Nothing Matters

Album: Prelude to Ecstasy (2023)
Charted: 16
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "Nothing Matters" is a love song that dives headfirst into the wild, untamed depths of passionate desire with a hint of the unconventional. The Last Dinner Party vocalist Abigail Morris lays bare an emotionally raw connection, one so intimate that nobody else could possibly grasp it. Though Morris' boyfriend has other lovers, when they're making love, nothing else matters.
  • The song started as a "slow, sad ballad," a rare departure for Morris, who typically pens heartbreak anthems as they're "easier and more dramatic." But, she told Billboard with a laugh, "I was with my boyfriend at the time, and I was very happy."

    The band turned the simple piano ballad into something far more complex, throwing in everything but the kitchen sink. They added guitar solos, horn sections, and experimented with vocal textures, transforming the track into a baroque art-rock anthem.
  • The Last Dinner Party recorded "Nothing Matters" in Church Studios in Crouch Hill, with Arctic Monkeys and Foals producer James Ford.
  • In the music video, a grand feast unfolds within the opulent confines of an Art Deco mansion, evoking the Romantic poets. It boasts sumptuous sets and costumes that whisper of faded opulence and decadence.

    "The imagery and the way we present ourselves as a band are a natural extension of our interests and music," Davis told Under The Radar. "I studied English Lit at uni, which is how we first met, and as well as being a pretentious di--head, I was always interested in the Romantic poets," she added laughing. "But yeah, mixing up historical fashion, making it contemporary, is really interesting and fun."
  • Released on April 19, 2023, via Island/Republic Records as their debut single, the song entered Billboard's Adult Alternative Airplay chart at #39. It later climbed into the Top 10, becoming a significant radio hit.
  • US audiences finally witnessed the hype firsthand when The Last Dinner Party performed "Nothing Matters" on the January 17, 2024, episode of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. It was the English band's debut appearance on American TV.
  • The original version of "Nothing Matters" includes the repeated use of the f-word in the chorus. On the radio and during TV performances, they changed the expletive to "have."

    After meeting Courtney Love at a festival, she helped advise the band on how to censor the song's lyrics for radio, but they rejected her suggestion.

    "We met her at The Great Escape and at the time we were in agony over what on earth we were going to use instead of [the F-word] because that's the whole point," Morris told Music Week.

    "After the show she stormed up the dressing room stairs saying, 'I've got it!' She had an empty packet of painkillers and she'd scrawled 'punch' on there. She was kinda pitching to us. We were like, 'Yeah, thanks!' We appreciated her passion."

Comments: 1

  • Nm from UkAbigail speaking to Primavera Sound Radio in Barcelona, May 2024 prior to performing at their festival.

    And I remember when I wrote "I will f--k you", I was just like 'yeah, true - that's what's gonna happen mate!' (laugher). And I didn't think, yes, this is kind of an important political female statement, which I think is in itself kind of a good thing because it's second nature, you know, to feel like you have that agency and that power. And I hope that's how women feel when they hear it, that it's not weird. It can be that natural. You don't have to be passive or being assertive or even just confident in your sexuality. It doesn't have to be a huge mission. It can just be something that sits naturally in yourself.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Rob Halford of Judas Priest

Rob Halford of Judas PriestSongwriter Interviews

Rob Halford dives into some of his Judas Priest lyrics, talking about his most personal songs and the message behind "You've Got Another Thing Comin'."

Tony Banks of Genesis

Tony Banks of GenesisSongwriter Interviews

Genesis' key-man re-examines his solo career and the early days of music video.

Matt Sorum

Matt SorumSongwriter Interviews

When he joined Guns N' Roses in 1990, Matt helped them craft an orchestral sound; his mezzo fortes and pianissimos are all over "November Rain."

Sam Hollander

Sam HollanderSongwriter Interviews

The hitmaking songwriter/producer Sam Hollander with stories about songs for Weezer, Panic! At The Disco, Train, Pentatonix, and Fitz And The Tantrums.

Goodbye, Hello: Ten Farewell Tour Fake-Outs

Goodbye, Hello: Ten Farewell Tour Fake-OutsSong Writing

The 10 biggest "retirement tours" that didn't take.

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.