Miley Cyrus, Ariana Grande and Lana Del Rey teamed up for the new anthem “Don’t Call Me Angel” — and some fans think Cyrus is throwing some subliminal shade at her estranged husband in the song’s music video.
The defiant new bop features a scorching verse from Cyrus, which includes the lyrics: “Don’t call me angel when I’m a mess / Don’t call me angel when I get undressed / You know I don’t like that, boy,” she rap-sings early in the track. “Do I need to say it again? / You better stop the sweet talk and keep your pretty mouth shut.”
Within hours of the single’s release, Twitter was buzzing with theories from fans that Cyrus’s lyrics were informed by her recent split from Liam Hemsworth.
One eagle-eyed fan noticed Hemsworth, 29, once called Cyrus, 26, “my sweet little angel” in an Instagram caption, tweeting: “Liam Hemsworth used to call Miley Cyrus his ‘little angel’. OMG,”
Another Twitter user unearthed a video from January, in which Hemsworth thanked Cyrus in a speech, saying: “Thank you to my beautiful wife. You are a sweet, sweet angel. I love you. You’re great.”
Fans also pointed out that at one point in the video, Cyrus is in a boxing ring with a blonde-haired man — who bears a resemblance to her ex. One fan tweeted: “For a second I thought miley was beating up liam.”
Of course, “Don’t Call Me Angel” is the theme of the new Charlie’s Angels movie, and the collaboration was announced months ago, before Cyrus revealed her split — so the lyrics and visuals could all be one big coincidence.
On Aug. 10, a rep for Cyrus confirmed exclusively to PEOPLE that the singer-songwriter and the actor — who married last December — had separated. Just weeks later, Hemsworth filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences.
Since announcing the split, Cyrus has been linked to reality star Kaitlynn Carter.
Now a source tells PEOPLE the pair are going strong.
“Miley and Kaitlynn have been in N.Y.C. together this week. Things are great with them. Miley is still very happy. Her relationship with Kaitlynn seems stronger,” says the source. “Miley is also excited about releasing new music. Things are just going great for her.”
Meanwhile, Hemsworth has spent time with loved ones in his native Oz.
“Liam seems very happy in Australia,” says an insider. “He is surrounded by family and friends. He is very active with surfing and traveling around Australia.”
And “Don’t Call Me Angel” isn’t the first time fans have wondered if art is imitating life for Cyrus this summer.
Last month, Cyrus dropped the breakup single “Slide Away,” which features the scathing lyrics: “Once upon it was paradise, once upon a time I was paralyzed / I think I’m gonna miss these harbor lights / But it’s time to let it go … I want my house in the hills / don’t want the whisky and pills / I don’t give up easily but I don’t think I’m down.” (According to multiple sources, the couple clashed over Cyrus’s unconventional views of marriage and Hemsworth’s partying.)
Upon the song’s release, a source told PEOPLE that despite the song’s scathing lyrics, the star “isn’t trying to hurt” her estranged husband: “Her song was her way of telling her story without having to say anything at all. She isn’t trying to bash him, but she wants to be able to share what she’s been going through.”
This article was originally published on PEOPLE
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