Avicii is the most significant Swedish contribution in electronic dance music (EDM) history. He was a DJ, musician, remix artist, and record producer of progressive house, electro house and dance-pop songs. The two-time Grammy-nominee is responsible for the dance world's best, heart-pounding tracks "Levels," "Wake Me Up," "Waiting for Love," "Hey Brother," "Fade into Darkness," and "Lonely Together."
Early Career in EDM
Stockholm, Sweden was the home of Tim Bergling, Avicii's real name, born on September 8, 1989, to Klas-Otto Bergling and actress Anki Lidén. His older brother is a DJ-musician who influenced him in his love for music. Tim had two other siblings.
Tim started mixing music as young as eight years old. At the age of 16, Avicii began his penchant of creating music and started posting his singles in several online electronic music forums.
In 2010, he worked as a DJ remixing for other artists. He also started releasing his dance tracks "Bromance" and "My Feelings for You" under the name Tim/Berg. "Bromance" remix with vocals, "Seek Bromance," became an instant hit in many European cities and attracted major record labels to sign him up.
Avicii released his house track, "Levels" in 2011, that became synonymous with his name. It marked his breakthrough in the international mainstream. On the Billboard Global Dance Songs chart, it peaked at the top on December 31, 2011. It became a Grammy nominee for Best Dance Recording in 2013.
David Guetta, the DJ superstar, collaborated with him in 2012 in the track "Sunshine," which earned them a Best Dance Recording nomination in the Grammy Awards.
His work gained the respect of other musical artists. He continued his collaborative works: "Girl Gone Wild" with Madonna, "Superlove" with Lenny Kravitz, and "I Could Be the One" with Nicky Romero.
In 2013, Avicii came out with "Wake Me Up" with Aloe Blacc on the vocals that became one of his most successful songs. It peaked at No. 4 on Billboard Hot 100 in October 2013.
His Musicality, Albums, and EPs
At the start, Avicii was mixing deep house and progressive house music as inspired by the influences of Daft Punk, Swedish House Mafia, and Steve Angello. His innovation came through the blending of electronic music with country style or folktronica and other musical genres reflected in his collection.
"True"
September 16, 2013, was the launch of Bergling's debut album. The 10-track playlist includes the hits "Wake Me Up!" "Addicted to You" and "Hey Brother." It ranked at its highest at No. 5 on Billboard 200 Albums chart in October 2013, and it was certified as a platinum record by RIAA. A club remix version, "True: Avicii by Avicii," was released in 2014.
"Stories"
Avicii's 15-track sophomore studio album came out on October 2, 2015, which includes "Waiting For Love," "Broken Arrows," and "For a Better Day." It peaked on top of the Billboard Top Dance/ Electronic Albums on October 24, 2015. It would be his last released LP when he was alive.
"TIM"
The posthumous album was a compilation of his unpublished works, including "Heaven" with Chris Martin of Coldplay and "SOS" with Aloe Blacc, which was released on June 6. 2019.
Extended Plays (EPs)
His list of EPs includes "Muja" (2009), "The Days/Nights" (2014), "Pure Grinding/ For a Better Day" (2015), and "Avicii (01)." His last EP, released in 2014, includes his collaboration with Rita Ora, "Lonely Together."
Personal life, death, and legacy
Alcoholism caused his health to deteriorate, which led to his hospitalization in 2012 due to acute pancreatitis. In 2014, he had major surgery to remove his gallbladder and appendix. His physical and mental health issues took a toll on him, which resulted in his retirement from touring in 2016.
Avicii suffered from depression, and he felt extremely pressured to perform despite his condition from his management and fans. It was on April 20, 2018, when he took his life in Muscat, Oman. He was 28.
The sudden death of Avicii astounded the EDM community, and the music industry, which they considered was a massive loss to the world of music. On December 5, 2019, Tim's friends and fans gathered to honor the man and his great works in the Avicii Tribute Concert in Stockholm, Sweden.
The family launched the Tim Bergling Foundation in March 26, 2019, which focuses on mental health issues and suicide prevention to continue his legacy.
READ MORE:
Avicii's Foundation Is Dedicated to Suicide Prevention
How Exhilarating EDM Transformed from Music Genres
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