About the Song:
Anton Zaslavski (stage name: Zedd) is Russian-born German (1989) DJ who found success in 2012 with the top-ten hit “Clarity.” He landed his second top-ten hit with “Stay” in 2017. “The Middle,” released in 2018, marked his third time in the top ten. The song also features the electronic music duo Grey (comprised of brothers Kyle and Michael Trewartha) and American country singer/songwriter Maren Morris.
“Morris sings from the point of view of one-half of a couple in a quarrel. Exasperated by their fighting, she demands that her partner meets her ‘in the middle.’” SF More than a dozen singers SF – including Camila Cabello, Charli XCX, Carly Ray Jepsen, Tove Lo, Demi Lovato, and Bebe Rexha WK – recorded demos of the song before Zedd went with the version featuring Morris. Zedd explained that, “It’s a really wide range and you need a lot of energy and at the same time on the bridge you need to be really fragile and really believable.” SF
Zedd said that working with Morris was “super fun because she is clearly an amazing singer and very talented musician.” WK She said, “The sound is reflective of my many influences as an artist – a little bit country, little pop, little R&B, relatable, emotional and catchy as hell.” WK
Taste of Country’s Billy Dukes said the song is “an unlikely combination of EDM, ‘90s pop, and modern country music.” WK Rolling Stone’s Brittney McKenna called the song “an infectious earworm” in which Morris “strays from her country roots” and “deftly occupies the new, poppy space.” WK Fuse TV’s Hugh McIntyre praised her for “supplying vocals perfectly.” WK
The song was debuted at the Grammy Awards on January 28, 2018. Zedd and Morris were both up for nominations that year.
Resources:
First posted 4/11/2024.
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