In 2013 he released his solo single "Animals," which hit number one in the U.K. and reached the Top Ten in eight other countries.

The following year was a busy one: early in 2014, "Wizard" (featuring Jay Hardway) charted Top Ten across Europe, and "Helicopter" (featuring Firebeatz) did nearly as well. His Gold Skies EP rounded up those tracks, adding two more charting songs: "Tremor" (featuring Dimitri Vegas and Like Mike) and the title track (featuring Sander van Doorn and DVBBS). Garrix also found time to perform and mix the world over, climbing as high as number four in DJ Magazine's Top 100 list. He also worked on new material with artists ranging from Afrojack to Ed Sheeran.

In early 2015, experiments in progressive house led to the release of "Forbidden Voices," which he quickly followed with the Usher-assisted "Don't Look Down." Garrix's busy year continued as he collaborated on singles with Ed Sheeran, Avicii, Tiësto, and later on the Break Through the Silence EP with Russian DJs Matisse & Sadko. After splitting with Spinnin' Records, Garrix launched his own STMPD RCRDS label, which he inaugurated with the single "Now That I've Found You" in March 2016. He soon announced via Twitter that his debut LP would arrive later that year, and he debuted many of these new songs live at the Ultra Music Festival in Miami. In July 2016, it was announced Garrix had inked a deal with Sony Music International. ~ David Jeffries