Melissa Etheridge - The Angels

What this video is

Released in August 1989 as a single from Etheridge's second album Brave and Crazy (Island Records), 'The Angels' arrived at a pivotal moment in Etheridge's career when she was cementing her reputation as a raw, emotionally direct rock voice. The video's suburban realist narrative — a working-class single mother watched over by a guardian angel — reflected the heartland storytelling mode popularized by Bruce…

Why it matters

Represents the late-1980s expansion of confessional rock storytelling into the music video format, specifically within the female-fronted rock tradition. The video's commitment to realist domestic narrative over performance spectacle is notable for the era and anticipates the more grounded visual…

The director

Julie Cypher (born August 24, 1964, Wichita, Kansas) is an American film director and gay rights advocate. She studied television and film at the University of Texas at Austin. She worked as a second unit and assistant director on productions including Stand…