“Angel” by Shaggy (ft. Rayvon)
“Angel” is an ode to the lady who has held Shaggy down throughout. He realizes that when you’re young and wild, you may be compelled to forget about the one who truly loves you. But experience has taught him to cherish that significant other, whom he refers to as his “angel”. And likewise this song features an advisory tone towards young men, instructing them not to dumb out in the pursuit of fun and in the process forget that special someone.
“Life is one big party when you’re still young
But who’s gonna have your back when it’s all done? (Yeah)
It’s all good when you’re little, you have pure fun
Can’t be a fool, son, what about the long run?”
When was “Angel” officially released?
The 6th of March, 2001 is the date that MCA Records officially made Shaggy’s “Angel” commercially available to the public. The label issued it out as the second single from Shaggy’s “Hot Shot” album.
Who are the writers of this song?
“Angel” was written by many songwriters, including Shaggy. The others include:
- Chip Taylor
- Ahmet Ertegun
- Eddie Curtis
- Steve Miller
The reason songwriters Curtis, Ertegun and Miller are credited as co-writers of “Angel” is because their hit song “The Joker” (performed by the Steve Miller Band) is heavily sampled in “Angel”.
Did “Angel” perform well on the charts?
Absolutely! This song was a major hit single in the United States and several other countries. It was so successful that it actually soared to the number 1 spot in America and at least 10 other countries, including the UK. Below is a quick look at how “Angel” performed on charts across the globe:
- United States (#1)
- United Kingdom (#1)
- Australia (#1)
- Austria (#1)
- Belgium (#1)
- Denmark (#2)
- Finland (#10)
- France (#8)
- Germany (#1)
- Hungary (#2)
- Ireland (#1)
- Netherlands (#1)
- New Zealand (#4)
- Norway (#1)
- Portugal (#1)
- Scotland (#1)
- Sweden (#1)
- Switzerland (#1)
Since officially being released in 2001, “Angel” has recorded sales of over 2 million units in just Britain and America.
Covers and Samples
Max Raabe, a German singer, together with Palast Orchester covered the song
Adam Posegate released a parody version of the song titled “You Ripped Off Angel (of the Morning)”in 2001. It was played on radio during the Dr. Demento Show. By the way, it should be noted that “Angel of the Morning” is a song that Juice Newton made very popular in the early 1980s.
NOTE: Shaggy’s “Angel” actually significantly samples Angel of the Morning‘s melody.
American R&B artist Bei Maejor sampled the chorus and the beat for his mixtape Upsidedown2.
Notable Media Appearances
The 2022 American murder mystery comedy TV series The Afterparty makes use of this song. It appears in Season 1, Episode 1 of the series.
The 2020 American procedural drama series 9-1-1: Lone Star also makes use of “Angel”. It is featured in 5th episode of 2nd Season of the said series.
The “Hot Shot” Album
Shaggy had his album, “Hot Shot” released on 8th of August, 2000. The dancehall/regge fusion album was produced by Shaggy himself.
The album was released through two record labels namely, MCA Records and Geffen Records. Both record labels currently belong to Universal Music Group.
On 5th of February, 2001, the album was re-released in the UK. This version was released without the song, “Why You Mad at Me?” as part of the album.
By the end of 2001 “Hot Shot” became Canada’s best-selling album of the year.
The album made it atop charts in the US, UK, Portugal, New Zealand, Germany and Canada. It peaked at enviable spots on top-10s in the following countries:
- Australia (2)
- Denmark (5)
- Dutch (3)
- Finland (6)
- France
With over 9 million copies sold worldwide, “Hot Shot” went on to become one of 2001’s most successful album. MCA released approximately 5 songs from “Hot Shot” as its official singles. They are:
- “It Wasn’t Me”
- “Angel”
- “Luv Me, Luv Me”
- “Dance & Shout / Hope”
