You thought the Charlie’s Angels franchise was gone? Over? Done? Well, you thought wrong.
There’s another big-screen reboot on its way soon. And Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus and Lana Del Rey—an unlikely trio of megastars from different genres—have teamed up for the soundtrack’s saucy lead single: “Don’t Call Me Angel.”
Each woman takes her turn singing about independence, sexuality and dominance, focusing in on just how “bad” an assassin or spy can be.
Miley, Ariana and Lana get right to the point, telling listeners that they’re anything but delicate: “Don’t call me angel/You can’t pay my price/Ain’t from no Heaven/Yeah, you heard me right.”
Right, then.
According to these women, men typically assume that being an “angel” means you’re sweet to your core. Well, not for these ladies. Whether they’re climbing in between the sheets (“Don’t call me angel when I get undressed”) or making money (“Uh, I make my money, and I write my checks”), they demand respect from the men who seem to constantly belittle them (“So say my name with a little respect”).
I mean, they’re OK with guys lusting after them (“I appreciate the way you watch me, I can’t lie/I drop it down, I pick it up, I back it off the county line/… I appreciate the way you want me, I can’t lie”) or even sharing their bed occasionally, but in the end, they remind these guys who’s in charge: “We in it together, but don’t call me angel.”
As you might expect, a video featuring Miley Cyrus, Ariana Grande and Lana Del Rey is sure to be racy. And this video definitely sets a new sort of tone for Charlie’s Angels.
Each of the women is dressed in revealing leather of some sort as they provocatively walk through a mansion and then into an underground bunker housing their weaponry. Miley sports a black leather bra and pants, along with a see-through tank top that leaves little to the imagination. Ariana wears a leather leotard both in white and black, while Lana is seen in leather and in a silky red robe as the camera pans in on her legs, thighs and cleavage.
But that’s not all. No, each of the women also proves that eating grapes can be sensual. Oh, and Miley also licks Ariana’s face at one point, and straddles a wounded man who seems to be both tortured and aroused by her advances.
The point of the entire video? Sex sells.
This is no Destiny’s Child. In fact, it doesn’t even compare vocally. No, this is a desperate attempt to find big names to promote a film that didn’t need to be redone in the first place. And what better way to market than to make sex your selling point?
Kristin Smith joined the Plugged In team in 2017. Formerly a Spanish and English teacher, Kristin loves reading literature and eating authentic Mexican tacos. She and her husband, Eddy, love raising their children Judah and Selah. Kristin also has a deep affection for coffee, music, her dog (Cali) and cat (Aslan).
