Zedd grew up and began his music career in Kaiserslautern, Germany. His stage name, Zedd, was derived from "zed", the Non-American English name for the letter Z, the first letter of his surname. In 2012, he released "Clarity" (featuring Foxes), which propelled him to mainstream success, reaching the 8th position on the "Billboard" Hot 100 and earning him a Grammy for Best Dance Recording at the 56th Grammy Awards. Later in 2012, he released his debut studio album "Clarity", with hit single "Stay the Night" (featuring Hayley Williams) appearing on the 2013 deluxe edition of the album.