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Clarity (Zedd song)

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"Clarity"
Single by Zedd featuring Foxes
from the album Clarity
Released14 November 2012 (2012-11-14)
RecordedApril 2012[1]
Genre
Length4:31 (album version)
3:48 (radio edit)
5:43 (extended version)
LabelInterscope
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)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 (Remixes)
Remix album by
Zedd
ReleasedFebruary 12, 2013 (2013-02-12)
Recorded2012–13
Length17:22
LabelInterscope
ProducerZedd
Zedd chronology
Clarity
(2012) 		Clarity (Remixes)
(2013)

"Clarity" is a song by Russian-German DJ Zedd featuring the vocals of singer Foxes. It was released on 14 November 2012 as the third single from the former's debut studio album of the same name. The song was written by Zedd (who produced the song), Matthew Koma, Porter Robinson and Skylar Grey. It was released as iTunes Single of the Week on 2 October 2012, and as an 4-track remix EP on 12 February 2013, by Interscope Records. Zedd released an extended mix of the song exclusively on Beatport on 18 February 2018.[5]

When Koma listened to Foxes' song "Youth", he contacted her through Skype and asked her to be the vocalist on "Clarity". After Foxes did research on Wikipedia about Zedd, she accepted the offer.[6] In June 2014, following the success of "Stay the Night" featuring Hayley Williams in the United Kingdom, "Clarity" was re-released there, and this time reached a better peak of number 27, compared to the previous one of 29 in 2013. It ended up being awarded silver certification by the BPI following the intake of streaming into Official Charts data in the UK.

The extended play of the track was released on 18 February 2013. It features ten remixes including Tiësto, Headhunterz and Funkagenda, among others.[7] From December 2012 to 4 February 2013, Zedd hosted a remix contest for the track. There were 982 official entries.[8] The winning remix by Tom Budin was due to be featured on an upcoming Zedd release.[9]

"Clarity" won the Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording at the 56th Grammy Awards, becoming their first win.[10] The vocals were recorded and edited by Jonny "Ghostwriter" Harris, a music producer and songwriter who was working extensively with Foxes (singer), Rudimental and Ed Sheeran at the time.

Critical reception

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Idolator editor Sam Lansky praised the vocals produced by Jonny "Ghostwriter" Harris, and praised Zedd for "[transforming] his EDM sound into a lovely, downtempo emo-style set."[11]

Composition

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"Clarity" has a tempo of 128 beats per minute, and is written in the A♭ major key. Its main chord progression is B♭m7sus4/E♭/Fm7/Cm7/D♭ – B♭m7sus4/E♭/Fm7/Cm7/D♭/A♭.[12]

Music video

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A music video for "Clarity" directed by Jodeb was released on 11 January 2013. The music video featured Foxes and actor and model AJ English as a couple. The video starts with the camera panning over the desert, and later switching to see Foxes and the male lead driving in different cars, until they suddenly collide head-to-head, with enough force for both characters to rocket backward. The male lead wakes up after being knocked unconscious from the collision, and finds the injured Foxes. However, she runs away through the desert, making him follow her until she falls unconscious in the sand. A rewind of the whole event was shown afterwards, before in the final scene, the two people drive in the same car, presumably enjoying themselves. All scenes were accompanied by computer effects of collisions and other images that synchronize with the music. The music video also features a cameo from Zedd.

Track listing

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Digital download[13]
No.TitleLength
1."Clarity"4:31
Digital download (Extended mix)[5]
No.TitleLength
1."Clarity" (Extended Mix)5:43
Digital download (Remixes EP)[14]
No.TitleLength
1."Clarity" (Zedd Union Mix)3:27
2."Clarity" (Tiësto Remix)5:54
3."Clarity" (Style of Eye Remix)6:37
4."Clarity" (Brillz Remix)5:57

Charts

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Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[51] 2× Platinum 140,000^
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[52] 3× Platinum 180,000‡
Canada (Music Canada)[53] Platinum 80,000*
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[54] Gold 45,000‡
Germany (BVMI)[55] Gold 150,000‡
Italy (FIMI)[56] Gold 15,000‡
Mexico (AMPROFON)[57] Gold 30,000*
New Zealand (RMNZ)[58] Gold 7,500*
Sweden (GLF)[59] Platinum 40,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[60] Platinum 600,000‡
United States (RIAA)[61] 5× Platinum 5,000,000‡

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

Release history

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Country Date Format Label
Italy[62] 14 November 2012 Contemporary hit radio Universal
Australia[63] 1 February 2013 Digital download Interscope
New Zealand[64]
United States[65] 12 February 2013 Digital download (remixes EP)
Australia[66] 18 February 2013
Germany[67]
New Zealand[68]
United States[69] 5 March 2013 Contemporary hit radio
United Kingdom[70] 6 June 2014 Digital download (remixes EP)

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Robinson, Porter (April 2012). "Zedd, Porter Robinson and Lucky Date @ Zedd 1 - April, 2012".
  2. ^ Rollingstone
  3. ^ Dancing Astronaut Staff (6 January 2020). "Dancing Astronaut's Top 100 Songs of the Decade". Dancing Astronaut. Archived from the original on 7 January 2020. Retrieved 7 January 2020.
  4. ^ Kellman, Andy. Now That's What I Call Music 47 (2013): Review at AllMusic. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  5. ^ a b "Clarity (Extended Mix)". Beatport. Interscope Records.
  6. ^ Wass, Mike (30 September 2013). "Foxes On "Clarity", Her Debut LP & The Elastic Nature Of Youth: The Idolator Q&A". Foxes. Retrieved 16 August 2014.
  7. ^ "Zedd, Foxes New Releases: Clarity on Beatport". Beatport. 18 February 2013.
  8. ^ "Zedd / 'Clarity' Remix Competition". Zedd.net. 4 February 2013. Archived from the original on 4 June 2013. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
  9. ^ "Zedd Ft. Foxes – Clarity (Tom Budin Remix) by Tom Budin". SoundCloud. 8 January 2013.
  10. ^ "GRAMMY.com". Grammy Awards. Archived from the original on 1 December 2011. Retrieved 7 December 2013.
  11. ^ "Zedd & Foxes Perform "Clarity" On 'Late Night With David Letterman': Watch". Idolator. 4 January 2013.
  12. ^ "Zedd "Clarity" Sheet Music". musicnotes.com. 2 April 2013.
  13. ^ "Clarity (feat. Foxes) – Single". iTunes AU. Apple Inc. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
  14. ^ "iTunes – Music – Clarity (Remixes) – EP by Zedd". iTunes Store. 12 February 2013.
  15. ^ "Zedd feat. Foxes – Clarity". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  16. ^ "ARIA Report: Issue 1225" (PDF). ARIA. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 September 2013. Retrieved 2 August 2014.
  17. ^ "ARIA Report: Issue 1218" (PDF). ARIA. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 July 2013. Retrieved 2 August 2014.
  18. ^ "Zedd feat. Foxes – Clarity" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 6 April 2013.
  19. ^ "Zedd feat. Foxes – Clarity" (in Dutch). Ultratop Dance.
  20. ^ "Zedd feat. Foxes – Clarity" (in French). Ultratip. Retrieved 6 April 2013.
  21. ^ "Zedd feat. Foxes – Clarity" (in French). Ultratop Dance.
  22. ^ a b BPP, ed. (November–December 2013). "Billboard Brasil Hot 100 Airplay". Billboard Brasil (46): 88.
  23. ^ "Zedd Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard.
  24. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 42. týden 2013 in the date selector.
  25. ^ "Zedd feat. Foxes – Clarity" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
  26. ^ "Chart Track: Week 11, 2013". Irish Singles Chart.
  27. ^ "Zedd feat. Foxes – Clarity" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 6 April 2013.
  28. ^ "Zedd feat. Foxes – Clarity". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 5 August 2013.
  29. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 February 2013.
  30. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 201312 into search.
  31. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 February 2013.
  32. ^ "Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 February 2013.
  33. ^ "Zedd Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  34. ^ "Zedd Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard.
  35. ^ "Zedd Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard.
  36. ^ "Zedd Chart History (Hot Dance/Electronic Songs)". Billboard.
  37. ^ "Zedd Chart History (Latin Pop Songs)". Billboard.
  38. ^ "Zedd Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard.
  39. ^ "Zedd Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard.
  40. ^ "2013 Year End Singles Chart". ARIA. Archived from the original on 15 February 2014. Retrieved 7 February 2013.
  41. ^ "2013 Top 50 Year End Dance Singles Chart". ARIA. Archived from the original on 8 January 2014. Retrieved 2 August 2014.
  42. ^ "Best of 2013: Canadian Hot 100". Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
  43. ^ "End of Year 2013" (PDF). UKChartsPlus. Retrieved 2 August 2014.
  44. ^ "Zedd Chart History: Year-End Hot 100 Songs". Billboard.com. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 1 June 2014.
  45. ^ "Zedd Chart History: Year-End Dance Club Songs". Billboard.com. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 1 June 2014.
  46. ^ "Hot Dance/Electronic Songs – Year-End 2013". Billboard. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
  47. ^ "Zedd – Chart History: Year-End Pop Songs". Billboard.com. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 1 June 2014.
  48. ^ "Rhythmic Songs – Year-End 2013". Billboard. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
  49. ^ "Hot Dance/Electronic Songs – Year-End 2014". Billboard. 13 December 2013. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
  50. ^ "Decade-End Charts: Hot Dance/Electronic Songs (2013-ON)". Billboard. 31 October 2019. Retrieved 19 December 2019.
  51. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2013 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association.
  52. ^ "Brazilian single certifications – Zedd – Clarity" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
  53. ^ "Canadian single certifications – Zedd – Clarity". Music Canada.
  54. ^ "Danish single certifications – Zedd feat. Foxes – Clarity". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  55. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Zedd feat. Foxes; 'Clarity')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
  56. ^ "Italian single certifications – Zedd feat. Foxes – Clarity" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana.
  57. ^ "Certificaciones" (in Spanish). Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Type Zedd in the box under the ARTISTA column heading and Clarity in the box under the TÍTULO column heading.
  58. ^ "New Zealand single certifications – Zedd feat. Foxes – Clarity". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
  59. ^ "Zedd feat. Foxes – Clarity" (in Swedish). Grammofonleverantörernas förening. Archived from the original on 5 April 2024. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
  60. ^ "British single certifications – Zedd ft Foxes – Clarity". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  61. ^ "American single certifications – Zedd – Clarity". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
  62. ^ Naccari, Claudio. "ZEDD – Clarity (Universal)" (in Italian). Radio Airplay SRL. Archived from the original on 25 February 2015. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
  63. ^ "Clarity (feat. Foxes) – Single by Zedd". iTunes Store (AU). Apple. Archived from the original on 7 January 2014.
  64. ^ "Clarity (feat. Foxes) – Single by Zedd". iTunes Store (NZ). Apple. Archived from the original on 11 October 2013.
  65. ^ "Clarity (Remixes) – EP by Zedd". iTunes Store (US). Apple. January 2013. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
  66. ^ "Clarity (Remixes) – EP by Zedd". iTunes Store (AU). Apple. January 2013. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
  67. ^ "Clarity (Remixes) – EP von Zedd". iTunes Store (DE) (in German). Apple. January 2013. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
  68. ^ "Clarity (Remixes) – EP by Zedd". iTunes Store (NZ). Apple. January 2013. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
  69. ^ "Top 40/M Future Releases". All Access Music Group. Archived from the original on 21 January 2013. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
  70. ^ "Clarity (Remixes) – EP by Zedd". iTunes Store (GB). Apple. January 2014. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
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