Sweden’s Prime Minister Writes Farewell Message to Avicii

In the wake of Avicii’s passing yesterday morning, people and celebrities all over the world have shared their farewell messages to Avicii.

The passing of Avicii has impacted more people than we could have imagined. Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven took to Facebook to share his condolences about Avicii.

In a message written to Avicii and his family, Stefan Löfven wrote that Avicii was “one of Sweden’s largest musicians in modern time.” The loss of Avicii is not only devastating for dance music fans, but his legacy reached much further than anyone could have imagined.

Löfven’s statement was one of countless tributes pouring in from every corner of the music world, a reflection of just how far Tim Bergling’s music had traveled beyond dance floors and festival grounds. According to Variety, Calvin Harris wrote that it was “devastating news about Avicii, a beautiful soul, passionate and extremely talented with so much more to do.” Charlie Puth called him “a genius and a music innovator” who “opened my eyes as to what my productions could one day sound like.” Dua Lipa said his passing was “too young and way too soon,” while Liam Payne called it “very very sad news way too young,” adding, “what a talent he was.”

Those reactions echo what a head of state took the time to say publicly. Bergling, who performed and recorded as Avicii, helped define the sound of a generation of festival-goers with tracks like “Levels,” “Wake Me Up,” and “Hey Brother,” records that crossed over from dance clubs to pop radio and turned him into one of the most recognizable names in Swedish music, alongside acts like ABBA. He had stepped back from touring in 2016, citing his health, but continued making music in the years that followed. That a sitting Prime Minister felt compelled to publicly mourn him speaks to how deeply his work resonated with everyday people far outside the usual dance music audience.

Bergling’s rise was remarkably fast for someone who started producing as a teenager out of his bedroom in Stockholm. By his early twenties he was headlining the world’s biggest festivals and had a Billboard Hot 100 hit on his hands with “Wake Me Up,” a song that blended folk instrumentation with dance production in a way almost nobody had tried before. That willingness to push past genre lines is part of why his death resonated so widely, reaching well past the electronic music community and into the kind of mainstream recognition that prompted a national leader to speak up.

Our thoughts remain with Avicii’s family, friends, and the countless fans around the world who found something meaningful in his music.

Read the full Facebook post below.

https://www.facebook.com/stefanlofven/posts/2174330422607840