What Taylor Swift’s Collaborations With Exes Calvin Harris and John Mayer Have in Common
Singer-songwriter Taylor Swift has made Billboard history multiple times over. Her seventh album, Folklore, has brought her success, but she’s had many previous singles and records climb the charts, too. She’s even worked with men she’s dated on hit songs. But here’s why fans don’t often think of these tracks when naming her most popular collaborations.
Taylor Swift dated John Mayer many years ago
Early in Swift’s career, she dated Mayer for a short time. The pair met in 2009 and performed together a few times before they began dating. Their relationship ended in early 2010, according to most sources. However, that same year, Mayer presented Swift with an award at the Songwriters Hall of Fame Ceremony.
Swift went on to write such songs as “The Story of Us” and “Dear John” off her 2010 album, Speak Now, which are allegedly about Mayer. Though she never officially confirmed this, Mayer told Rolling Stone he was “caught off-guard” and “humiliated” when he heard the latter track, calling it “a really lousy thing for her to do.”
She later dated DJ Calvin Harris
About five years and a few flings later, Swift began dating artist Calvin Harris. The pair were together for more than a year, which was, at the time, the singer’s longest-known relationship. The high-profile couple attended several award shows together, including the 2015 Billboard Music Awards (above).
Harris and Swift were dating when she attended the Met Gala in May 2016. However, this evening is thought to have marked a turning point in their time together, as soon after they split up. Swift then started seeing actor Tom Hiddleston for a couple of months, before getting together with her current boyfriend, actor Joe Alwyn.
Duet ‘Half of My Heart’ with John Mayer
Swift and Mayer met because of their music. In early 2009, he tweeted about a song idea he had, writing, “It’s called ‘Half of My Heart’ and I want to sing it with Taylor Swift. She would make a killer ‘Nicks’ in contrast to my ‘Petty’ of a song.” It worked out, and the two collaborated.
Swift is featured on the original version of the song, off Mayer’s album Battle Studies. “Half of My Heart” peaked at No. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100, spending 20 weeks on the chart. However, Swift’s name is not attached to the “pop mix” version, and she’s not in the music video. It’s not included in her Billboard chart history.
Swift contributed to Harris’ ‘This Is What You Came For’
Back when they were dating, Swift and Harris worked together on his song “This Is What You Came For.” It was released shortly before they reportedly broke up, with Swift using the pseudonym “Nils Sjöberg.” Months later, amid Swift’s whirlwind romance with Hiddleston, news broke that she co-wrote the track and provided backing vocals.
This became a point of contention between the two, with Harris tweeting about the ordeal and clarifying why Swift did not receive credit. She later sang the song on tour. “This Is What You Came For” peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, spending 32 weeks on the chart, but like “Half of My Heart,” it’s not included on her chart.
