Mourning the loss of Avicii

Mourning+the+loss+of+Avicii

Ayanna Jones-Reid, Staff Writer

Avicii was found dead in Muscat, Oman on April 20, 2018, at the age of 28. The cause of his sudden death has not yet been released to the public.

Tim Bergling was a Swedish musician, DJ, remixer and record producer. His DJ talent brought him plenty of success and fame in the music industry. He worked with well known, influential artist such as Chris Martin, Madonna, and Coldplay. Avicii made millions dance with his catchy hits, flashing lights, and soulful collaborations. With hits like “Wake Me Up”, “Levels”, “Hey Brother”, and “The Nights” caused the DJ’s career to thrive. His name is pretty big in the electronic dance music genre known as EDM.

However, the fame was taking a toll on his mental and physical health. In August 2016, only a few years into his successful career, Avicii decided to retire from touring. “The decision I made might seem odd to some but everyone is different and for me, this was the right one,” he told fans according to CNN. The exhausting lifestyle that comes with fame brought anxiety, stress, and other illnesses, which helped make his decision to retire. At one point, the Swedish DJ admits to falling into the partying life as an escape mechanism from his stress. “Yeah I was drinking way too much, partying in a general way too much,” he said. “Then I got a pancreatitis attack [at 21], which is very rare. So that forced me to do a 180 and stop drinking.” Avicii opened up more about his struggles in a documentary about his life called “Avicii: True Stories.” His excessive drinking led to numerous health scares including acute pancreatitis.

Nonetheless, Avicii continued making music without touring. “Creating music is what makes me happy and I have gotten to know so many great people in my days of touring, seen so many amazing places and created endless of good memories,” he posted on social media at the time.

Family, friends, and fans from all around the world were appalled by the death news. Celebrities like DJ Calvin Harris and Singer Wyclef Jean shared their condolences on social media. Fans continue to listen to Avicii’s music and honor his life throughout the day online. Some of his popular songs echoed through the streets of Utrecht, Netherlands, played from the tallest church in the country called the Dom Tower, CNN affiliate RTL Netherlands reported on Saturday morning.

Senior Beverly Ramos said “I’m an Avicii fan so I’m devastated about the news. May he Rest in peace.”

“He will be missed. He lives through his music so I try not to be do down about it,” Sophomore Meghan James stated.