A Comprehensive List of Every Singer Who Recorded "The Middle" Before Maren Morris
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As we're just finding out, virtually every female singer recorded Zedd's "The Middle" before it ultimately went to country star Maren Morris. Though now a hugely popular song — one that first debuted in the form of a live Target commercial during the Grammys — producers originally had a tough time landing a singer. In a recent oral history of the song, Variety learned that at least 12 singers took a stab at it before Morris.
"It was a super long process," producer Stefan Johnson said. "You're confident at the start, but the longer the song [sits around], the more you start feeling like it's slipping." Though he didn't name all of the singers who recorded versions of the song, Johnson and other producers who worked on the song were able to divulge many notable names — some of which will certainly surprise you.
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Demi Lovato
Demi Lovato was the first to record the song after hearing a demo in April 2017. The singer later had to pass because the song may have been too pop and she was trying to follow the sound of her upcoming single "Sorry Not Sorry" off her subsequent album Tell Me You Love Me.
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Camila Cabello
Camila Cabello was next to record "The Middle," however, she ultimately decided to opt out so as not to distract from her humongous-hit single "Havana," which was already climbing the charts.
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Lauren Jauregui
The song then went to Camila Cabello's former Fifth Harmony bandmate! According to Variety, Lauren Jauregui also recorded vocals for "The Middle."
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Bebe Rexha
There is indeed a version of "The Middle" with Bebe Rexha somewhere out in the universe. The singer later found success with an entirely different collaboration: "Meant to Be" with Florida Georgia Line.
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Tove Lo
The effortlessly cool Swedish singer — primarily known for her song "Habits (Stay High)" — was also considered by Zedd.
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Carly Rae Jepsen
It should come as no surprise, but the "Call Me Maybe" and "Cut to the Feeling" singer also tried on the song for size.
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Bishop Briggs
The 25-year-old British singer, who previously found success with her single "River," also recorded vocals for the song.
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Elle King
The bluesy 28-year-old singer is reportedly also on the list of artists who recorded "The Middle."
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Daya
Zedd also considered the rising 19-year-old singer for the seemingly impossible-to-complete project.
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Anne-Marie
Before Morris, powerhouse singer Anne-Marie was really close to releasing a version of the song. There was even artwork and a release date! The collaboration fell through, however, when she released a song with Marshmello, "Friends," and Zedd was against the idea of two producers having songs out with the same artist at the same time.
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Charli XCX
Following the Variety article, Charli XCX came forward and said she too recorded the song. In a tweet, the 25-year-old singer said the song was too high in pitch for her voice and Zedd may not have been feeling her "robot levels of autotune." She added, "In my opinion Marren sounds soooo beautiful on this song."