DJ and producer Avicii has just announced his retirement from live performances and touring after his 2016 show dates are over. The announcement came in the form of long, emotional letter to fans on his website.
“Two weeks ago, I took the time to drive across the U.S. with my friends and team, to just look and see and think about things in a new way,” the 26-year-old Swedish DJ (his real name is Tim Bergling) wrote. “It really helped me realize that I needed to make the change that I’d been struggling with for a while.”
“My choices and career have never been driven by material things, although I’m grateful for all the opportunities and comforts my success has availed me,” the Grammy-nominated artist continued. “I know I am blessed to be able to travel all around the world and perform, but I have too little left for the life of a real person behind the artist.”
Avicii has suffered from health problems in the past, as he was forced to cancel a string of tour dates in 2013 in order to undergo surgery to have his appendix and gall bladder removed.
The overall theme of the letter is that Avicii is tired of the lifestyle that comes with being a touring musician. He has been touring pretty constantly since 2013 and that kind of schedule can definitely take a toll on both the body and the mind. At the age of 26, now seems like a good time to step away for awhile to get things in order.
Avicii’s impact on the EDM community and popular music in general can not be understated. His songs “Levels” and “Wake Me Up” were huge radio hits that thrust EDM into the spotlight and helped to develop it into the massively popular subculture that it is today.
While the artist is taking a break, he has not ruled out a comeback in the future: “One part of me can never say never, I could be back … but I won’t be right back,”.
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