The Tragedy of Avicii

The superstar shaped EDM – but could never outrun his own problems

- David Browne

FOR AVICII, IT WAS A CHANCE TO RELAX. ON APRIL 8TH, after an extended period of recording, the Swedish DJ traveled to Oman, a country east of Saudi Arabia, where he would visit friends in the country’s royal family. But Avicii seemed too excited about his work to take a break entirely. A day after arriving, he held a conference call with members of his management team, talking about which guest artists he wanted to recruit for new music. The conversation continued on e-mail over the following days. “All his notes were in happy mode,” says Per Sundin, the head of Universal Music Sweden, who was lining up meetings with possible collaborators. “He loved what he had created.” Avicii also posed for photos with fans at a resort and went kite-surfing and sailing with friends. So it was a shock when, on April 20th, the DJ – whose house beats, strong pop melodies and Nordic good looks made him one of EDM’s most bankable stars – was found dead from suicide on an estate owned by the royal family. The suicide surprised those close to Avicii, who had shown positive changes after quitting touring to deal with health and alcohol issues. “The lifestyle he was living, everywhere he went was this massive party,” says collaborator Mike Einziger. “But he seemed like he was achieving the balance he was trying to attain.”