Recording of Lessons to Be Learned, the parent album of "Sweet About Me," began in Melbourne, Australia, when Gabriella Cilmi was thirteen years-old.

[4] Cilmi then re-located to London, England in 2007 to launch her musical career and complete the recording of "Sweet About Me".

[4] The song was co-written by Cilmi in collaboration with its producers Xenomania, who are critically acclaimed for their work with Girls Aloud, Sugababes and Kylie Minogue.

"[8] Cilmi, who is influenced by rock bands Led Zeppelin and Kings of Leon, said she had to make a pop-sounding record to appeal to as many people as possible.

[7][10] It utilizes a subtle electro beat,[11] derived from rocksteady grooves interspersed with layered pop production,[12] and "retro-sounding" contemporary themes.

Cilmi uses a sweet and coarse vocal delivery[11] which has been deemed as a misleading contrast between her mature sound and young age.

[13] She claims that the track's sound was a product of Xenomania's pop music experience and her lyrical ideas.

[15] While the song was being crafted she was influenced by rock bands Kings of Leon and Jet, "I wrote with [Xenomania] who are totally different to me and came from a totally different musical background, they had worked with a lot of pop acts before and at the time I was listening to a lot of Jet and Kings of Leon, so when both our ideas met we came up with something pretty good.

The first verse is cut in half in the radio edit and the song opens up with the lyrics: "Oh, watching me hanging by a string this time" followed by "Oh, easily climax of a perfect lie".

He wrote, "A lot of songs focus on the chorus as the returning point for the listener's attention, but 'Sweet About Me' dumps that for a well rounded mix of brilliant singing and layered pop production on all levels.

Well suited to grabbing your attention even in the middle of the sudden run of post-[Amy Winehouse] soul sirens, largely because it swings a bit, and seems to have some spark of its own, rather than stiffly wearing its '60s influences like a pair of slightly-too-small cuban heeled boots [similar to that of Duffy].

Cock noted, "At times this song seems so sweet it oozes honey, feeling deliberately boppy.

Vincentelli wrote, "Production team Xenomania crafted a typically ace tune for this 17-year-old Aussie, and her unassumingly sexy delivery brought it all home.

The song spent thirty-seven consecutive weeks on the UK Singles Chart before finally dropping out on 23 November.