A captivating new documentary unveils previously unseen footage of Avicii, delving deep into his reflections on global fame and his life before the spotlight. Avicii, who tragically ended his own life in 2018 at the age of 28, had been grappling with addiction to painkillers and other mental health issues prior to his death.
The world first came to know Avicii, born Tim Bergling, when his 2011 hit ‘Levels’ catapulted him into the music stratosphere. His career continued to soar as he produced numerous hits and worked alongside artists such as Rita Ora, Chris Martin, Jon Bon Jovi, and Adam Lambert.
During his peak years, Avicii maintained a grueling tour schedule, performing at approximately 800 shows over six years. Amidst this hectic lifestyle and his battles with mental health, Bergling confessed that he found greater happiness before his fame. “I was a lot happier before I was famous than after I was famous. I started feeling very unhappy,” he revealed in the documentary.
“I was on autopilot mode. I started really f***ing wondering why I was feeling like this. I had been acting away because this is how you’re supposed to be acting,” Avicii expressed, shedding light on the pressures of fame. He added, “I think I didn’t give myself enough time to figure out if there was something I wanted to change.”
The documentary, titled Avicii: I’m Tim, recently premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York. Directed by Henrik Burman, the film offers an in-depth look at Avicii’s swift rise to fame, his revolutionary music, and the overwhelming world of electronic dance music (EDM).
The film features “never-before-seen tour footage and behind-the-scenes glimpses of his creative process,” allowing the audience a peek into the electrifying atmosphere of his performances and the intense world of EDM that became synonymous with Avicii’s name.
Further into the documentary, close friends of Avicii, such as Jesse Waits, managing partner of XS nightclub in Las Vegas, recall the worrying signs leading up to the DJ’s untimely demise.
“I realized he was taking painkillers. I grew up with family that did drugs and I saw when people do opiates their eyes change. The pin, the little black parts of their eyes,” Waits shared. “His eyes were wide open like a zombie, he was not there,” he added, commenting on a change in Avicii’s demeanor and the dilation of his eyes at a dinner.
Avicii’s tragic death by suicide on April 20, 2018, serves as a somber reminder of the importance of mental health support. If you or someone you know is struggling or in a mental health crisis, resources are available through Mental Health America. You can call or text 988, chat at 988lifeline.org, or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting MHA to 741741 for assistance.