Everyone in the EDM world is talking about one thing this week — Avicii is retiring. Though not his exact choice of words, retire does seem to fit the path he describes inthis lettersharing gratitude for his fans, colleagues and supporters, and announcing his live shows will end after this year.
The announcement comes after only a short time back on the show circuit following his 2014 hiatus because of health problems, many of which related directly to the DJing lifestyle. Bottom line, he had trouble caring for himself on the road. And who wouldn’t? It’s cool to idolize these performers, the globe trotting, money making, the fame, but think for a second just how crazy it would be living on the road such a huge percentage of the time. Clubs are cool, but they certainly aren’t home. It’s a nice reminder to all of us to party hard and recover harder, focus on the music and enjoy the present without destroying yourself.
Avicii deserves huge admiration for coming back with a vengeance last year and a huge amount of respect for his most recent decision. Life’s too short to wait too long to make a move. But no matter how much we respect his decision, it’s hard not to take this news with a heavy heart. He revolutionized dance music and took center stage as it propelled into mainstream popularity (Levels, anyone?). And his live shows were a huge part of that.
I have a lot of Avicii-related memories, like seeing him live at Coachella in 2012, which will forever be one of my favorite festival moments of all time. Naturally, my playlist this week has been a bit nostalgic and I was reminded of one of my most favorite Avicii projects ever, his2010 BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix. Old Avicii fans, have a listen for a trip down memory lane. New ones, see for yourself why there so much hype surrounding this guy — he really is that good.
AVICII BBC RADIO 1 ESSENTIAL MIX - 2010
Written by Desiree Roughton: Writer and Rythmn Chaser
