Even those with limited knowledge of dance music would probably know who Avicii is, or at least would have heard his songs.
Avicii (real name Tim Bergling) was a Swedish DJ, musician and record producer, who had great success in recent years, with songs such as Hey Brother, and Wake Me Up, and collaborations with famous artists such as Rita Ora, David Guetta and Chris Martin.
It was a huge shock to hear of his sudden death yesterday, at the extremely young age of 28. He died in Oman, and although there has been no official cause of death, rumours suggest it was as a result of continuing health issues. In the past, he had suffered from acute pancreatitis, in part due to excessive drinking. He also had his gallbladder and appendix removed, which caused him to cancel a series of shows in an attempt to recover.
In his short career he has had amazing success, winning 10 awards - including MTV Music Awards, and being nominated for 2 Grammys. He has sold over 30 million albums, and sold-out tours. In fact, he has recently been nominated for a 2018 Billboard Award.
In 2016, Avicii announced his retirement from touring, as a result of his health issues. He also struggled with the pressures of fame, and retired from touring in order to focus on making music in the studio instead.
Arguably his most famous song, Wake Me Up, broke many music records when it was released in 2013. It is the 8th most downloaded song of all-time, and became the UK’s fastest selling song of 2013, selling 267,000 copies in one week. The lyrics from this song are particularly haunting following his death - ‘Wish that I could stay forever this young’, and ‘Wake me up when it’s all over’.
Rest in peace, Avicii.
By Molly Macfarlane, St. Philomena’s School
