| Number 1 Angel | |
| Type: | mixtape |
| Artist: | Charli XCX |
| Cover: | Charli XCX - Number 1 Angel.png |
| Released: | 10 March 2017 |
| Recorded: | 2014 • October 2016-early 2017 |
| Genre: | |
| Label: | Asylum |
| Prev Title: | Vroom Vroom |
| Prev Year: | 2016 |
| Next Title: | Pop 2 |
| Next Year: | 2017 |
Number 1 Angel is the third mixtape by English singer Charli XCX, released on 10 March 2017 by Asylum Records. The mixtape contains ten tracks and was created in Los Angeles as a collaboration with producer A. G. Cook, the founder of PC Music.[1] [2] [3] Several other producers associated with the label also contributed to the mixtape, including Sophie who previously produced Charli XCX's extended play Vroom Vroom. Musically, it has been labeled as avant-pop[4] and electropop.[5]
Number 1 Angel received generally positive reviews from critics. Some reviewers praised its genre-bending sounds and guest appearances, while others found it repetitive.
In January 2017, Charli XCX stated in an interview with Rolling Stone that she was planning to release a mixtape before the release of her third album[6] saying: "I just got bored and made a load of songs, so I decided to put them out."[7] In another interview, with 93.3, she told the radio station that she recorded the mixtape in two weeks. She described it by saying, "this is more like crying into the champagne than drinking it", and compared it to her work with Sophie.[8] The mixtape was slated for a February 2017 release but was pushed back due to label conflicts. Charli XCX initially recorded the mixtape without her label's permission, stating that the situation, along with the album delay, had her feeling "frustrated and annoyed".[9]
At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, Number 1 Angel received an average score of 73, based on 5 reviews, indicating generally favorable reviews. Frank Falisi from Tiny Mix Tapes compared the mixtape to Madonna's early works and described it as "a text for mitigating engagements." At Pretty Much Amazing, Mick Jacobs stated that "Aitchison intelligently pairs her clever lyrics against beats that push genres outward, her filling in the spaces with her hooks and gigantic personality," whilst Katherine St. Asaph of Pitchfork wrote that the mixtape "is largely stolen by its guests, like Uffie and Cupcakke."
Writing for AllMusic, Neil Z. Young described the release as, "Yet another sonic shift for the singer, Angel employs tropical bounce, cavernous electronics, and trap-rap influences on ten tracks that are more M.I.A. than Marina and the Diamonds."
| Publication | Accolade | Rank | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billboard | 25 Best & Worst Album Covers of 2017 | |||
| Complex | The Best Albums of 2017 | |||
| Entertainment Weekly | Best Albums of 2017 | |||
| Crack Magazine | The Top 100 Albums of 2017 | |||
| Noisey | The 100 Best Albums of 2017 | |||
| Gorilla vs. Bear | Gorilla vs. Bear's Albums of 2017 | |||
| Rolling Stone | 20 Best Pop Albums of 2017 | |||
| Melty | Best Pop Albums of the Year |
Retrospectively, in April 2022, Clash
The song "Britpop" (2024), which was released as the second single from A.G. Cook's album of the same name, contains an interpolation of the tenth and final song on the album, "Lipgloss", which also featured American rapper Cupcakke.
Credits adapted from Tidal.[12]
Musicians
Technical
| Chart (2017) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[13] | 74 |
| New Zealand Heatseekers Albums (RMNZ)[14] | 6 |
| 2 April 2017 | San Francisco | United States | Rickshaw | |
| 12 April 2017 | New York City | Le Poisson Rouge | ||
| 20 April 2017 | London | England | Jazz Café | |
| 22 April 2017 | Paris | France | Les Étoiles | |
| 11 June 2017 | São Paulo | Brazil | Memorial da América Latina |