande resorts to her usual habit of appropriation with lyrics such as “you know we fly” and “keep my name out ya mouth.” If cancel culture has not ended her career yet, however, we should expect to hear more tracks from the singer in the future. Aside from the more uncomfortable lyrics, Grande hits the notes she needs to — with gusto. The song is most suited for her style, and as such her vocals are the most fitting. 

Lana Del Rey’s bridge hits the most heavenly but comes across as incompatible to the listener. A jolting indie departure from the rest of the song’s hard-hitting beat, Lana’s addition seems solely added for celebrity. Many fans of her latest album, Norman Fucking Rockwell, complain she was not given enough space or time to perform her best. 

The music video is Reputation-era Taylor Swift at best, and predictable at worst. In a tough-girl cross between S&M and Victoria’s Secret, the video attempts to be daring in the most already-done ways. The video does, however, provide some context the song alone fails to provide. 

Rather than connecting the musical stylings of the three distinctive artists, “Don’t Call Me Angel” maintains Grande’s overarching signature style. This is both a plus and a loss, as the two featured artists seem messily thrown into what is a stereotypically Grande track — but the tune is catchy, and if it were on the radio I wouldn’t change the station. While the song and its singers have their respective issues, and the creation itself is less badass than boring, there is an undeniable coolness in the collaboration between three powerful women. 

Share on

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Google +
  • LinkedIn
  • Email
Previous article“It Chapter Two” Fails to Deliver the Scares “It” Promised
Next articleTove Lo grows out of “Sweden’s Darkest Pop Export” in new album “Sunshine Kitty”

You may also like

Be/longing Centers Connection and Care

Birds Falling Upwards: Wellesley College Theater’s The Moors is a Must-See

Sometimes you just need to read a YA “Groundhog Day” to feel something

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Email Newsletter

Sign up to receive our weekly digest in your inbox

* indicates required

Top Articles

Sorry. No data so far.

Recent Tweets

Tweets by @Wellesley_News

The independent student newspaper of Wellesley College since 1901.

Sign up to receive our weekly digest in your inbox

* indicates required

  • About
  • Editorial Board
    • Staff Writers
  • Advertise
  • Join Us
  • Archives
COPYRIGHT © 2022 THE WELLESLEY NEWS
Back to top