Avicii: A True Musical Genuis

By Jacob Kersh

On April 20th, the music industry lost a revolutionary artist whose magical chords and uplifting rhythms will be remembered by artists and fans for generations on end. Avicii, who pioneered the Electronic Dance Music genre almost ten years ago, was found dead at a resort in the Middle Eastern country, Oman.

After examining his body, police say there was zero criminal suspicion surrounding his death. Although his family would prefer that the specific cause and circumstances surrounding his death stay as private as possible, it can be assumed that it was likely related to the state of his physical health. Avicii was well known for his alcohol addiction; he suffered from chronic pancreatitis since he was an adolescent and had his gallbladder removed at the age of 22. However, regardless of the cause, Avicii’s music has been showered with an outpouring of love and recognition over the past few days, and according to Junior Hassan Malik, it is heavily apparent that “his influence on all his fans will live on forever.” In honor of Avicii, here is a compilation of his three most revered musical pieces.

1. Wake Me Up: This song features soulful R&B singer Aloe Blacc, who mentioned in an interview that Avicii’s lyrics felt so natural to him that he couldn’t resist participating in the project. The song tells the story of a young, inexperienced individual who is trying to find his true path. Guided by his spirit, he knows not where he will end up, but does know that he can start looking. It also constantly references how older generations ‘wouldn’t understand’ the leaps and bounds that younger people take in order to live in the moment. Overall, the song’s upbeat chords, progressive beat drop, and catchy tune in coherence with its meaningful lyrics led it to becoming Avicii’s greatest hit that continues to inspire the hearts of millions.
   
   
   
2. Hey Brother: This piece features American bluegrass singer Dan Tyminski, who performs raspy, yet strangely melodic vocals over Avicii’s expert production. It essentially depicts the singer as a young boy growing up during the Vietnam War, whose father has departed to fight against opposing forces and rarely comes home. Throughout the song, it is revealed to the listener that the mutual bond existing between father and son is so inherently powerful that the boy actually thinks of his dad as more of a brother figure that he can directly relate to. Additionally, in the song’s music video, many scenes portray two young boys having fun together while some others portray a father and his son. At the end of the video, Avicii reveals that the young boy in the song is actually himself, and that his father died in the Vietnam War. However, he explains that he is still incredibly inspired by his dad’s story, which is why the song’s sad lyrics are accompanied with an uplifting melody and blaring trumpet instrumentals.
   
   
   
3. Waiting For Love: This song features uncredited vocals from artist Simon Aldred, who was a member of the renown English band Cherry Ghost. In it, Avicii combines an exciting and energetic melody with a smattering of deep ideas and thoughts to make listeners ask some deeper questions about the song’s true meaning. However, Avicii himself has never been too clear about its lyrics, saying only that the song reflects the singer’s thoughts about where and how to find fulfillment or love. Since it is open to interpretation, many different analysts have developed different theories on what situation the lyrics depict. Glenelg Freshman Dylan Chung has his own explanation, believing that “the days of the week constantly referred to probably are about different points in the singer’s life that have been struggles because the phrases that follow each of them are really specific.” Whichever way people choose to interpret the ambiguity of this masterpiece, everyone will enjoy the song’s unique beat drop that has Avicii written all over it.