Swedish producer Avicii passed away on Friday (April 20), sending shockwaves through the EDM world. According to his rep’s statement obtained by Billboard, the 28-year-old was overseas in the Persian Gulf nation of Oman at the time of his death.
“It is with profound sorrow that we announce the loss of Tim Bergling, also known as Avicii,” the statement read. “He was found dead in Muscat, Oman this Friday afternoon local time, April 20th. The family is devastated and we ask everyone to please respect their need for privacy in this difficult time. No further statements will be given.”
Fellow DJ A-Trak took to Twitter to express his grief and praise Avicii as one of EDM’s biggest talents.
“Ugh devastating news about Avicii, hard to even believe,” he wrote. “sending all my love to his family, friends and community of fans.. electronic music is a community. We lost one of it’s brightest stars. He made music that was universally loved. Always seemed so kind. Gone way too soon.”
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In the past, Avicii struggled with health issues related to drinking. In 2014, he suffered acute pancreatitis and had his gallbladder removed, as reported by Rolling Stone. Although Avicii’s cause of death hasn’t been revealed to the public, A-Trak speculated on what could have led to his passing while smashing stereotypes about electronic DJs.
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“People think DJs just party party have fun woo and live the good life and make anthems on their laptop and yay it’s another party,” he wrote. “A lot of DJs suffer from heavy anxiety and try to cope in ways that lead to addiction. It’s really sad.”
Avicii released his first studio album, True, in 2013. That same year, he was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Dance Recording category for the track “Levels.” One of his singles “Wake Me Up” hit #4 on the Hot 100 and is certified 6x-platinum by the RIAA. His latest EP, Avīci (01), dropped last August.
In addition to the many EDM artists who paid tribute to Avicii on social media, members of the Hip Hop community like Lupe Fiasco and Flying Lotus also offered their condolences.
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Fiasco quoted an interview with Avicii in which he admits to struggling with the demands of being an artist.
“Never let this game change you,” Fiasco wrote. “Just because you make music doesn’t automatically mean you all of a sudden need to become famous or a celebrity, or a fashion designer, or a car collector, or a pimp or a slut, or the center of attention… always embrace who you are.”
Check out their reactions below.
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