Angels (Owl City song) explained

Angels
Type:	single
Artist:	Owl City
Album:	All Things Bright and Beautiful
Released:	September 20, 2011
Studio:	Sky Harbor Studios
Genre:	Christian rock^[1]
Length:	3:40
Label:	Universal Republic
Producer:	Young
Prev Title:	Lonely Lullaby
Prev Year:	2011
Next Title:	Shooting Star
Next Year:	2012

"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]

Background

Speaking 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

"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 – C6.^[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

"Angels" was performed live regularly during the All Things Bright and Beautiful Tour and was featured in Owl City's live album .^[7]

Chart performance

"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

Chart performance for "Angels"
Chart (2011)	Peak position
UK Cross Rhythms Weekly Chart^[9]	6
US Dance/Electronic Digital Song Sales (Billboard)^[10]	43

Release history

Region! scope="col"
Date	Format	Label
United States	September 20, 2011	Christian radio	Universal

Notes and References

Web site: Owl City: All Things Bright And Beautiful. IGN. Chad Grischow. June 14, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110620045446/http://music.ign.com/articles/117/1176315p1.html. June 20, 2011. August 16, 2023.
Web site: R&R Going for Adds: Christian CHR. Radio & Records. https://web.archive.org/web/20131224110844/http://gfa.radioandrecords.com/PublishGFA/GFAChristianNextPage.asp?sDate=09/20/2011&Format=25. December 24, 2013. March 11, 2023.
Web site: Adam Young of Owl City. Dan MacIntosh. Songfacts. June 6, 2012. March 11, 2023.
Web site: Angels by Owl City - Digital Sheet Music. musicnotes.com. 19 December 2011 . August 24, 2023.
Web site: Owl City - All Things Bright and Beautiful Review. Jesus Freak Hideout. Scott Fryberger. June 3, 2011. August 14, 2023.
Web site: Owl City talks new album, All Things Bright And Beautiful. Joe Bosso. Music Radar. May 6, 2011. August 12, 2023.
Web site: Owl City – Live From Los Angeles DVD. Scott Fryberger. Jesus Freak Hideout. February 10, 2012. September 15, 2023.
Web site: Cross Rhythms Top Ten: Week Beginning 18 March 2012. Cross Rhythms. September 11, 2023.
Web site: Cross Rhythms Top Ten: Week Beginning 11 March 2012. Cross Rhythms. June 22, 2023.
Owl City — Chart History: Dance/Electronic Digital Songs. Billboard. https://web.archive.org/web/20191221053055/https://www.billboard.com/music/Owl-City/chart-history/DDT. December 21, 2019. March 11, 2023.