Review Summary: A single about not being single
Focus / No Angel is a two-track single released by Charli XCX in 2018, as part of a series of monthly singles she was circulating that year. It was released during her
Pop 2 album cycle and before the release of
Charli, when she was still focusing on more accessible dance pop tracks prior to going in a more experimental direction.
Focus and
No Angel, which were both performed live before their studio release, are high-octane, synth-driven tracks that feature Charli's signature half-rapped verses and earworm choruses. Lyrically,
Focus is quite literally about Charli wanting her love interest to focus 100% of his time on her, and
No Angel is written as a sort of apology to her love interest for cheating, being untrustworthy, and acting wildly.
As an individual who rather detests the concept of the non-album single and tends to ignore them in turn, I can't help but return to
Focus / No Angel frequently. There's something about the lyrical duality of these tracks, as well as their simplicity and accessibility, that makes me want throw them on when I have a six-minute gap of time that needs filled with dance pop.
Focus / No Angel listens like a short EP rather than a single, which is another reason why I don't hold my standalone single grudge against it. Like peanut butter and jelly, like salt and pepper,
Focus and
No Angel are as similar as they are different, which is why they combine perfectly together.
