Miracle

Album: 96 Months (2023)
Charted: 1
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "Miracle" is a '90s trance-inspired track featuring vocals by Ellie Goulding. It marks the third collaboration between Harris and Goulding, following "I Need Your Love" from Harris' 2012 album 18 months, and "Outside" from his 2014 album Motion.
  • Ellie Goulding sings of how she regrets the way she treated her love interest. She acknowledges she caused him much pain and turmoil, but can't deny her attraction towards him and is afraid of losing him. Goulding hopes he believes she will undergo a miraculous transformation and gives her another chance.
  • After Harris contacted Goulding about the trance track without warning, she almost missed out by being too nonchalant. "The song came out of nowhere. He mentioned that he had a track and immediately considered me for it," Goulding shared with The Sun. "Calvin is not one to waste time, so he sent the song in the very next message. However, I played it a bit too cool and didn't respond for a few days, which made him think I wasn't interested."

    Goulding added that they recorded the vocal in January 2023. "We both think it's really important to be in the same room when making music," she said. "I didn't feel any pressure because both of us are at a point in our careers where we can put out stuff that we love, and is authentic to us."
  • Back in the 2010s, Goulding was one of EDM's most crucial voices. As well as Harris, she also appeared on tracks by the likes of Major Lazer and Skrillex. This song marks her first entry into trance.
  • For Harris too, "Miracle" represents a new uptempo dance sound. "I've done the trancey sounding things before, but I've never been this fast," he told Apple Music. "So it feels good."
  • Trance music is a genre of EDM that emerged in the early 1990s. It typically features a fast, repetitive beat, driving basslines, and synthesizer melodies that build up and break down in intensity. Trance dance music often includes ethereal or hypnotic vocals and is designed to create a euphoric, trance-like state in the listener.

    Calvin Harris started making music in the late 1990s when he was 14. "It was 1998 and '98, '99, 2000, 2001 was for me kind of formative trance and house era," he said. "So what I did usually was just take bits from that and put it in a new context. But this time I thought maybe I'll just try and maybe more recreate something that could be from back then... the only thing that I think makes it not sound like it's from 1996 is the kick drum, because the kick drum's pretty banging. It's more than a 909. Do you know what I mean? It's like pretty heavy, duty."
  • Harris played "Miracle" live for the first time in Lima, Perú, on February 24, 2023, as part of his setlist for his South American 2023 tour.
  • Though "Miracle" is a song that strays from the religious connotations of its title, Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding promoted it an ecclesiastical way. Goulding first performed the song acapella inside London's historic St. Bartholomew-the-Great church, which was established in 1123 by King Henry I's courtier Rahere.

    Furthermore, Harris and Goulding dropped "Miracle (Church Version)" on March 31, 2023, even though it's a love song and not a spiritual one.
  • The song climbed to the top of the UK Singles Chart in its second week, becoming Harris's 11th and Goulding's fourth UK #1, and their first as a duo.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Divided Souls: Musical Alter Egos

Divided Souls: Musical Alter EgosSong Writing

Long before Eminem, Justin Bieber and Nicki Minaj created alternate personas, David Bowie, Bono, Joni Mitchell and even Hank Williams took on characters.

He Hit Me (And It Felt Like A Kiss): A History Of Abuse Pop

He Hit Me (And It Felt Like A Kiss): A History Of Abuse PopSong Writing

Songs that seem to glorify violence against women are often misinterpreted - but not always.

Chris Fehn of Slipknot

Chris Fehn of SlipknotSongwriter Interviews

A drummer for one of the most successful metal bands of the last decade, Chris talks about what it's like writing and performing with Slipknot. Metal-neck is a factor.

Kevin Godley

Kevin GodleySongwriter Interviews

Kevin Godley talks about directing classic videos for The Police, U2 and Duran Duran, and discusses song and videos he made with 10cc and Godley & Creme.

Melanie

MelanieSongwriter Interviews

The singer-songwriter Melanie talks about her spiritual awakening at Woodstock, "Brand New Key," and why songwriting is an art, not a craft.

Yoko Ono

Yoko OnoSongwriter Interviews

At 80 years old, Yoko has 10 #1 Dance hits. She discusses some of her songs and explains what inspired John Lennon's return to music in 1980.