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“This song lays the groundwork for the next chapter of Selena’s career,” Berman emphasizes. "We’re tremendously excited about this first look."
—Interscope Vice Chairman Steve Berman

WE WANT YOU TO KNOW

Zedd Collaborates with Selena Gomez and OneRepublic's Ryan Tedder for Brand New Song

Grammy-winning DJ/producer Zedd dropped "I Want You to Know" featuring Selena Gomez on John Janick’s Interscope yesterday, and the reaction was instantaneous. The dancey lead single from his forthcoming sophomore album was written and produced by Zedd with contributions from hitmaker/OneRepublic frontman Ryan Tedder; within hours of its release it was Top 5 at iTunes (it's currently #3).

“Zedd is so dynamic as a producer, performer and artist, and it was crucial for him that the music step out first and lead the charge,” says Interscope Vice Chairman Steve Berman. “There’s a reason we built to this moment of dropping the song the way we did—there was a lot of anticipation about it. This is a global rollout, at the exact same time around the world, in anticipation of a forthcoming album.” He adds that the artist has been especially passionate about aligning the sound, design and attendant visuals into a cohesive statement.

The track was teased via social media prior to the drop, seeding anticipation.

“I Want You to Know” is also an ideal first Interscope release for siren Gomez, herself a recent arrival at the label.

“This song lays the groundwork for the next chapter of Selena’s career,” Berman emphasizes. "We’re tremendously excited about this first look, with many more looks to come. She has such a strong sense of identity, and her evolution up to this point is why John fought so hard to sign her to Interscope—because she’d done such a great job laying her foundation. We’ve taken great care with the creative, because we felt with an artist of her talent and drive, there was a huge opportunity to create something really special.” He underscores Zedd’s global status as another element that was key to Gomez’s first appearance on Interscope.

Berman reports that a video has been shot and that it makes highly effective use of Gomez’s on-screen star power.

In addition to his solo work (his 2012 set Clarity snagged a Best Dance Recording Grammy for its title track) Zedd, aka Anton Zaslavski, also saw success in collaboration with Ariana Grande on the hit "Break Free" last year. He's also scored big with remixes for Lady Gaga, Skrillex, Black Eyed Peas and more, and is a top festival headliner.