“The Middle” by Zedd, Grey, and Maren Morris was one of the biggest hits of the 2010s. The catchy song was a pop/electronic crossover that broke the record for most weeks at number one on Billboard’s Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart. (They also named it one of the songs that defined the decade.)
Released in 2018, the song never really went away, but its popularity is bubbling up once again thanks to a viral TikTok trend. It’s been used on over 1.2 million videos featuring users lip-syncing to the chorus and splicing in posed photos.
The trend doesn’t seem to have anything explicitly to do with the song’s lyrics, but the nostalgic appeal, emotional resonance, and rhythmic energy align perfectly for short-form video editing. Let’s dig into why this hook is so perfect for a TikTok trend.
“The Middle” was written by Russian-German record producer Zedd and the American musical duo Grey as well as The Monsters and the Strangerz & Sarah Aarons. After considering many singers, Zedd chose country singer Maren Morris for the perfect vocal.
“‘The Middle’ was one of those songs where we instantly knew it was going to be big,” Morris said in an interview with Zach Sangearlier this year.
Part of its appeal is in its genre-fluid nature. “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,” Morris told People in 2018.
The song’s hook was written and produced with intent. It begins with a snappy rhythm – two eighth notes – followed by three beats of rest. This use of space naturally builds anticipation for what comes next. The next phrase has running eighth notes for an entire measure and finishes on the same two eighth notes on beat one of the following measure, again followed by rests.
Zedd’s thoughtful production emphasizes the hook even more. The arrangement drops down to just vocals and just a ticking clock for rhythm. He explained his process to Rick Beato.
“[The chorus] is a clock and three types of vocals,” he said. He expanded Morris’ vocals by using a vocoder (a vocal synthesizer) to add bass and chords to her singing. “What makes this part special is that they’re all vocals. There are two different vocoders. The song came out, and essentially, it was pretty clear what the sing-along part was going to be. It was like, given. This is the part everybody’s going to sing because that’s all there is.”
All of this adds up to a perfect song for a TikTok trend. There’s a catchy hook that’s instantly singable. Then, there is space in the phrase for users to highlight themselves, in this case, inserting zany snapshots. It also has an upbeat, happy feel that tugs on your heartstrings.
Revisit the original song, then dive into the sheet music for “The Middle” to get ideas for your own viral hit.
