Not an Angel
{{About|the Tems song|the City Sleeps album|City Sleeps}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Not an Angel
| cover = Tems - Not an Angel.png
| alt = A blurry black-and-white picture of Tems
| type = single
| artist = Tems
| album =
| released = {{start date|2023|12|8|df=y}}{{cite news|url=https://uproxx.com/music/tems-not-an-angel/|title=Tems Emerges From The Wreckage Of Heartbreak On Her New Single, 'Not An Angel'|work=Uproxx|last=Gonzalez|first=Alex|date=8 December 2023|accessdate=9 January 2024}}
| recorded =
| studio =
| genre =
| length = 3:05
| label = RCA
| writer = Temilade Openiyi
| producer =
| prev_title = Me & U
| prev_year = 2023
| next_title = Love Me JeJe
| next_year = 2024
| misc =
}}
"Not an Angel" is a song by Nigerian singer, songwriter and record producer Tems,{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/08/arts/music/playlist-nicki-minaj-drake-tems.html|title=Nicki Minaj and Drake Reunite, and 10 More New Songs|newspaper=The New York Times|last=Pareles|first=Jon|date=8 December 2023|accessdate=9 January 2024}} released on 8 December 2023 through RCA Records.{{cite news|url=https://www.rcarecords.com/news/tems-releases-new-track-not-an-angel/|title=Tems Releases New Track "Not an Angel"|work=RCA Records|date=8 December 2023|accessdate=8 January 2023}}{{cite magazine|url=https://thesource.com/2023/12/11/tems-drops-new-single-not-an-angel/|title=Tems Drops New Single "Not an Angel"|magazine=The Source|last=Grant|first=Shawn|date=11 December 2023|accessdate=9 January 2024}} Written and produced by Tems alongside Sarz, it marks Tems' first self-produced song since her contributions on her debut EP For Broken Ears.
Background and release
"Not an Angel" is the follow-up to Tems's previous single "Me & U".{{cite news|url=https://uproxx.com/music/tems-not-an-angel-single-release-date/|title=Tems Will Slip In Another Song Before 2023 Ends With Her Upcoming Single, 'Not An Angel'|work=Uproxx|last=Rossignnol|first=Derrick|date=5 December 2023|accessdate=9 January 2024}} It was written by her. The song was produced by Sarz{{cite news|url=https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/742983-tems-not-an-angel-single/|title=Tems Is Cutting Her Losses On Her New Single "Not An Angel"|work=HotNewHipHop|last=Horvath|first=Zachary|date=9 December 2023|accessdate=9 January 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://www.mixtapemadness.com/blog/videos/tems-keeps-up-momentum-with-new-track-not-an-angel/|title=Tems Keeps Up Momentum With Mesmerising New Single ‘Not An Angel’|work=Mixtape Madness|last=Marwood|first=Harvey|date=8 December 2023|accessdate=9 January 2024}} and co-produced by Tems.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.clashmusic.com/news/tems-exudes-soulful-mystique-with-not-an-angel/|title=Tems Exudes Soulful Mystique With ‘Not An Angel’|work=Clash Magazine|last=Murray|first=Robin|date=8 December 2023|accessdate=9 January 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://www.stereogum.com/2245208/tems-not-an-angel/music/|title=Tems – “Not An Angel”|work=Stereogum|last=Chelosky|first=Danielle|date=9 December 2023|accessdate=9 January 2024}} It is the second song Tems has composed as a solo musician since the release of her extended play, If Orange Was a Place, which was released in 2021.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/tems-new-single-not-an-angel-1234921700/|title=Tems Doesn't Hold Back on New Single 'Not an Angel'|magazine=Rolling Stone|last=Kreps|first=Daniel|date=8 December 2023|accessdate=9 January 2024}}{{cite magazine|url=https://guardian.ng/saturday-magazine/weekend-beats/tems-not-an-angel/|title=Tems releases new single "Not An Angel"|work=The Guardian|last=Anazia|first=Daniel|date=9 December 2023|accessdate=9 January 2024}} "Not an Angel" is an Afrobeats, alternative R&B and neo-soul song that was released alongside a music video, directed by Nakato and Lemost.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.thefader.com/2023/12/08/tems-releases-new-single-not-an-angel/|title=Tems releases new single “Not An Angel”|work=The Fader|last=Dubois|first=Lila|date=8 December 2023|accessdate=9 January 2024}}{{cite news|url=https://www.revolt.tv/article/2023-12-12/345506/tems-returns-with-new-single-not-an-angel/|title=Tems returns with new single "Not An Angel"|work=Revolt TV|last=Powell|first=Jon|date=12 December 2023|accessdate=9 January 2024}}
Commercial performance
It peaked at No. 9 on the US Billboard World Digital Song Sales,{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/world-digital-song-sales/2023-12-23/|title=World Digital Song Sales: Week of December 23, 2023|magazine=Billboard|access-date=9 January 2024}} No. 23 on the US Hot R&B Songs chart{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/r-and-b-songs/2023-12-23/|title=Hot R&B Songs: Week of December 23, 2023|magazine=Billboard|access-date=28 January 2024}} and No. 28 on the New Zealand Hot Singles chart. Tems performed the song live at the 2024 Billboard Women in Music Award for which she was honored under the Breakthrough category. {{Cite web |last=Mamo |first=Heran |date=8 March 2024 |title=Tems Delivers Angelic Performance of ‘Not an Angel’ at Billboard Women in Music 2024 |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/awards/tems-not-an-angel-billboard-women-in-music-1235626092/ |access-date=14 March 2024 |website=Billboard |language=en-US}}
Charts
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ Chart performance for "Not an Angel" ! scope="col"| Chart (2023) ! scope="col"| Peak |
| scope="row"| New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ){{cite web|url=https://aotearoamusiccharts.co.nz/archive/hot-singles/2023-12-15|title=Hot 40 Singles|website=NZ Charts|access-date=9 January 2024}}
| 28 |
|---|
| {{single chart|UKafrobeats|3|date=20231223|rowheader=true|access-date=3 December 2024|refname=UKafro}} |
| {{single chart|Billboardafrobeats|3|artist=Tems|access-date=3 December 2024|rowheader=true}} |
| scope="row"| US Hot R&B Songs (Billboard){{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/tems/chart-history/bst/|title=Tems Chart History (Hot R&B Songs)|magazine=Billboard|access-date=4 November 2024}}
| 23 |
| scope="row" | US World Digital Song Sales (Billboard){{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/Tems/chart-history/WDT|title=Tems Chart History (World Digital Song Sales)|magazine=Billboard|access-date=4 November 2024}}
| 9 |