Avicii, the star who took dance music mainstream, dies at 28
The Swedish DJ and producer, who helped define a generation of electronic pop, died suddenly, shocking the music world.
Avicii, the Swedish DJ and producer who helped carry electronic dance music into the pop mainstream and became one of the most successful and influential figures of his generation, has died at the age of 28, his representatives confirmed, shocking the music world and his millions of fans.
Born Tim Bergling, Avicii rose to global fame in the early 2010s with a string of enormous hits that fused the euphoric builds of dance music with folk, country and pop melodies, crossing over to huge mainstream audiences and helping define the sound of a decade.
His success was meteoric, but he spoke openly about the toll that relentless touring and the pressures of fame took on his health, and he had stepped back from live performance a few years earlier, citing physical and mental strain.
Tributes poured in from across the music industry, as fellow artists and fans mourned a talent who had reshaped the landscape of popular music and brought dance music to listeners who had never set foot in a club.
His death cast a spotlight on the mental health pressures faced by artists in an industry that can demand punishing schedules, and his family later established a foundation in his name to support mental health and suicide prevention.
Avicii left behind a body of work that continues to fill dance floors and radio playlists, and a legacy as the artist who, perhaps more than any other, brought the sound of the DJ booth to the top of the charts. His loss was felt as one of the saddest of a generation.