Number 1 Angel

Number 1 Angel is the third mixtape by British 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.

Background

In January 2017, Charli XCX stated in an interview with Rolling Stone that she planned 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 an interview with 93.3, she told the radio station that she recorded the mixtape in two weeks. She described the mixtape as a "lot more sad" than her previous work, saying, "this is more like crying into the champagne than drinking it"; she also compared it to her previous work with Sophie.^[8] The mixtape was slated for a February 2017 release^[8] 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]

Critical reception

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.^[10] Frank Falisi from Tiny Mix Tapes compared the mixtape to Madonna's early works and described it as "a text for mitigating engagements."^[11] 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,"^[12] whilst Katherine St. Asaph of Pitchfork wrote that the mixtape "is largely stolen by its guests, like Uffie and Cupcakke."^[13]

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."^[14] In a list for Freaky Trigger, Tom Ewing described Number 1 Angel as "Hyperreal pop plus surprisingly good guest spots".^[15]

Accolades

Impact

Retrospectively, in April 2022, Clash's Ana Lamond stated that the mixtape "holds a resilience in its stride, drawing none of its attention to the cries from Sucker Charli XCX fans, pleading for a return to the more commercial, the more conventional breakthrough days. By no means does the mixtape play things safe, making for a bold attempt in re-defining pop music with its embrace for PC Music."^[24]

On April 12, 2025 a new LP edition including a 12" poster and red vinyl was released for RSD after the original version released in 2017 featuring both Number 1 Angel and Pop 2.

Track listing

• A later vinyl release included all ten tracks of Number 1 Angel combined with the ten tracks of Pop 2.^[25]

Personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal.^[26]

Musicians

• Charli XCX – lead vocals
• A. G. Cook – programming (1–3, 5, 7, 9, 10), synthesizer (2, 5), piano (5)
• MØ – vocals (2)
• EasyFun – programming and synthesizer (2, 5), piano (5)
• Sophie – programming (4, 10)
• Danny L Harle – programming (6)
• MNDR – backing vocals (8)
• John Hill – programming (8)
• Jordan Orvash – keyboards (8)
• Life Sim – synthesizer (10)

Technical

• Stuart Hawkes – mastering engineer
• Geoff Swan – mixing
• Cameron Gower Poole – engineer (1, 9)
• Alex Williams – engineer (2, 3, 7)
• Rob Cohen – engineer (8)
• Ryan Gilligan – engineer ( 8)

Charts

Tour

Notes

1. ^ EasyFX is a duo formerly consisting of producers A. G. Cook and EasyFun.^[32]

References

1. ^ Yoo, Noah (7 March 2017). "Charli XCX Announces New Mixtape Number 1 Angel". Pitchfork. Retrieved 7 March 2017.
2. ^ Moore, Sam (7 March 2017). "Charli XCX reveals release date of new mixtape 'Number 1 Angel'". NME. Time Inc. UK. Retrieved 7 March 2017.
3. ^ Bilstein, Jon (7 March 2017). "Charli XCX Unveils Three Bombastic Songs From New Mixtape". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
4. ^ Christopher R. Weingarten (15 March 2017). "Review: Charli XCX Commits to Avant-Pop Partnership on 'Number 1 Angel'". Rolling Stone
5. ^ Rhian Daly (10 March 2017). "Charli XCX's 'Number 1 Angel' mixtape is more than just a stopgap between records". NME
6. ^ Brittany Spanos (9 January 2017). "Charli XCX on Making Album She Could 'Get F--ked Up To'". Rolling Stone
7. ^ Kelly Ballhorn (10 March 2017). "Why Charli XCX Decided to Drop a Mixtape Ahead of Her Album". On Air with Ryan Seacrest. Archived from the original on 17 March 2017. Retrieved 16 March 2017.
8. ^ "Charli XCX is dropping a mixtape next month!". DIY. 31 January 2017.
9. ^ Michael Cragg (14 March 2017). "Charli XCX: the mixtape mystery and a pop career in flux". The Guardian
10. ^ "Reviews and Tracks for Number 1 Angel [Mixtape] by Charli XCX". Metacritic. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
11. ^ Falisi, Frank. "Charli XCX – Number 1 Angel". Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
12. ^ Jacobs, Mick (10 March 2017). "Review: Charli XCX, Number 1 Angel". Pretty Much Amazing. Retrieved 17 March 2017.
13. ^ St. Asaph, Katherine (27 March 2017). "Charli XCX: Number 1 Angel". Pitchfork. Retrieved 4 April 2017.
14. ^ Yeung, Neil Z. "Charli XCX - Number 1 Angel Album Reviews, Songs & More". AllMusic. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
15. ^ Ewing, Tom (April 1, 2017). "2017 Albums I Like Part 1". Freaky Trigger. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
16. ^ Cirisano, Tatiana (December 27, 2017). "25 Best & Worst Album Covers of 2017". Billboard. Retrieved May 22, 2022.
17. ^ "The Best Albums of 2017". Complex Magazine. December 7, 2017. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
18. ^ "Best Albums of 2017". Entertainment Weekly. December 6, 2017. Archived from the original on 10 December 2017. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
19. ^ "The Top 100 Albums of 2017". Crack Magazine. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
20. ^ "The 100 Best Albums of 2017". Noisey. December 6, 2017. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
21. ^ "Gorilla vs. Bear's Albums of 2017". Gorilla vs. Bear. December 3, 2017. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
22. ^ "20 Best Pop Albums of 2017". Rolling Stone Magazine. December 12, 2017. Retrieved July 23, 2018.
23. ^ Rajona, Wyzman (20 December 2017). "Taylor Swift, Loïc Nottet, Lorde... Les meilleurs albums pop de l'année" [Taylor Swift, Loïc Nottet, Lorde... The best pop albums of the year] (in French). Melty. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
24. ^ Lamond, Ana (2022-04-15). "Charli XCX: Her 17 Best Songs". Clash Magazine. Retrieved 2022-04-16.
25. ^ Graves, Shahlin (April 14, 2018). "Pre-order: Charli XCX's Number 1 Angel / Pop 2 vinyl.". Coup de Main. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
26. ^ "Number 1 Angel by charli xcx". Tidal. 10 March 2017. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
27. ^ "ARIA CHART WATCH #412". auspOp. 18 March 2017. Archived from the original on 14 June 2018. Retrieved 18 March 2017.
28. ^ "NZ Heatseekers Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 20 March 2017. Retrieved 17 March 2017.
29. ^ "Lista prodaje 15. tjedan 2025" [Sales list Week 15 2025] (in Croatian). HDU. 24 April 2025. Archived 24 April 2025 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 24 April 2025.
30. ^ "Billboard 200 (Week of April 26, 2025)". Billboard. 22 April 2025. Retrieved 22 April 2025.
31. ^ "Charli XCX Reveals Number 1 Angel Tracklist, Tour Dates". Spin. 2017-03-08. Retrieved 2019-06-18.
32. ^ Bulut, Selim (20 December 2019). "The history of PC Music, the most exhilarating record label of the 2010s". Dazed. Retrieved 4 April 2021.