Miley Cyrus in the New Charlie's Angels Music Video Is Badass

2019 MTV Video Music Awards - Roaming Show

(Image credit: John Shearer)

published 13 September 2017

Last night on YouTube, trio Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus, and Lana Del Rey released their new song "Don't Call Me Angel" for this year's Charlie's Angels reboot.
Miley feels like the star of the show, and she is unapologetically going for it, per usual, with a number of references that could be pointed or not.
Here's the latest in her new relationship with Kaitlynn Carter.

As of midnight last night, Miley Cyrus, Ariana Grande, and Lana Del Rey released their new song for the Charlie's Angels November reboot, "Don't Call Me Angel," the catchy new song that's going to buried in your head for the next five days. The reactions online are mixed, saying the pieces of the song are discordant and don't really fit together—but I actually feel like the three singers' vibes and personalities were kept intact. In other words, they didn't give up anything of their own (VERY different) personas to come together and waltz around with enormous black wings and be badasses together, so I actually quite like it (I admit that Lana Del Rey's section feels like a totally different song, but I love her, soooo I'm just happy she's there). But the star is really Miley, who, after announcing her own #HotGirlSummer earlier this year, is giving us lyrics that proclaim her badassery proudly.

Miley's portion of the song comes first, and she's beating the crap out of some guy in a boxing ring. Here are the lyrics:

"Don't call me angel when I'm a mess
Don't call me angel when I get undressed
You know I, I don't like that, boy
I make my money and I write the checks
So say my name with a little respect
All my girls successful, and you're just our guest
Do I really need to say it
Do I need to say it again
You better stop the sweet talk
And keep your pretty mouth shut"

Getting the obvious out of the way first here, I know that she's referring to the listener in that line "You know I, I don't like that, boy," but I actually (mis)read it as "I don't like that boy" (clearly I'm still thinking about her split from Liam Hemsworth). The fact that she's also punching a guy in the face feels like it might relate a bit? But I'm speculating here—and Miley's put Liam into her songs more obviously before, like "Slide Away," so it's not necessarily her style to go vague. If she wants to get a point across, she will. (Update: Apparently Liam calls Miley "angel" all the time. I WAS RIGHT!)

Secondly, I'm loving her energy here. "Don't call me angel" and "I make my money and I write the checks / So say my name with a little respect" feel like she is telling everyone, critics especially, not to mess with her. Genius makes the point that she may also be referring to Ariana's "7 Rings" and "Successful" lyrics in her verse, which would be another interesting way to tie the pieces of the song together. Later in the video Miley channels her mischievous self by actually licking Ariana, so it's still all in good fun apparently. Ariana's "Thank U Next" collaborator Hannah Lux Davis directed this, and I can see the similarities—empowerment, with a little humor.

You can watch the full video for yourself:

And see what you think.

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Katherine’s a contributing syndications editor at Marie Claire who covers fashion, culture, and lifestyle. In her role, she writes stories that are syndicated by MSN and other outlets. She’s been a full-time freelancer for over a decade and has had roles with Cosmopolitan (where she covered lifestyle, culture, and fashion SEO content) and Bustle (where she was their movies and culture writer). She has bylines in New York Times, Parents, InStyle, Refinery29, and elsewhere. Her work has also been syndicated by ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, Seventeen, Good Housekeeping, and Women’s Health, among others. In addition to her stories reaching millions of readers, content she's written and edited has qualified for a Bell Ringer Award and received a Communicator Award.

Katherine has a BA in English and art history from the University of Notre Dame and an MA in art business from the Sotheby's Institute of Art (with a focus on marketing/communications). She covers a wide breadth of topics: she's written about how to find the very best petite jeans, how sustainable travel has found its footing on Instagram, and what it's like to be a professional advice-giver in the modern world. Her personal essays have run the gamut from learning to dress as a queer woman to navigating food allergies as a mom. She also has deep knowledge of SEO/EATT, affiliate revenue, commerce, and social media; she regularly edits the work of other writers. She speaks at writing-related events and podcasts about freelancing and journalism, mentors students and other new writers, and consults on coursework. Currently, Katherine lives in Boston with her husband and two kids, and you can follow her on Instagram. If you're wondering about her last name, it’s “I go to dinner,” not “Her huge ego,” but she responds to both.