Angels (Don't Always Have Wings)

"Angels (Don't Always Have Wings)"
Single by Thomas Rhett
from the album Where We Started
Released	January 23, 2023 (2023-01-23)
Genre	Country
Length	3:34 (album version) 3:20 (single version)
Label	Big Machine
Songwriter(s)	Thomas Rhett Josh Thompson Teddy Swims Julian Bunetta
Producer(s)	Dann Huff Jesse Frasure Julian Bunetta
Thomas Rhett singles chronology
"Half of Me" (2022) "Angels (Don't Always Have Wings)" (2023) "Talking to Jesus" (2023)

"Angels (Don't Always Have Wings)", originally known as just "Angels", is a song by American country music singer Thomas Rhett. It was released on January 23, 2023 as the third single from his sixth studio album Where We Started .

History

"Angels (Don't Always Have Wings)" was a co-write among Thomas Rhett, Josh Thompson, Julian Bunetta, and Teddy Swims. Rhett decided on writing a song about angels after reading a book on them, and came up with the title phrase "angels don't always have wings", which he thought could describe his wife. He presented the idea to Thompson, Swims, and Bunetta at a songwriting session. The four came up with a waltz melody to which they set the song's central idea. Lyrically, the song is about a "mess of a man" who describes his wife as an angel. Originally, Rhett had intended for Swims to sing the song, but after hearing the demo with Swims' vocals, decided to keep it for himself. ^[1]

Dann Huff produced the song's final recording. Rhett recorded the vocals at his home studio, compiling the final vocal track from nearly 70 takes due to him having difficulty singing falsetto and wanting to show "emotion". Bunetta then remixed Huff's production by changing the bass and drum lines while adding studio effects to the piano. ^[1]

Charts

Weekly charts

Weekly chart performance for "Angels (Don't Always Have Wings)"

Chart (2023)	Peak position
Canada (Canadian Hot 100) [2]	83
Canada Country ( Billboard ) [3]	4
US Billboard Hot 100 [4]	69
US Country Airplay ( Billboard ) [5]	1
US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) [6]	17

Year-end charts

Year-end chart performance for "Angels (Don't Always Have Wings)"

Chart (2023)	Position
US Country Airplay (Billboard) [7]	17
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard) [8]	49

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [9]	Gold	500,000‡
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

1. Tom Roland (February 15, 2023). "Makin' Tracks: Thomas Rhett Makes Space in His Life (And Career) for 'Angels'". Billboard . Retrieved June 26, 2023.
2. "Thomas Rhett Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
3. "Thomas Rhett Chart History (Canada Country)". Billboard. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
4. "Thomas Rhett Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
5. "Thomas Rhett Chart History (Country Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
6. "Thomas Rhett Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
7. "Country Airplay – Year-End 2023". Billboard . Retrieved November 22, 2023.
8. "Hot Country Songs – Year-End 2023". Billboard . Retrieved November 22, 2023.
9. "American single certifications – Thomas Rhett – Angels". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved August 10, 2024.