Elliot James Reay’s latest offering, Sweetness, arrives like a vintage wine in a world of energy drinks.
Released on June 27, 2025, as part of his debut EP All This to Say I Love You, is a masterclass in how to make nostalgia feel urgent and immediate.
The 23-year-old from Bury has been steadily building his reputation as a modern-day crooner with an old soul.
Following the viral success of I Think They Call This Love which garnered over 121 million streams and sparked over a billion TikTok views.
Reay has proven he’s no one-hit wonder. His previous releases like Boy in Love, Daydreaming, and Who Knew Dancing Was a Sin have all contributed to his growing reputation as someone bringing genuine romance back to popular music.
A Taste of the Golden Era, But Make It 2025
The Sweetness video, directed by Nikko LaMere, doubles down on Reay’s Elvis-meets-Instagram aesthetic: dreamy Technicolor visuals, vintage suits, and that coy, half-smirk that could melt your phone screen.
One fan called him “our new Elvis, but unique and timeless in his own right.” And they’re not wrong — there’s a clear nod to the golden era without ever slipping into costume.
Sweetness Lyrics Breakdown: A Sugary Confession
The chorus kicks it off like a promise:
“Sweetness, you are the sweetest / Thing dancing on my tongue / Like a song I’ve not heard before.”
This is more than puppy love — it’s an addiction disguised as fruit and candy.
When Reay sings, “Don’t go and break my heart / I’m begging for just one kiss more,” it’s as if he’s aware this sugar rush might come with a price, but he’ll risk the cavities anyway.
The first verse is where the sweetness reveals its bite:
“I’ve got a craving, not a want, but a need / I’m not satisfied with six sugars in my tea.”
Reay’s not just craving the person — he’s hungry for the rush, the thrill that comes when romance tiptoes the line between pleasure and heartbreak.
The line “Now I only smile when you’re stuck in my teeth” is a standout — half playful, half possessive, echoing that sense of love you can’t spit out even when you know it’ll rot you from the inside.
Pre-chorus? A confession worth its weight in sugar:
“You can’t be good for my heart / But I don’t care, no, I won’t stop.”
He knows this sweetness might kill him — but he’d rather overdose than quit.
By the second verse, Reay twists the narrative just enough:
“I turned sour, life didn’t go my way / But honey came running and sweetened my day.”
The bitterness of past heartbreak or personal struggle gets glossed over with a new love interest.
It’s the emotional equivalent of putting sugar on your tongue to chase away bad medicine — classic Reay, who’s built a fanbase of over five million by serving exactly this kind of retro comfort food for the heart.
Berries, Peaches, and Everything In Between
Throughout Sweetness, the repeated images — berries, peaches, caramel bubblegum — keep it grounded in physical, sensory detail. One listener summed it up well: “There’s something in his songs that heals me inside.”
It’s indulgent, but it doesn’t feel empty — it’s the thrill of nostalgia used right.
And that bridge? “Let me take the lights down real low” — Reay invites us into a world where heartbreak is worth it if the moment tastes good enough.
The Production: Modern Retro with Heart
Produced by Manchester’s SOAP duo (Josh Noble and Karl Ziegler) and Annielle Lisiuk, Sweetness sounds like vinyl and streaming had a baby.
It’s lush without feeling cluttered. Each line feels dipped in honey but never sticky enough to lose its edge.
The track does far more than just referencing the 1950s and 60s as it inhabits them while maintaining a thoroughly modern sensibility.
The crooning melodies and doo-wop echoes aren’t pastiche; they’re genuine emotional expression that happens to draw from earlier eras.
It’s not far fetch to draw comparisons of Reay to Roy Orbison and Elvis, but there’s a subtle wink that makes him feel more like a 2025 update than a tribute act.
The Bigger Picture: What Sweetness Means for Elliot James Reay
Sweetness is a swirl of innocence and obsession. A reminder that love can taste so good it makes you reckless.
This isn’t the first time Reay has played with the edges of romance (Who Knew Dancing Was a Sin did it through Northern Soul).
But Sweetness feels like a statement: he’s not just nostalgic, he’s staking his claim as Gen Z’s old-school crooner with a modern pulse.
As he told one interviewer, he dreams of performing with Tom Jones to bring back that electric energy and you feel that energy buzzing through Sweetness.
Final Take: One More Kiss, Please
The story behind Sweetness by Elliot James Reay is simple: it’s about longing that tastes too good to let go.
It’s about the rush you chase, knowing it might leave you a little heartbroken — and a little more alive.
Sold-out shows, a viral debut, and now this sticky-sweet confession?
If Sweetness is any sign, Elliot James Reay isn’t just chasing the golden era. He is living in it. One sugar cube at a time.
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Elliot James Reay Sweetness Lyrics
Chorus
Sweetness, you are the sweetest
Thing dancing on my tongue
Like a song I’ve not heard before
Sweetness, berries and peaches
Don’t go and break my heart
I’m begging for just one kiss more
Verse 1
I’ve got a craving, not a want, but a need
I’m not satisfied with six sugars in my tea
But I get a rush when you’re looking at me
Now I only smile when you’re stuck in my teeth
Pre-Chorus
You can’t be good for my heart
But I don’t care, no, I won’t stop
I need a dose every day
I’ll drink it up until I drop
Chorus
Sweetness, you are the sweetest
Thing dancing on my tongue
Like a song I’vе not heard before
Sweetnеss, berries and peaches
Don’t go and break my heart
I’m begging for just one kiss more
Post-Chorus
Ooh
Verse 2
I turned sour, life didn’t go my way
But honey came running and sweetened my day
You’re caramel bubblegum sweeter than anyone
You’ve got me hooked on your
Chorus
Sweetness, you are the sweetest
Thing dancing on my tongue
Like a song I’ve not heard before
Sweetness, berries and peaches
Don’t go and break my heart
I’m begging for just one kiss more
Bridge
Oh, mm-mm, hmm-hmm (Let me take the lights down real low)
More, more
Chorus
Oh sweetness, you are the sweetest (You are the sweetest)
Thing dancing on my tongue
Like a song I’ve not heard before (I’ve not heard before)
Sweetness, berries and peaches (Oh, oh)
Don’t go and break my heart
I’m begging for just one kiss more
Post-Chorus
Oh, ooh
Oh, hmm, mm-hmm
Outro
Sweetness, berries and peaches
Don’t go and break my heart
I’m begging for just one kiss more
