Eight years ago today, the dance music world lost Tim Bergling, better known as Avicii. The Swedish producer passed away on April 20, 2018, in Muscat, Oman, at just 28 years old. Furthermore, his imprint on electronic music remains unmatched almost a decade later. Few artists have reshaped the genre's sound and scale as completely as he did.
Bergling rose through the blog and SoundCloud era with a distinctive palette of piano chords, folk-tinged melodies and euphoric builds. Tracks like ‘Levels’, ‘Fade Into Darkness’ and his breakout ‘My Feelings For You’ with Sebastien Drums pulled progressive house out of the club and into stadiums. Notably, his 2013 album ‘True’ marked a sharp pivot. He fused bluegrass vocals with four-on-the-floor kicks, a move that alarmed purists and thrilled pop listeners at the same time.
That record’s debut arrived at Ultra Music Festival 2013. Avicii premiered ‘Wake Me Up’ live on Main Stage with Aloe Blacc and a live band. The performance split the crowd in real time. However, within months the single became one of the biggest crossover dance records ever. It topped charts across Europe and set sales records in the UK. Indeed, the Ultra set reshaped how producers approached songwriting inside dance music.
Avicii’s catalogue stretches through anthems like ‘Hey Brother’, ‘Waiting For Love’, ‘The Nights’ and ‘Without You’. Meanwhile, his posthumous 2019 album ‘TIM’ extended the story further. The Tim Bergling Foundation, launched by his family, continues his work through mental health advocacy.
Eight years later, his music still scores summers, sets and stadiums around the world. In short, we remember Avicii, and his sound still carries a whole era forward. Watch his landmark Ultra Music Festival 2013 set.
TOMORA: A World Beyond Their Own
12 Summer Dance Anthems That Still Sound Incredible Today
