Clarity (Zedd song)

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"Clarity"
Single by Zedd featuring Foxes
from the album Clarity
Released14 November 2012 (2012-11-14)
Genre
Length4:31
LabelInterscope
Songwriters
Producers
  • Zedd
  • Jonny "Ghostwriter" Harris
Zedd singles chronology
"Spectrum"
(2012)		 "Clarity"
(2012)		 "Stay the Night"
(2013)
Foxes singles chronology
"Youth"
(2012)		 "Clarity"
(2012)		 "Right Here"
(2013)
Music video
"Clarity" on YouTube

"Clarity" is a song by the German musician Zedd featuring the vocals of the English singer Foxes. It was released on 14 November 2012 as the third single from Zedd's debut studio album, Clarity. The song began as a collaboration with the American musician Porter Robinson and uses a vocal melody written by the American songwriter Matthew Koma. Critics generally described it as a part of the electronic dance music genre. "Clarity" charted in multiple countries and received multi-platinum certifications. In 2014, it won the Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording at the 56th Grammy Awards.

Background and production

The German musician Zedd began "Clarity" as a collaboration with the American musician Porter Robinson amid their Poseidon tour. They began producing the song and its chords together until their tour ended. Zedd then finished the song alone as an instrumental.[1] The vocal part of "Clarity" was initially written by Matthew Koma for another of Zedd's tracks, "Lost at Sea". Zedd felt that that topline was "too emotional" for that song, and instead used it for "Clarity".[2] Zedd sent a demo of the song to Robinson, who did not enjoy the result and told Zedd to finish the song himself.[1]

Zedd tried to find multiple singers for "Clarity", but he wasn't happy with any of their vocals, and even considered not including the song on the Clarity album. However, "days before the deadline", his manager showed him the English singer Foxes, which Zedd enjoyed. He contacted the singer via Skype for a 15 minutes chat, who accepted the offer to sing on "Clarity".[3] The American singer Skylar Grey is credited as a co-writer,[4] who had recorded vocals for the track before Foxes was chosen.[5] The English musician Jonny Harris, credited as "Ghostwriter", recorded Foxes's vocals.[6]

Composition

"Clarity" has a tempo of 128 beats per minute, and is written in the A♭ major key.[7] It has been characterized as electronic dance music (EDM),[8][9][10] dance-pop,[11] and progressive house.[12] Spin's Brennan Carley described it as "nouveau disco for the masses by way of choral-infused electronica",[13] and Andy Kellman of AllMusic described it as "stadium-ready".[14] According to Billboard, the "searching synths" of the track play under the "sweet, love-pained vocals" of Foxes.[15] They called the lyrics "evocative yet accessible",[9] and Kellman said they "reflect the immediacy and desperation of adolescent relationships".[14] Billboard described the drop as "big room-reminiscent"[16] and coming "like a waterfall, more a cascade of notes than a barrage of noise".[15]

Release

"Clarity" appeared on Zedd's debut album Clarity, first released in Germany on 5 October 2012.[17] The song was first sent to contemporary hit radio in Italy on 14 November 2012.[18] In January 2013, Zedd and Foxes performed an orchestral version of the song at Late Night with David Letterman.[19][20] On 1 February, it was released as a standalone single on Apple Music,[21] and a 4-track remix EP released on 12 February, featuring remixes from Zedd himself, Tiësto, Style of Eye, and Brillz.[22] Zedd released an extended mix of the song exclusively on Beatport on 18 February 2018.[23]

Music video

A music video for "Clarity" directed by Jodeb was released on 11 January 2013.[24] The video starts with the camera panning over the desert, and switches to see Foxes and the male lead driving in different cars, until they suddenly collide head-to-head, and both characters rocket backwards. The male lead wakes up after being knocked unconscious from the collision, and finds the injured Foxes, who then runs away through the desert. He follows her until she falls unconscious in the sand. A rewind of the whole event is shown and, in the final scene, the two characters drive in the same car.

Reception and legacy

Billboard found the production "top-notch",[9] with Vice describing the refrain as "joyous" and the synth lines as "divine".[8] Chris DeVille of Stereogum said that Foxes's "powerful voice lends [the song] so much oomph",[10] with Peter Kadunias of Gigwise calling her vocals "gorgeous".[25] Billboard praised the lyrics as "perfect" and "heart-wrenching".[16] Kellman felt it was one of the "peak moments" of the Clarity album.[14] Pitchfork's Noah Yoo felt that, with the song, Zedd proved that "an EDM track without a traditional chorus could crack the Top 10".[26] "Clarity" was nominated for Artist to Watch at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards.[27] It won the Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording at the 56th Grammy Awards in 2014,[28] in what Zedd called "an unbelievable and unforgettable moment in my life". It remains Zedd and Foxes's only nomination and win in the awards.[29] It was nominated for Best Musical Collaboration at the 2014 Radio Disney Music Awards[30] and Top Dance/Electronic Song at the 2014 Billboard Music Awards.[29]

Billboard named it one of the "50 game-changing EDM tracks" of 2013.[31] In 2015, Spin named it the tenth greatest EDM anthem of the first half of the 2010s.[13] In 2016, Billboard chose it as the best song in Zedd's discography, saying: "'Clarity' was one of the genre’s first big crossover anthems, but it set a standard in pop that moves far beyond festival stages".[15] In 2017, Vice ranked it as the 73rd best EDM song of all time.[8] In 2019, Billboard staff considered it the 19th greatest dance song of the decade.[16] That same year, Chris DeVille of Stereogum named "Clarity" a one-hit wonder for Foxes.[10] In 2023, Billboard ranked it the 15th best EDM love song,[9] and in 2025, they named it the 96th best dance song of all time.[32]

Commercial performance

"Clarity" appeared in the main weekly charts of multiple countries, including Australia,[33] Belgium,[34] Brazil,[35] Canada,[36] Czech Republic,[37] Germany,[38] Ireland,[39] Netherlands,[40] New Zealand,[41] Scotland,[42] Slovakia,[43] United Kingdom,[44] and the United States.[45] In the U.S., it reached the number one spot of Billboard's Dance Club Songs[46] and number two on the Hot Dance/Electronic Songs[47] and Pop Airplay.[48] It appeared in the year-end charts of Australia,[49] Canada,[50] the U.K.,[51] and the U.S.[52] In decade-end charts, it sits at 31 of Billboard's Hot Dance/Electronic Songs.[53] "Clarity" has received multi-platinum certifications in Australia,[54] Brazil,[55] New Zealand,[56] and the U.S.;[57] platinum in Canada,[58] Sweden,[59] and the United Kingdom;[60] and gold in Denmark,[61] Germany,[62] Italy,[63] and Mexico.[64]

Personnel

Adapted from the Clarity album liner notes.[6]

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2013–2014) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[33] 13
Australia Dance (ARIA)[65] 2
Australia Hitseekers (ARIA)[66] 1
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[34] 38
Belgium Dance (Ultratop Flanders)[67] 20
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Wallonia)[68] 11
Belgium Dance (Ultratop Wallonia)[69] 23
Brazil (Billboard Brasil Hot 100)[35] 51
Brazil Hot Pop Songs[35] 15
Canada Hot 100 (Billboard)[36] 17
Czech Republic Airplay (ČNS IFPI)[37] 38
Germany (GfK)[38] 94
Ireland (IRMA)[39] 39
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[40] 81
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[41] 13
Scotland Singles (OCC)[42] 22
Slovakia Airplay (ČNS IFPI)[43] 66
UK Singles (OCC)[44] 27
UK Dance (OCC)[70] 6
US Billboard Hot 100[45] 8
US Adult Pop Airplay (Billboard)[71] 16
US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[46] 1
US Hot Dance/Electronic Songs (Billboard)[47] 2
US Latin Pop Airplay (Billboard)[72] 28
US Pop Airplay (Billboard)[48] 2
US Rhythmic Airplay (Billboard)[73] 7

Year-end charts

Chart (2013) Position
Australia (ARIA)[49] 57
Australia Dance (ARIA)[74] 12
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[50] 49
UK Singles (OCC)[51] 180
US Billboard Hot 100[52] 24
US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[75] 7
US Hot Dance/Electronic Songs (Billboard)[76] 5
US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[77] 5
US Rhythmic (Billboard)[78] 41
Chart (2014) Position
US Hot Dance/Electronic Songs (Billboard)[79] 30

Decade-end charts

Chart (2010–2019) Position
US Hot Dance/Electronic Songs (Billboard)[53] 31

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[54] 6× Platinum 420,000‡
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[55] 3× Platinum 180,000‡
Canada (Music Canada)[58] Platinum 80,000*
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[61] Gold 45,000‡
Germany (BVMI)[62] Gold 150,000‡
Italy (FIMI)[63] Gold 15,000‡
Mexico (AMPROFON)[64] Gold 30,000*
New Zealand (RMNZ)[56] 2× Platinum 60,000‡
Sweden (GLF)[59] Platinum 40,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[60] Platinum 600,000‡
United States (RIAA)[57] 7× Platinum 7,000,000‡

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Country Date Format Label
Italy[18] 14 November 2012 Contemporary hit radio Universal
Australia[21] 1 February 2013 Digital download Interscope
New Zealand[80]
United States[81] 12 February 2013 Digital download (remixes EP)
Australia[82] 18 February 2013
Germany[83]
New Zealand[84]
United States[85] 5 March 2013 Contemporary hit radio
United Kingdom[86] 6 June 2014 Digital download (remixes EP)

See also

References

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