Every parent in possession of an automobile knows that while a car represents freedom and the open road, it can also feel like a claustrophobic cell. Especially if a joyous group of really loud kids have found an earworm of a song to sing together while you drive. That’s the familiar scenario in McDonald’s ‘Act of Kindness’ Donut Sticks at the drive-thru commercial. A kind older gentleman who looks like he’s been through it before buys four orders of McDonald’s new donut sticks for the car in back of him at the drive-thru, where a father seems about to go insane from the kids singing incessantly “why don’t you just meet me in the middle?”
[Zedd & Maren Morris & Grey
]The insanely catchy song — written by Sarah Aarons, it’s called simply “The Middle” — is by Zedd & Maren Morris & Grey. Zedd is a super-producer and Grey is a musical duo. Gorgeous Maren Morris sings the tune in a flared red pant suit with a bare midriff in the video. The video, which dropped in January 2018, has been viewed more than 70 million times and the song hit #1 on the charts long before the kids in the car at the McDonald’s drive-thru got a hold of it. The producer Zedd evidently tried out at least a dozen singers for the track before he selected Morris — obviously a good choice. But, you know, these kids sound good too. As long as you’re not driving the car.
