Angel by Fifth Harmony Lyrics Meaning – Unveiling the Facade of Perfection
Lyrics
Who said I was an angel?
Oh yeah
We was just a moment, nothing serious
Never really paid you no mind
Dropped the bag, started paying attention
Should’ve never, ah
Should’ve never not kept your word
Woulda had a reason to keep mine
You was too inconsistent
Should’ve never, ah
Should’ve never crossed that line with ya
Everything was cool, just drinkin’ with ya
Way too young to be up in handcuffs
Wasn’t tryna spend my life on the phone with ya
Gotta keep it on one hundred with ya
The original me wouldn’t fuck with ya
And I was beginning to fuck with ya
Who said I was an angel?
Who said I was an angel?
Oh yeah
When you look at me, what do you see?
Open your eyes, I’m more brilliant than you’ll ever be
Who said I was an angel?
Yeah
Won’t lie, say I don’t lie
Yeah, I might’ve told a few lies, yeah
Won’t lie, say I didn’t try
But you’re only worth a few tries, yeah
Track star, think you’re running these streets
You ain’t the only one running the streets
They’re making ground like I only wear cleats, yeah
Should’ve never crossed that line with ya
Everything was cool, just drinkin’ with ya
Way too young to be up in handcuffs
Wasn’t tryna spend my life on the phone with ya
Gotta keep it on one hundred with ya
The original me wouldn’t fuck with ya
And I was beginning to fuck with ya
Who said I was an angel?
But you was wrong, oh yeah
Who said I was an angel?
Oh, I’m no angel, when you look at me)
When you look at me (oh) what do you see? (what do you see?)
Open your eyes, I’m more brilliant than you’ll ever be
Who said I was an angel? (Who said I was an angel, yeah)
Oh
Who said I was an angel? (Who said I was an angel?)
Didn’t know the real me, I’m far from an angel
Who said I was an angel? (Never took the time out
Never had time to figure me out, when you look at me)
When you look at me, what do you see? (Oh, what do you see?)
Open your eyes, I’m more brilliant than you’ll ever be, yeah
Who said I was an angel? (Who said I was a, an angel? Oh)
Fifth Harmony’s ‘Angel’ isn’t your average pop anthem. It’s an intricate tapestry of defiance, self-awareness, and a bold emancipation from the pedestals upon which fans and critics often place pop icons. The record serves as a manifesto that tears down the construct of the idealized persona, rebuffing the halo that the spotlight superimposes.
With a hauntingly crisp beat and resolute lyrics, ‘Angel’ embarks the listener on a journey through the facade of perfection often thrust upon celebrities. It reveals the intrinsic human complexity beneath the gloss, confronting both the expectations of perfection and the inevitable recognition of one’s multi-faceted nature.
Stripping Down the Illusion of the Celestial
Fifth Harmony’s ‘Angel’ is more than melody and rhythm; it’s a dismantling of the mythos surrounding fame. The track takes a sledgehammer to the ‘angelic’ image pressed upon those in the public eye, contesting the unrealistic standards and the simplistic binaries of good versus bad.
From the outset, the group questions, ‘Who said I was an angel?’—a lyrically sharp prod at society’s penchant for idealizing public figures. But there’s a twist. This isn’t a cry for some corrupted idea of innocence but rather a revelation of authentic complexity that defies angelic labeling.
A Confrontation with Superficial Judgments
Throughout the song, there’s a recurring theme of superficiality—how people fail to see beneath the surface. ‘Open your eyes, I’m more brilliant than you’ll ever be,’ is not only a bold claim to superiority but also a challenge to the listener to delve deeper than the superficial judgment.
The track teases out the unspoken but widely acknowledged truth that public personas are meticulously curated illusions. What is presented is often an oversimplified version of the complex individuals behind the names and faces.
Resonance with Modern Intimacy
The lines, ‘We was just a moment, nothing serious,’ and, ‘Way too young to be up in handcuffs,’ provide a raw glimpse into the ephemeral nature of modern relationships and the reluctance to be confined by them. Fifth Harmony here captures the fleeting and often non-committal trends pervasive in contemporary romance.
It’s a dual reference to both personal love affairs and their relationship with the public. The lyrics suggest an initial willingness to engage, a moment of connection, soured by a crippling realization that such connections can bind and constrain.
Revelation of the Song’s Hidden Gem
‘The original me wouldn’t fuck with ya,’—a line wrapped in the song’s bridge, exhibits a brazen declaration of self-worth and independence. This raw and undiluted honesty is a rarity in lyrical content, providing the listener with a clandestine peek into the band’s self-preservational instincts.
The declaration underscores a sense of self-recovery after losing parts of oneself in the pursuit of pleasing others. It’s a moment of potent reclaiming of autonomy—dismissing the need for external validation in favor of self-truth.
Moments That Etch Themselves in Memory
As ‘Angel’ reaches its zenith, one can’t help but be captivated by the gritty realness of ‘Who said I was an angel? Didn’t know the real me, I’m far from an angel.’ This realization, schoolyard-simple but pulsating with profundity, encapsulates the core message of the track.
The moment pricks the bubble of illusionary perfection and disobediently embraces the all-too human, raw, and unfiltered identity that occupies the realm beyond the stage lights and the flashing cameras. It’s an anthem for those yearning to be understood beyond reductive archetypes.
