“Wake Me Up!” by Swedish musician Avicii swept throughout the world, becoming a hit single and peaking at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 2013. Avicii gained fame quickly, earning a name in the electronic dance music (EDM) industry as a widely successful and popular DJ.
Five years later, on April 20, 28-year-old Avicii, whose birth name was Tim Bergling, was found dead in Muscat, Oman. The cause remains unclear, but the Oman police have conducted two autopsies which ruled out a criminal cause.
The sudden news has shocked millions of fans.
“I was deeply saddened,” said junior William Liu, who credits Avicii for introducing him the EDM scene. “To pay my respects, I listened to his music for the rest of the day [that he died], cycling through all his club mixes and albums.”
On April 21, other fans gathered in Stockholm, Avicii’s birth city, to honor the artist by dancing and listening to his music. Tributes at the Coachella music festival and moments of silence were held to honor the musician’s legacy and mourn his passing.
According to E News, Avicii’s family implied that the death was a suicide.
“He could not go on any longer. He wanted to find peace,” they said. “Tim was not made for the business machine he found himself in; he was a sensitive guy who loved his fans but shunned the spotlight."
While Avicii loved making music, he had a traumatizing experience with fame, struggling with substance abuse, anxiety and depression. In his 2017 documentary “Avicii: True Stories,” the musician revealed the severe mental and physical strain he suffered from the unrelentless pressures of the music industry.
Avicii was hospitalized in 2013 for acute pancreatitis, developed as a result of excessive drinking. His strained health forced him to cancel numerous shows.
In 2016, he stopped touring to focus on improving his health. However, his manager, Arash Pournouri, and agency, At Night Management, continued to pressure him to perform despite its harming his well-being. At the end of the year, he ended his partnership with both.
“I wasn’t shocked that he stopped touring,” Liu said. “I was cognizant of his drinking habits so it wasn’t a surprise. I was really hoping he wouldn’t go so soon.”
Avicii’s story uncovers potential dangers of the music industry and the grievous effects it can have on stars. While many of his songs have a strong beat and inspiring lyrics, his last years of life were characterized by exhaustion and pain.
According to CBS news, his family requested privacy, thanking fans for the “support and the loving words about [their] son and brother” and saying that they “are so grateful for everyone who loved Tim's music and have precious memories of his songs.”
Liu has been a fan of the musician since listening to Avicii’s collaboration with Dutch DJ Nicky Romero, “I Could Be the One.”
“I always had him in my playlists and never skipped his songs” Liu said. “His music is simply addicting. It isn’t hard to jam out to.”
Avicii’s top songs include “Hey Brother,” “The Nights,” “Levels” and “Without You.” He collaborated with other artists, including Madonna, Rita Ora, Coldplay and David Guetta, to produce upbeat and catchy tracks to transfix the dance floor.
He was nominated for top music awards such as the American Music, Billboard Music, Grammy, iHeartRadio and MTV, winning the American Music Award for favorite EDM artist in 2013.
Both Variety.com and Liu credit Avicii’s music for warming public opinion toward EDM and making the genre mainstream in the music industry.
“Avicii led the dance music community,” Liu said. “He was one of the few DJs that made people take the entire genre seriously.”
According to Geffen Records president Neil Jacobson, Avicii had recently finished an album, which features “some of his best music in years.” It is undecided what to do with the unreleased content.
“What he has given to us is more than enough,” Liu said. “Even if some of his tracks are unreleased, his lasting impact on the EDM scene has far surpassed just the bounds of music.”