Zedd, whose real name is Anton Zaslavski, is a Russian-born German DJ and producer. He grew up in Kaiserslautern, Germany and got his start in music there. His stage name, Zedd, comes from the English pronunciation of the letter Z.
He released “Clarity” in 2012, which did well on the Billboard Hot 100 and got him a Grammy for Best Dance Recording. His debut studio album, Clarity, came out later that year and had the hit single “Stay the Night” on it.
In 2015, his second studio album, True Colors, was released to critical acclaim. The lead single, “I Want You to Know” featuring Selena Gomez, was a massive hit, peaking at number one on the charts. Other well-known songs from the album include “Stay” with Alessia Cara, which peaked at number seven; “The Middle” with Maren Morris and Grey; and, as a featured artist, “Break Free”.
Zedd is reportedly a classically trained musician, the son of two musicians. His father, Igor Zaslavski, is a world-renowned guitarist and schoolteacher, and his mother is a world-renowned piano teacher. He began playing the piano at the age of four and drums at twelve years old. He has an older brother, Arkadi, and a younger half brother, Daniel.
Zedd began his electronic music journey in 2002 when he joined German deathcore band Dioramic, who were signed with Lifeforce Records. The group’s music piqued Zedd’s interest in producing electronic music after he heard their song Cross.