Hola everyone.
How are we all doing on this beautiful Friday? I hope you are all well. Sorry for not posting anything on Monday. As I had mentioned in my last post, I just moved back home from Brighton and got here on Sunday night, which means the past few days have been filled with unpacking all my stuff, washing clothes and getting used to the literal hell that is the outside until at least 7 pm. Okay, no, I don’t want to be one of those cringy people who complain about the weather all the time. I actually really love that it’s 8 pm right now and that I’m typing this while sitting outside, still wearing shorts. It’s this warm. Lovely.
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But that’s not what I wanted to talk about. Yes, I know, the weather is a highly fascinating topic, but no. Today, I thought, I’d finally write my already announced post about Tim’s/Avicii’s new, posthumous album “TIM” that just got released. Some of you might remember that last time, I briefly mentioned the release and that I had gotten the chance to go to the album release event in London. Which is exactly what I want to fully explain today. And, of course, I want to dig deeper into the whole album and tell you my thoughts. So, buckle up for a hell of an emotional EDM ride.
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As most of you will probably know, I’ve always been a big fan of Tim. He was the one who got me into EDM and I, for sure, wouldn’t be the person I am today without him. Which is also why his sudden death last year hit me this hard. It was the first death of a celebrity that really broke my heart. Even more so after watching his documentary “Avicii: True Stories” and seeing how the industry and his idiot of a manager broke him into pieces. In 2016, Tim announced his official retirement. This, on the one hand, made me sad, because I knew that I would miss seeing him live. But on the other hand, I also liked how he had decided to choose himself and his health. Not the business. Not the money. He just wanted to get better. And I really thought he had. But unfortunately, it wasn’t enough. And now after listening to his new album, I can’t help but ask myself if we maybe ignored Tim’s own SOS.
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Here the music, which suggests a pure love for life, there the musician, who himself was anything but happy with his own. But that isn’t the only reason why the release of “TIM” is inevitably bittersweet. On the one side, us fans all over the world now get the chance to celebrate twelve new hits, but on the other side, the fact that the artist behind these songs cannot celebrate them with us fills the music with a deep melancholy and breaks my heart a little. A certain, profound mix of emotions I also felt while attending the album event in London one week before the official release. In different cities all around the globe, Tim’s team had put up cubes that fans could walk into and experience his new songs for the very first time. But besides getting the chance to listen to a few seconds of the album, the whole event meant so much more. Because in order to get to listen to the snippets, you had to put your hand on the touchscreen placed inside the cube. The screen then connected itself to another cube in another city where somebody else’s hand had also been placed on it. As soon as the connection had been made, you could actually see the other hand next to yours on the screen and after that, the song started to play.
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I know, you could now say that it was all fake and that they just showed some silhouette of a hand, but it wasn’t. I got connected to someone in Stockholm, presumably a girl, as the hand featured a ring. And I know it might sound strange, but in that very moment, I felt such a deep connection to that person. Two human beings, two strangers, doing the very same thing and getting to hear the very same song at the very same second. It was just so special. And it definitely accomplished its goal, as I did not only get to connect to someone who wasn’t even in the room but also to the other fans who visited the cube. I might not have known Tim personally, but I can definitely say that he would have loved this.
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Personally, I would say that the album itself couldn’t be more special and emotional and straight up important. Tim himself was always fond of being one of those songwriters who like to mix heaviness with ease. A concept that runs like a thread through all his musical works – as well as his latest pieces. Because, once you look and listen beyond the fantastic beats and euphoric rhythms of the new songs, you suddenly get to hear lyrics like “Can you hear me? SOS. Help me put my mind to rest.” and “And I think I just died. I think I just died.”. And that is why the release is so bittersweet. The lyrics depict the state Tim was in while writing and producing the new tracks before his death in April last year. They tell the story of someone who was lost but still holding onto the last fragments of strength and hope. But it still wasn’t enough. No wonder I had to fight back tears while listening to the album on the tube in London. Crazy how songs can say so little but mean so much.
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In addition to these unfinished songs, Tim also left countless demo clips, notes, texts and emails behind in which he described exactly how his new album should sound. Enough material that his songwriting colleagues Kristoffer Fogelmark, Albin Nedler, Vincent Pontare and Salem Al Fakir (Vargas & Lagola) decided to complete the tracks without him, but as close as possible to his visions. The result can be seen as the late testimony of a troubled but inspired musician. Or simply as a palette of excellent electronic beats that never fail to put a smile on the face of any music lover. I, for my part, have deeply fallen in love with the following three tracks, for various reasons. They all feature amazing beats, fantastic lyrics and make me want to listen to them again and again. But most importantly, I adore the stories they tell.
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Although it may just be a small ray of hope in the midst of a tragedy, Tim’s family has recently launched the “Tim Bergling Foundation” to raise awareness for mental illness and suicide prevention in the music industry, which I think is an amazing cause and a fantastic idea. The net proceeds of Tim’s new album also go to the foundation, which I think he would’ve loved as well.
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Unfortunately, “TIM” doesn’t give us any answers as to what might have happened to him during the last years of his life. But there is something else in the album – a musical heritage that will shape not only the soundtrack of today’s but also that of future generations. Tim may not be with us anymore, but his music will live on forever. And I know that the world will always remember him as one of the greatest artists. I definitely will.
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But what do you think about the album? Do you agree with my thoughts? Please don’t hesitate to leave your thoughts and comments down below, guys. And, as always, I hope you enjoyed this post and wish you all a lovely weekend. And, of course, thanks for reading. x
that lemon life 