Mash-up

What’s Going on with Avicii?

All scheduled and future performances by Avicii are cancelled indefinitely. His representatives cite health concerns including gallbladder and appendix surgery. As of September 17, 2014 Billboard has been officially told “all touring and promotional activities have been suspended.” These health issues forced Avicii to cancel his appearances at the 2014 Ultra Music Festival where he was featured as a headliner. Performances also affected include his slot at TomorrowWorld later in September, the Las Vegas performances at XS and Encore Beach Club. Avicii also had an Asian tour schedule in October that is now cancelled.

Reps state that Avicii is staying in Stockholm until he has regained his strength and can continue to work on his second album with a release date of 2015.

Born as Tim Bergling on September 8, 1989, Avicii is a Swedish EDM DJ, record producer and remixer. Avicii ranked on DJ Magazine’s annual Top 100 DJS in 2012 and 2013 and was nominated for two Grammy Awards. One was for Sunshine and one for Levels.

Avicii is relatively young to have such an illustrious career including two Grammy nominations. Just four years ago in 2010 his first release Seek Bromance reached the top 20 in several countries around the world. His remixed Nadia Ali’s classic single Rapture was highly praised, and Level’s release in 2011 launched Avicii into fame. He produced and wrote this mix under the name Tim Bergling. Listen carefully and you will hear vocal samples from Something’s Got a Hold on Me by Etta James (1962). Levels reached the top ten in more than twelve countries.

Avicii’s Last Dance single previewed on BBC Radio 1, and was released for public consumption in August of 2012. At the Ultra Music Festival in 2012, Avicii premiered Girl Gone Wild with Madonna and Superlove with Lenny Kravitz. He reached two million followers on Facebook, and those fans inspired him to release Two Million.

One of the featured performers at the Lollapalooza festival in Chicago in 2012, fans listened and then waited eagerly for Dancing in My Head. Vocals were by Eric Turner. At his young age, Avicii became the first DJ to headline at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City. His shows were sold out, and he played a preview of his then-new track titled Stay with You.

Americans also love Avicii. He won the American Music Award’s Favorite Electronic Music Artist in 2013 and in 2014 was the recipient of the Billboard Music Awards Top Dance/Electronic Song. iHeartRadio Music awards in 2014 presented Avicii with EDM’s Song of the Year for Wake Me Up with Aloe Blac.

The world loves Avicii. Nominated for World’s Best Song with Wake Me and winning World’s Best Electronic Dance Artist and World’s Best Swedish Act in 2014. MTG Europe Music Award provided Avicii with the Best Electronic Act, Best Swedish Act and Best Northern European Act in 2013. Avicii will continue to garner more awards than his shelves can hold.

Avicii toured Australia in 2013 as a headliner in the Future Music Festival. He worked alongside The Prodigy and The Stone Roses. Just before Australia, Avicii toured South America visiting Venezuela, Argentina, Colombia, Brazil and Chile. Late 2013 he released his music from Ultra Music Festival in Miami. These tracks were highly experimental and received good and bad critical reviews.

Avicii and fellow songbirds from Sweden, ABBA’s Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Anderson, composed an anthem for the Eurovision Song Contest in 2013. They performed this song at the finals in May of 2013. Avicii continued with his new single Wake Me Up that hit #1 on the Spotify Global Chart in September 2013. Avicii’s amazing talent just keeps going. October 2013, DJ Mag’s top 100 DJs list for 2013 was announced, and Avicii ranked #3 on the list. Placement on this list was a huge honor for Avicii. He has not been in this music genre for long and is already generating awards and excitement.

Move on to 2014. The French hit music radio station NRJ formed a web radio station called NRJ AVICII. Only songs by Avicii are played. Tremendous accolades for an EDM DJ. His remix released on March 21, 2014 True: Avicii by Avicii contained his own remixes and most of his tracks. His publicity team began promoting the True album, and the debut was to be at the 2014 Ultra Music Festival. Unfortunately, Avicii was hospitalized on March 28 and was unable to attend the festival.

FIFA and Sony Music Entertainment were proud to announce a collaboration with Carlos Santana, Wyclef Jan, Alexandre Pires and Avicii for the Brazil FIFA World Cup anthem. This song was performed at the closing World Cup ceremony on July 13, 2014.

Avicii has also produced and worked with Chris Martin from Coldplay by co-writing and producing the track “A Sky Full of Stars.” This song comes from Coldplay’s sixth studio album Ghost Stories. Avicii played and recorded the piano part on the track. He continues to work with Wyclef Jean on a single called Divine Sorrow from his album Clericiation. Avicii worked very hard during the summer months and produced 70 songs for his next album. This album will be totally awesome with collaborations from Jon Bon Jovi, Serj Tankian, Chris Martin, Wyclef Jan and Matisyahu.

 Avicii has achieved widespread commercial success in a very short time, and he has not let charitable work go by the wayside. He started a House for Hunger charity dedicated to alleviating global hunger. Avicii and his producer Ash Pournouri wanted to give something back. Avicii says, “I feel lucky every day when I wake up and am able to do what I love and make a living” he has donated $1 million to Feeding America and gives to The Feed Foundation.

Fans keep expecting more and more out of Avicii, and he does not disappoint them. However on September 8, 2014 and his 25th birthday, Avicii canceled all of his remaining performances due to health concerns. A very smart move to realize health comes first, fans second and fame and fortune third and fourth.