In 2018, Maren Morris pleaded, “Why don’t you just meet me in the middle?” on the Zedd-produced hit, “The Middle.” Five years on, the GRAMMY Award winning producer isn’t making any compromises with his third studio album Telos.
Since his 2012 debut record “Clarity,” Zedd has garnered acclaim for his infectious hooks and high-profile EDM and pop collaborations, including work with Alessia Cara and Ariana Grande. On this new record, Zedd has set out to break free from the confines of trends to create a record with lasting impact.
Inspired by the music he grew up with, Zedd, a classically trained artist and metalhead, has crafted a genre-blending symphony that spans jazz to R&B. The 10-track album includes collaborations with artists like Remi Wolf, John Mayer, Dora Jar, and a feature from the Transatlantic collective, the olllam on “Sona.”
Following his sold-out North American Telos tour, ECHO and 1824 sat down with Zedd to discuss the influences and inspirations that empowered him to defy expectations and create what he considers his magnum opus—or “completion of human art,” the English translation of the Greek word Telos.
This album takes the EDM sound and turns it on its head. Who or what gave you the confidence to defy expectations and just let creativity guide you?
So, there was never a plan for me to make an album like this. But at some point, I started developing ideas that live in their own universe—musical and theatrical. I reached a point where I couldn’t figure out how to make these songs work in a traditional 4/4 EDM format. And while I’m mostly known for EDM, as a person, I love all kinds of music. True artistry, ultimately, isn’t about making what people expect from you or what you’re known for. It’s about creating what you, as both the artist and the art itself, want to express.
Some people miss the metal version of Zedd—there have been many versions along the way. But true artistry is about doing what you, as an artist, want to do. Some of these songs just wouldn’t work in a traditional EDM sense. That’s when I decided to make this concept album—an autobiography in the form of music, reflecting everything that matters to me and has inspired me. Take the song “Sona,” for instance, which features different time signatures, Irish whistles, pipes, real drums, real guitars, and my signature electronic synths.
I played “Sona” for friends while working on it, asking, “What genre does this feel like to you?” Nobody had an answer. They’d say, “It’s kind of electronic, kind of rock, kind of alternative.” That’s just what the song wanted to be. There was no need to force it into an EDM mold. I simply asked, “What does this composition need to be?” and let it be that. Then, I focused on decisions like where each song fits within the album, what comes before and after, and what purpose each song serves. For “Sona,” I thought it would transition well into “Lucky,” a cornerstone of the album, so I wrote it in the key that would lead perfectly into it. Artistically speaking, each song is true to itself—whatever BPM or time signature it naturally has, it keeps.
Zedd on creating “Automatic Yes” with John Mayer
Another example is when I was in the studio with John Mayer, working on “Automatic Yes.” There’s a little hook right before the chorus where the tempo is about 2 or 3 BPM slower, creating a moment of anticipation and slight tension before returning to the original tempo. We discussed whether this subtle shift would work, knowing it could throw off DJs using grid-based syncing tools.
John pointed out that it might mess with DJs, but we decided to keep it because of the emotional effect. Every decision has been about serving the music, even if it challenges DJs, genres, or listeners who might expect 40 minutes of EDM bangers. At the core, the album is about letting the music be exactly what it needs to be.
This interview has been edited for clarity.