DJ Snake and Bipolar Sunshine's 'Middle' Turns 11

A Melodic Shift in DJ Snake's Catalog

Released on October 16, 2015, Middle marked a different direction for DJ Snake. He was already enjoying major success with tracks such as Turn Down For What, Get Low, and Lean On. His collaboration with Bipolar Sunshine paired a more melodic production with an emotional vocal, giving the track a different feel from many of his earlier releases. Eleven years later, Middle remains closely tied to the period leading into DJ Snake's debut album Encore.

How the Collaboration Came Together

The collaboration began through a chance connection in London. Music from Bipolar Sunshine, real name Adio Marchant, found its way to someone working with DJ Snake's management. At the time, Bipolar Sunshine had recently left Polydor and was releasing music independently. Working with DJ Snake introduced his music to a much wider audience. The decision to release Middle as the first single from DJ Snake's debut album gave the collaboration an even bigger platform.

When Encore followed on August 5, 2016, Middle became part of DJ Snake's first full-length project. The album also featured Talk with George Maple and Let Me Love You featuring Justin Bieber. Skrillex, Migos, Travis Scott, Young Thug, and several other artists also appeared across the record.

Chart Success and the Music Video

Although Middle was released in October 2015, much of its commercial success followed the next year. The track reached No. 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States and No. 10 on the UK Singles Chart. It also spent 28 weeks inside the UK Top 100. By May 2016, Middle had earned a platinum certification in the United States.

The official music video followed in March 2016. Colin Tilley directed the video, with Josh Hutcherson and Kiersey Clemons starring as two masked characters. A superhero-inspired storyline follows their relationship and gave Middle another element that listeners came to associate with the song.

In later interviews, Bipolar Sunshine spoke about DJ Snake continuing to support his music throughout the years that followed. Now, 11 years after its release, Middle represents an important period for both artists—it showed a more melodic part of DJ Snake's music ahead of Encore and gave Bipolar Sunshine one of the biggest releases of his career.