Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus, & Lana Del Rey - Don't Call Me Angel - Single [Review]

It was announced several months ago that pop musicians Ariana Grande and Miley Cyrus would be collaborating with Lana Del Rey on an upcoming track for the new Charlie's Angels film, and that announcement was met with mixed reactions from Lana Del Rey fans (and understandably so). Ariana Grande and Miley Cyrus are both top 40 pop stars who have vibes that conflict with Lana Del Rey's vintage hippie vibe, and it just seemed like a way to cash in. It still seems like that might have been the case to an extent, but Lana Del Rey and Ariana Grande do appear to be good friends and frequently exchange their appreciation for each other and their music through social media posts, so there does seem to at least be something genuine behind the two of them working together on a song. The song is titled "Don't Call Me Angel" and is an upbeat dance-pop song with hints of R&B. It's definitely catchy, and for that reason, I don't hate it; I especially like its instrumental which features a persistent hook which sounds a bit like a cowbell being repeatedly rung. (We need more cowbell!) It is lyrically a feminist anthem in which the women sing of wanting to be treated with respect and not childish affection: "Don't call me 'angel' when I get undressed," Miley Cyrus sings aggressively and rapidly in the song's first verse. "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 just our guest." Although I admit that I am biased in this opinion because I love Lana Del Rey yet have never much appreciated Ariana Grande or Miley Cyrus (I just can't get behind Ariana's sultry R&B sound, and I don't much like Miley's voice), Lana's verse is definitely my favorite part of the song, and I wish that she were featured a lot more prominently rather than on just a verse; she feels like an added afterthought, and her (as is typical of her) slow and dreamy vocals don't mesh with the rest of the song's style. "I appreciate the way you watch me; I can't lie," Del Rey sings in a hushed, almost whispered, tone. "I drop it down, I pick it up, I back it off the county line." When her verse starts, it almost seems like a different song because the vibe and the pacing are completely different, and I just think that this collaboration could have been tailored to synthesize the opposing styles a bit more effectively. With that being said, however, I definitely don't hate the song and like it a lot more than I thought that I would, and I really like the music video!