“The Middle” was quite easily my favorite song of 2018. I knew when I had heard it that it was going to be a hit and that I would be listening to it on repeat forever. It was also a great opportunity for Maren Morris who was killing it on the country scene already, but skyrocketed with this pop smash. It was only recently that I had learned that Maren wasn’t exactly the first choice even though she was the best choice. Nearly 15 other vocalists had auditioned for the part. Demi Lovato and Camila Cabello were top contenders, but pulled out because their own songs were climbing the charts already. In the end, it all worked out the way it was supposed to.

The most interesting part of this to me was how quickly Sarah Aarons had written this song. Her vocals sound so similar to Maren’s making this the best fit after all.