“Angel” by Lionel Richie

On this song, Lionel Richie is likening the addressee to an “angel”. And what he means by that, taking the chorus into consideration, is that he considers his relationship with her to be an “answer to (his) prayer”. 

Or as further revealed in the second verse, this individual is obviously someone who sticks with him through thick and thin, i.e. the type of friend that we’re all “trying to find” and thus is a blessing to have.

But all lyrics considered, the addressee would be more akin to a lover. For instance, in the bridge we see that Lionel is looking forward to spending the night with this person. And we can also presume that this is a female, as it wouldn’t be conventional for a straight man to refer to a fellow male friend as ‘his angel’. 

So conclusively, the vocalist is able to celebrate that he has someone in his life who gives him relief from its depressions.

When was Lionel Richie’s “Angel” released?

It came off Richie’s “Renaissance” album in October of 2000. The actual date of release was the 16th of the said month.

Did Lionel write “Angel”?

Yes, Lionel did. Actually aside being a fantastic singer, Lionel is also considered as one of the finest songwriters of his generation. He composed this song with two other writers, namely:

• Mark Taylor
• Paul Barry

Taylor subsequently worked with Brian Rawling to produce “Angel”.

Genre(s)

• Dance-pop
• House

“Angel” receives a Grammy Nomination

At the 44th Annual Grammy Awards, “Angel” was nominated alongside four other songs for a Grammy. The said award was for the “Best Dance Recording” category. The nominees were as follows:

• “One More Time” by Daft Punk
• “I Feel Loved” by Depeche Mode
• “Out of Nowhere” by Gloria Estefan
• “All for You” by Janet Jackson (which eventually won the award)

Did “Angel” chart in the United States?

Yes, it did. It managed to enter the Hot 100, where it peaked at 70. It also gave Lionel Richie a top-20 hit in United Kingdom.

• US (70)
• UK (18)
• Portugal (5)
• Poland (5)
• Netherlands (6)
• Hungary (3)
• Germany (9)
• Austria (6)

The “Renaissance” Album

“Angel” was officially released by Lionel and his team as the lead single from his Renaissance album.  

Renaissance was released through Island Def Jam Music Group on October 16, 2000. This album was the first time Lionel Richie changed the previous production team that had worked with him since the release of his first album.

It featured contributions and production from a new team of musicians and producers, including Skip Miller, Joe Wolfe, LaShawn Daniels, Brian Rawling, Daryl Simmons, Mark Taylor, Lloyd Tolbert, and Walter Afanasieff.

The album peaked at the top ten positions on the German, Dutch, and British album charts. In addition, it has received both gold and platinum certifications from these countries.

Its lead single, Angel, ranked in the top ten songs across Europe and was honored with a Grammy Award nomination in 2001. The majority of the recognition the album garnered can be accredited to the waves Angel made.