On Friday April 20, legendary electric dance music (EDM) artist Tim Bergling—better known as Avicii—passed away in Muscat, Oman. He was 28.
Avicii broke through into the top 40 back in 2011 when he launched his single “Levels”. He became a part of the ‘family’ of DJs that gained prominence in the early 2010s along with electronic music legends David Guetta, Calvin Harris, Flume, and many others. He originated in Sweden and with the break out of “Levels”, his music began to linger over seas and top charts in the United States.
Since 2011, his songs have been streamed over a billion times on Spotify. In 2012 and 2013, Avicii was nominated for a Grammy in dance recording. His song “Wake Me Up” reached the No. 4 spot on the Billboard’s Hot 100 Chart.
In 2013, Avicii dropped his album “True” and followed up in 2015 with “Stories”. During this course of time, “Levels” and “Wake Me Up” became certified platinum. “Waiting for Love”, “The Nights”, “You Make Me” and “I Could Be the One” (collaborated with Nicky Romero) all went gold.
In 2017, Avicii released his final EP, “Avici (01)” (sic). It was a six-track drop that was new, edgy, and reminded his fans where he started.
Avicii was best revered for his collaboration of modern day EDM with folk-like instruments heard in his launch of “True”. Avicii continued to collaborate with bluegrass artists like Zac Brown, vocalist Adam Lambert and rapper Wyclef Jean. He also produced music for artists such as Madonna and Coldplay—quickly becoming one of the highest paid and in-demand artists. His annual earnings were totaled to be around $19 million.
In 2016, Avicii retired his international touring after several health scares. He had his gallbladder and appendix removed in 2014 and suffered from acute pancreatitis at age 21 after what he said to be in part to “excessive drinking”.
Avicii left behind a legacy unlike any DJ that came before—or after him. His collaborations and the way he was able to bring EDM to audiences not just centered around rave culture was revolutionary. He demonstrated that EDM not only has the potential to reach those who attend music festivals such as Tomorrowland, EDC, etc., but that if done correctly, EDM artists could mix with any genre, artist, or style.
He revolutionized the electric genre of music, creating a much-needed bridge from what was to what EDM is today. Artists such as Avicii are the reason the genre was able to hit the top charts in the 2010s and break EDM into sub-genres. No longer was electric music reserved for hard-beat artists like Skrillex and Nero.
I consider myself a fan of the EDM genre and I felt personally hit by this loss in the community. Avicii did for me what he did for everyone—he showed me that music genre is a construct and what you do beyond that is absolute beauty. My favorite song throughout early high school was “Levels”. He was an icon and all we can hope is that other new artists can carry on what he revolutionized.
May his music continue to inspire young people like myself, and for his lyrics to continue to connect with the audience. Although I was never to check ‘seeing Avicii’ off my bucket list, I know that his death brought forward the connection to music I had when I first developed my own musical tastes.
I thank Avicii—and if you listen to EDM now, you should as well. The industry will never be the same, and all his fans will keep his music alive. I’m grateful for what he brought to not just the United States music industry, but how he shaped my perspective of music as well. This impact will never change.
Remember that our days are numbered—nothing is given. Live today in the moment and make decisions for yourself that are going to make you and those you love happy.
My heart goes out to Tim and his family during this time of grieving, as well as those in the EDM community who grew close to him.
