Most teenagers celebrate their high school graduation at home, toasting their coming of age with apple cider and supermarket cupcakes with grandma, Aunt Jean and a few classmates. Martin Garrix celebrated finishing music academy classes in June by partying with hundreds of thousands, first in Warsaw, then Las Vegas (Electric Daisy Carnival) then Dover (Firefly Festival) and then back in Vegas (Hakkassan). Such is life when you’re the fastest-rising act in electronic dance music. In the span of 12 months, the 18-year-old Garrix not only completed school, but went from a being literal spectator at the world’s largest music festivals to performing on their main stages, propelled by a Top 10 hit, savvy business partnerships and a certain self-awareness that’s often lost on young stars.

In 2004, Garrix experienced something of a revelation while watching TV at home in the Netherlands. "I had never been interested in electronic music," he admits. "Then, I saw Tiësto playing the Olympics on television. I hadn't heard that music before. My mom played classical piano, and my dad and I played guitar. It was the first time I witnessed the beats, tempo, and vibe electronic music gives you. From that point, I was hooked. I started listening to trance, and I slowly moved to house. I instantly began saving up money for my first DJ setup." That first setup allowed him to begin performing at parties for his parents' friends, weddings, and other local events. Simultaneously, he produced his own original music, honing his production skills and craft.

In 2010, Garrix hit the stage at a club in Amsterdam. Only 13-years-old at the time, he instantly sent the venue into a frenzy. Fast forward two years later, he posted an unofficial remix of Enrique Iglesias's "Tonight" that sent the blog-o-sphere ablaze. As buzz and enthusiasm grew, iconic dance label Spinnin' Records offered him his first deal. Sander van Doorn lent support through releasing "Error 404" on his label, and collaborations with Sidney Samson ["Torrent"] and Julian Jordan ["BFAM"] followed. Garrix went on to do official remixes for the likes of Christina Aguilera ["Your Body"] and Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike Vs. Sander van Doorn ["Project T"].

2013 saw him un-cage "Animals", his breakout international single. Fusing a tribal bounce to a seductively dark refrain, the track charges ahead like a dance floor stampede. Upon release, it climbed to #1 on the Beatport Top Songs Chart and impressively held the spot for four weeks. As a result, Garrix became the youngest artist ever to seize the top spot. It reached #1 in the UK, Holland and Belgium as well as Top 5 in Australia, France, Spain, and Germany. In the aftermath, the track saw release in the U.S. via Casablanca Records. The single had solidified him as a bona fide record-breaking phenomenon and even reached a Platinum status in the U.S. with over 1 million sales. "I've had that melody since I was 12," he smiles. "It stuck in my head, and I wanted to do something with it for so long. The drop is very different. It feels like you're in the jungle. It's just a blast of energy."

Following up the success of "Animals", his remix of "Project T" and his collaboration with Jay Hardway ‘Wizard’ ascended #1 on Beatport and in the UK charts as well. As he rises through the ranks of EDM, he's also still finding time to enjoy growing up and keeping up with his friends. "It's so weird," Garrix laughs. "They join me on the road very often, and we have fun. They're pretty excited!" They're not the only ones who are excited though. Fans everywhere have gotten wild with Garrix and his sound. He goes on, "The most amazing thing is hearing how many people get inspired by my music and story. I want to show everyone that if you pursue your dreams, they can come true no matter what. That's what I want to do."

2014 has been all about releasing new music and touring. His collaboration with Firebeatz on ‘Helicopter’ already got to #1 on Beatport as well as all of his other releases in 2014; “Tremor” (with Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike), “Gold Skies” (with Sander van Doorn and DVBBS), “Turn up the Speakers” (with Afrojack) and “VIRUS” (with MOTi). And just when things look like they can’t get any better, Martin lands on the #4 spot in the influential DJ Mag Top 100 list. Upcoming is his collaboration with Ed Sheeran, scheduled to come out early 2015. After selling out his debut clubtour with over 200 shows all over the world and headlining the biggest festivals, Martin is back in studio producing new music and gearing up for his debut album.