The new Charlie’s Angels video marks the return of a pop staple. Here we chart its feathered history
Fierce triumvirate of pop –
Miley Cyrus,
Ariana Grande and Lana Del Rey – pull out all the stops in the video for Don’t Call Me Angel. It has all the aesthetics of a classic pop video – a
boxing ring à la Christina Aguilera’s Dirrty, a room full of futuristic computers, a grape buffet - but most importantly, there are three pairs of wings, adorned by its three stars.
While Destiny’s Child were distinctly wing-free in the video for their Charlie’s Angels theme Independent
Women Pt 1, and Pink shunned it in her Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle track, the William Orbit-fuelled Feel Good Time, the fluttering trope has appeared throughout pop’s history. It is multifaceted, too: the wing motif is not only utilised when the artist hopes to convey innocence, earnestness or the afterlife, but a new generation has realised you can sport the angelic accessories and still look hard. To pay tribute to the feathered friend, here’s a rundown of some of pop’s finest wing moments.