Calvin Harris and Florence Welch's 'Sweet Nothing' Turns 14

How the Collaboration Came Together

Before Calvin Harris and Florence Welch recorded 'Sweet Nothing', Harris had remixed Florence + The Machine's 'Spectrum (Say My Name)' earlier in 2012. That remix reached No. 1 in the UK and set the stage for an original collaboration. Kid Harpoon joined Harris and Welch as a co-writer on the track.

The song placed Welch's vocal in a more electronic setting than much of her work with Florence + The Machine at the time, while fitting naturally into the sound Harris was developing across 18 Months. The album also featured collaborations with Rihanna, Ellie Goulding, Example, Kelis and Ne-Yo.

Chart Performance and Recognition

Once released, 'Sweet Nothing' reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart in October 2012, giving Harris another chart-topper only months after his 'Spectrum (Say My Name)' remix. The song also crossed over in the United States, where it reached the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 and became Welch's first top 10 hit on the chart.

The track earned a nomination for Best Dance Recording at the 2014 Grammy Awards, while 18 Months was nominated for Best Dance/Electronica Album the same year. The music video, directed by Vincent Haycock, paired Welch's performance with a darker storyline that contrasted with the track's club-focused production.

Fourteen years later, 'Sweet Nothing' remains closely tied to a period when Harris was becoming one of the biggest names in electronic dance music, while Welch was bringing her voice into collaborations far outside Florence + The Machine.