Remembering Avicii, The Young World No. 4 DJ Who Collaborated With Coldplay

Two docus about Avicii are set to drop this week. We pay tribute to the shy Swedish kid who revolutionized the electronic music scene.

Did you know Avicii co-wrote and co-produced Coldplay's hit A Sky Full Of Stars?The Swedish artist was not only a top-ranking DJ, but was the producer of many pop hits by artists like Lenny Kravitz, Leona Lewis and Adam Lambert.

This year-end will see two new documentaries about the life and music of the beloved DJ and producer whose early death in 2018 sent shockwaves around the world. Directed by Henrik Burman, these films promise to provide an intimate look at the man behind the hits, exploring both his meteoric rise to fame and the personal struggles that accompanied it.

The film comes nearly six years after the world #4 DJ died under mysterious circumstances at 28. Burman told the Associated Press, “I wanted to make an intimate and personal story and not speculate ... to find the right tone, you need time. And since we started work ... one, one-and-a-half years after Tim passed, I just knew that we needed time. And, of course, people around Tim needed a lot of time.”

The full-length documentary I’m Tim offers a personal account of Avicii’s life and features bytes from Coldplay’s Chris Martin and Aloe Blacc, who had collaborated with him. The second is a short concert film captured at what became his final performance, Avicii - My Last Show. Set to release posthumously tomorrow December 31, 2024, they honour the legacy of an artist whose music defined a generation while shedding light on the human challenges he faced.

Who Was Avicii?

Born Tim Bergling, Avicii was the shy Swedish kid who revolutionized the global music scene. He took electronic dance music (EDM) from the clubs of Europe and delivered it to the world stage. Tracks like Wake Me Up, Levels, and Hey Brother climbed international music charts and redefined what dance music could be. Avicii infused EDM with soul, country, and even folk influences, crafting tracks that felt personal even when you were hearing them in a crowd of 10,000 people.

Avicii was one of the first DJs to prove that EDM wasn’t just background noise for raves. It could be emotionally resonant. Who else could get a global audience singing along to a dance track with lyrics like, “Feeling my way through the darkness / Guided by a beating heart”?

Burman reflected on his influence, “He was so much ahead of his time. You can hear the legacy of Avicii in the music today. You can hear it in the production in new music and hits from today. If you listen to the music — go back and listen to the music now that he released like 10 years ago, it sounds so fresh, modern, and I would say timeless.”

Reluctant Celebrity

For all his success, Avicii was an unlikely pop icon. By all accounts, he was introspective, almost painfully so. Fame didn’t suit him, it drained him. He spoke openly about his battles with anxiety and the pressures of touring, a gruelling schedule that left little room for the quiet life he craved.

In one of the trailers for I’m Tim, he says, “I needed to find a balance in my life to be happy. I needed to stop touring.” It’s a heartbreaking admission in hindsight.

Even now, years after his untimely death in 2018, his music remains timeless. Every festival lineup still nods to his influence, every playlist owes him a debt. Part of Avicii’s enduring appeal is that he felt accessible in a way that many global superstars don’t. He was Tim, the guy who loved his craft but also wanted to spend time with his friends and his tuxedo dog Liam. His music is joyful but tinged with melancholy, as if he knew even then that the high couldn’t last forever.

So, when these documentaries drop, take a moment to watch. Remember the joy Avicii gave us. It’s a chance to reflect on the challenges that come with success, and how we as fans and an industry can do better.