Avicii facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Avicii
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Avicii in 2014
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Tim Bergling
8 September 1989 |
| Died | 20 April 2018 (aged 28) |
| Resting place | Hedvig Eleonora Church, Stockholm |
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| Years active | 2006–2018 |
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| Awards | Full list |
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| Associated acts |
Various
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Tim Bergling (born 8 September 1989 – died 20 April 2018), known as Avicii, was a famous Swedish DJ, remixer, and music producer. When he was 16, Tim started sharing his remixes online. This led to his first record deal.
He became very well known in 2011 with his song "Levels". His first album, True (2013), mixed electronic music with other styles. It was a big hit, reaching the top 10 in over 15 countries. The main song from the album, "Wake Me Up", was number one in many parts of Europe.
In 2015, Avicii released his second album, Stories. He also released an EP (a shorter album) called Avīci (01) in 2017. Some of his other popular songs include "I Could Be the One" and "Without You". He was nominated for a Grammy Award for his music. Many people say Avicii helped bring electronic music to mainstream radio in the early 2010s.
Avicii stopped touring in 2016 because of stress and health challenges. He passed away on 20 April 2018, while on holiday in Muscat, Oman. In 2019, his last album, Tim, was released after his death.
Contents
Life and Music Career
Early Years and Start in Music (1989–2010)
Tim Bergling was born in Stockholm, Sweden, on 8 September 1989. His father, Klas Bergling, ran an office supply business, and his mother, Anki Lidén, was an actress. He had three siblings: David, Linda, and actor Anton Körberg. Tim started mixing music in his room when he was eight years old.
Inspired by his brother, who was also a DJ, Tim began making music at 16. He taught himself using a music software called FL Studio. In 2007, he signed with a music label. He was part of the Laidback Luke Forums, where he improved his skills. By 2009 and 2010, Tim was making a lot of music very quickly.
He explained that the name Avicii means "the lowest level of Buddhist hell". He chose this name because his real name was already taken when he made his Myspace page. In 2010, Avicii released the popular song "Seek Bromance". This song reached the top 20 in several countries. In October 2010, he signed with EMI Music Publishing.
Rise to Fame with "Levels" (2011–2013)
In 2011, Avicii's song "Fade into Darkness" was used by Leona Lewis for her song "Collide". This led to a disagreement, but it was settled, and "Collide" became a joint release. In October 2011, Avicii released "Levels". This song made him a global star. "Levels" reached the top ten in many countries and was number one in Hungary, Norway, and Sweden.
In 2012, his song "Sunshine" with David Guetta was nominated for a Grammy Award. On 23 March 2012, his song "Last Dance" was first played on BBC Radio 1. He also played new songs at the Ultra Music Festival in Miami. These included "Girl Gone Wild" (Avicii's UMF Remix) with Madonna and "Superlove" with Lenny Kravitz.
After getting two million followers on Facebook, Avicii released a free song called "Two Million". On 27 April 2012, he released "Silhouettes". This song was popular in the UK and US dance charts.
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Avicii performed at the Lollapalooza festival in Chicago in August 2012. On 12 August 2012, he released "Dancing in My Head" (Avicii's 'Been Cursed' Mix). On 26 September 2012, Avicii became the first DJ to headline the famous Radio City Music Hall in New York City. He played two sold-out shows.
On 29 December 2012, Avicii played many new songs at Lights All Night in Dallas. Some of these songs appeared on his first album, True. On the same day, he released "I Could Be the One" with Nicky Romero. In January 2013, Avicii started the Avicii X You project. This project allowed fans to send in their own music parts to help create a song. Avicii put all the parts together to make the song "X You", released on 26 February 2013.
Avicii was nominated for a Grammy for "Levels" in 2013. In early 2013, he toured Australia and South America.
The True Album (2013–2014)
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In March 2013, Avicii announced and played new songs from his upcoming album True. The album was released in September of that year. He even brought a band to play his new song "Wake Me Up". These new songs had a different, experimental sound.
On 11 April 2013, Avicii released a mix of songs from True and other singles. The EBU and SVT announced that Avicii, along with former ABBA members, wrote the anthem for the Eurovision Song Contest 2013.
On 14 June 2013, Avicii's new single, "Wake Me Up", was first played on BBC Radio 1. It featured vocals from Aloe Blacc. The song was released on 25 June 2013. "Wake Me Up" became number one on the Spotify Global Chart. It also set a record for being number one on Billboard's Dance/Electronic Songs list for 14 weeks. It became a huge hit, topping charts in over 20 countries.
In October 2013, Avicii was ranked number 3 on the DJ Mag Top 100 DJs List. On 28 October 2013, he released "Hey Brother" with vocals by Dan Tyminski. In November, he won his first award, "Best Electronic", at the MTV EMAs. He also won the American Music Award for favorite Electronic Dance Music Artist.
In December 2013, Avicii released his fourth single from the album, "Addicted to You". He also released "Lay Me Down", featuring vocals from Adam Lambert and guitar from Nile Rodgers.
In March 2014, Avicii confirmed he worked with Madonna on her Rebel Heart album. On 21 March 2014, he released True: Avicii By Avicii, which had his own remixes of all the songs from True. FIFA and Sony Music announced that Avicii would work with Carlos Santana and Wyclef Jean on the official FIFA World Cup Anthem for 2014.
In July 2014, Avicii released his single "Lay Me Down". He also worked with Chris Martin from Coldplay on the song "A Sky Full of Stars". This song was released as a single in May 2014. Avicii also co-produced "Lovers on the Sun" with David Guetta.
The Stories Album (2014–2015)
In July 2014, Avicii told Rolling Stone that he had worked on 70 songs for his next album, Stories. He said the album would be "a lot more song-oriented".
During his True tour, he played new songs like "No Pleasing a Woman" and "In Love with Your Ghost". "Lose Myself", a song with Chinese singer Wang Leehom, was released on 1 September 2014. On his 25th birthday, 8 September 2014, Avicii canceled all his remaining shows for the year due to health reasons. He then announced his new single "The Days", a collaboration with Robbie Williams, released on 3 October 2014.
On 16 September 2014, EA Sports announced that Avicii was releasing a new song called "The Nights" for the game FIFA 15. This song was later released as part of an EP with "The Days".
In March 2015, Avicii performed his upcoming single "Heaven" at Australia's Future Music Festival. This song also featured Chris Martin. He also played new songs from Stories at the Ultra Music Festival in Miami.
On 6 May 2015, Avicii released his version of "Feeling Good" by Nina Simone. On 22 May 2015, he played another single from Stories, "Waiting for Love". This song was co-produced by Martin Garrix. In May 2015, a Swedish newspaper confirmed that his second album Stories would be released later that year.
On 3 July 2015, Avicii played two more songs from Stories: "Broken Arrows" with Zac Brown Band and "Can't Catch Me" with Wyclef Jean. He also said he was working on another song with Chris Martin called "True Believer". On 18 July 2015, Avicii announced that Stories was finally finished after two years of work.
On 4 August 2015, it was announced that the last singles before Stories would be "For a Better Day" and "Pure Grinding". These songs were released on 28 August. Stories was released on 2 October 2015.
Retirement from Touring (2016)
On 15 January 2016, Avicii released a remix of Morten's "Beautiful Heartbeat". He also partnered with Coca-Cola for their song "Taste the Feeling". On 25 January, Avicii worked with Coldplay again to co-produce their song "Hymn for the Weekend". In 2016, Avicii Music AB was one of the fastest-growing companies in Europe.
On 19 March 2016, at Ultra Music Festival, Avicii played new songs with Sandro Cavazza and a collaboration with Sia called "All I Need". On 29 March, Avicii announced he would stop performing live later that year due to health concerns. On 7 April 2016, he said he was working on a third album. On 3 June 2016, Avicii released "Back Where I Belong" with Otto Knows.
On 28 August 2016, Avicii performed his last show at Ushuaïa Ibiza Beach Hotel. In December 2016, Avicii parted ways with his long-time manager and signed with Universal Music Sweden. He was expected to release his third album in 2017.
New Music and Documentary (2017–2018)
In June 2017, Rita Ora performed a version of "Lonely Together". This song was later released as a single from Avīci (01). From July to August, Avicii shared short clips of new music on Instagram.
On 10 August 2017, Avicii released the six-song EP Avīci (01). He said he was excited to release new music and that the EP had a mix of old and new songs. He also mentioned that this EP was one of three parts of his third album. On 11 September 2017, Avicii announced a documentary called Avicii: True Stories. This film showed his retirement from touring and included interviews with other musicians.
In March 2018, Avicii shared previews of him working on new songs. These songs were later finished and released on his album Tim. After his passing in April, news outlets reported that he had over 200 unreleased songs. In August 2018, producer Carl Falk said he was finishing the song "Heaven" with Chris Martin, and it might be released later.
Music Released After His Passing
In April 2019, it was announced that the album Tim, which Avicii was working on, would be released on 6 June 2019. The first song from it, "SOS", was released on 10 April. All money from the album sales went to the Tim Bergling Foundation. A book about Avicii was also announced for 2020, with proceeds going to the foundation.
A second song from the album, "Tough Love", was released on 9 May 2019. "Heaven" was the last song released from the album, on 6 June 2019. Coldplay's lead singer Chris Martin co-wrote this song with Avicii in 2014. The music video for "Heaven" used old clips of Avicii on vacation.
On 24 January 2020, another song by Avicii was released: "Forever Yours", a collaboration with Kygo and Sandro Cavazza. This song had been played by Avicii during his last tour in 2016. Kygo and Sandro Cavazza performed it live at the Avicii Tribute Concert in December 2019.
On 6 April 2021, a biography titled Tim – The Official Biography of Avicii was announced for release in November 2021. In September 2021, a second documentary about Avicii was announced for 2023. In October 2021, a second tribute concert was announced for 1 December 2021, at the Avicii Arena.
Music Style and Influences
Influences
Avicii was influenced by artists like Basshunter, Daft Punk, Swedish House Mafia, and Eric Prydz. He said he listened to a lot of Daft Punk before he even knew what house music was.
Musical Style
Avicii's early music was deep house and progressive house. His first album True mixed different music styles, including folktronica. He wanted to combine electronic music with soul, funk, blues, folk, and country. He felt that electronic dance music (EDM) had become too focused on just "dirty drops."
His song "Wake Me Up" mixed folk music with electronic sounds. Many artists have since copied this style. An editor from Variety said Avicii's unique sound had "soaring synths and keen melodies." Many musicians like Kygo, Skrillex, and Martin Garrix have said Avicii inspired them.
Helping Others
After becoming very successful, Avicii started a charity called House for Hunger in 2011. He worked with his manager to help fight hunger around the world. Avicii said, "You have to give something back. I am so fortunate to be in the position where I can actually do that."
House for Hunger gave $1 million to Feeding America. It also helped The Feed Foundation provide over 2 million school meals in Africa. Avicii also supported campaigns against gang violence. He directed the music videos for his songs "For a Better Day" and "Pure Grinding" to raise awareness.
Health and Passing
In 2016, Avicii's health became worse, and he decided to stop performing live. In the 2017 documentary Avicii: True Stories, he talked about his health challenges. The documentary showed the pressure he felt to keep performing, even when he didn't want to.
After he retired, Avicii started practicing transcendental meditation. He said it helped reduce his anxiety. His manager rescheduled many shows to help Avicii recover.
Avicii passed away on 20 April 2018, in Muscat, Oman, at the age of 28. The police stated there was no criminal suspicion. His funeral service was held on 8 June at the Skogskyrkogården cemetery in Stockholm. He was buried at Hedvig Eleonora Church in June 2018.
Tributes from Musicians
After his passing, many musicians paid tribute to Avicii.
- On 22 April 2018, OneRepublic performed his song "Wake Me Up" in Mumbai.
- On 20 May 2018, The Chainsmokers and Halsey honored Avicii at the Billboard Music Awards. They spoke about how he inspired many artists.
- On 21 May 2018, Tiësto played a mix of Avicii's songs at EDC Las Vegas. Aloe Blacc joined him to sing "Wake Me Up".
- Rita Ora, who worked with Avicii, paid tribute to him at BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend. She called him "a really good friend."
- At Tomorrowland 2018, many DJs like Axwell Λ Ingrosso and Kygo played Avicii's music. Kygo said Avicii was his biggest inspiration.
- Russian DJ Arty released a song called "Tim" as a tribute to Avicii.
- The Kaleidoscope Orchestra performed a special tribute at Creamfields, playing Avicii's dance hits.
- Many other artists, including Imagine Dragons and Calvin Harris, shared tributes on Twitter.
- One year after his passing, tributes continued from Nicky Romero and Nile Rodgers. In 2021, Basshunter recorded "Life Speaks to Me" as a tribute.
Other Tributes
On 21 April 2018, Avicii's songs were played on the carillon (a musical instrument with bells) at the Dom Tower of Utrecht.
On 21 May 2018, Alicia Keys performed Avicii's "Wake Me Up" on The Voice. She also spoke about him during the performance.
On 16 November 2018, Avicii's family held a public memorial service in Stockholm. Hundreds of fans attended, and an orchestra played music related to his life.
On 30 April 2019, the Mounted Royal Guards of the Swedish Army played brass versions of Avicii's songs at Stockholm Palace.
The 2019 Tomorrowland festival included a tribute to Avicii in its main stage design.
In September 2019, a tribute concert was held in Stockholm in Avicii's memory. Famous DJs and singers performed with a 30-piece orchestra. All profits went to the Tim Bergling Foundation. The concert sold out in 30 minutes.
In October 2019, Avicii was honored with a wax statue at the Madame Tussauds museum in New York City. The video game AVICII Invector was also released, featuring 25 of his songs. A part of the profits from the game also goes to the Tim Bergling Foundation.
On 19 May 2021, Stockholm's Ericsson Globe was renamed the Avicii Arena. The Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra performed Avicii's song "For a Better Day" to celebrate the new name.
On 8 September 2021, Google Doodle celebrated what would have been Avicii's 32nd birthday with an animated video featuring "Wake Me Up".
Impact and Legacy
Music Innovation
Avicii inspired many artists in the electronic dance music (EDM) world. Norwegian DJ Kygo said Avicii was his "biggest inspiration." Other artists like Alan Walker called him an "icon." His songs "Levels" and "Seek Bromance" are often mentioned as inspirations.
The Washington Post said Avicii was a pioneer in mixing country and electronic music. His songs "Wake Me Up" and "Hey Brother" are great examples of this. He also influenced other artists who tried this genre mix.
Avicii also influenced many mainstream artists outside of EDM. Nile Rodgers said Avicii was "maybe one of the best" at writing melodies. Mike Einziger of Incubus said working with Avicii was one of his proudest moments. Charlie Puth said Avicii showed him what his music could sound like. Even Eric Clapton dedicated a song to him.
In 2019, Billboard named Avicii's "Levels" as one of the 100 songs that defined the 2010s. His song "Wake Me Up" was also a top EDM song of the decade.
Museum
On 9 June 2020, it was announced that an Avicii Tribute Museum would open in Stockholm. The museum, now called the Avicii Experience, opened in February 2022. It was opened by Prince Carl Phillip and Princess Sofia, along with Avicii's father.
The museum shows recreated rooms like Avicii's childhood bedroom and his Los Angeles home. It also has recordings of his popular songs and unreleased music. Avicii's parents wanted to create a place for fans to remember and celebrate his work. The museum also helps raise awareness about mental health issues in young people and the music industry.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
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| 2017 | Avicii: True Stories | Himself | Documentary |
Discography
Studio albums
- True (2013)
- Stories (2015)
- Tim (2019)
Concert tours
- House for Hunger (2012)
- True Tour (2014)
- Stories World Tour (2015)
Awards and nominations
See Also
In Spanish: Avicii para niños
- Popular music in Sweden
- Tim Bergling Foundation
