The Middle is a collaboration between Zedd and Grey (among others), who previously teamed up on the 2016 hit, Starving. A long time coming due to the holdout for just the right vocalist (over 12 auditioned, including A-listers Bebe Rexha, Camila Cabello and Selena Gomez), it was Maren Morris – a Country artist – who captured the ears of the writers and producers, got the gig, and became an overnight Pop sensation.
The Middle possesses distinct similarities to recent Zedd hits Starving and Stay, which creates familiarity and enables the song to more easily connect with a mainstream audience. However, qualities such as a vocal melody that is equally strong and memorable in each section of the song, infectious call & response hooks, strong prosody, and of course Morris’s stellar vocal delivery that ranges from tender and fragile to soulful belting, helped The Middle to stand out on its own and connect with audiences throughout the world.
This video provides an in-depth analysis of the songwriting and production techniques used to craft the song.