This is Johny Walker your host for the FreaKBeatS EDM podcast and on this episode, I would like to address a controversial and sensitive issue; Avicii’s death in particular.
It is not my intention to upset you but perhaps highlight a side to dance music no one really thinks of. Stay with me until the end for it.
We all think dance music as having a party, with a “raise your hands like you just don’t care” mentality. Therefore, the news of Avicii committing suicide shocked the whole dance music community because no one expected, no one imagined such a successful artist could do such an act and therefore one must wonder what led him do that
We know that he withdraw from mainstream action and touring in 2016. The official reason was that he felt ill and he needed time to recover. However, there may have been deeper reasons behind such an important decision. If you think about it this decision must have been scary almost breaking him in the process, and therefore it could not have been taken lightly by someone perhaps at the peak of their career. To decide to take such radical action must have meant that he was probably at his wit’s end.
What led him to such a decision? Are we all responsible for it? I’m bringing this argument which will sound very uncomfortable to all of us, and particularly the dedicated fans of Avicii, the people who love him, couldn’t have enough of him, bought his records, streamed his music, people who stood for hours at the rails just to have a peek at his performance, the fans that waited at the backstage at the end of a gig to have a selfie with him, ask for an autograph, the people who followed him on the social media, the managers, the club owners, the fellow DJs. Everyone who wanted a piece of him, whether digital or real. Everyone including me and you. I can hear you now. You shout in anger. NO! You press the dislike button. Stay with me for a little longer.
We all think and believe that the big DJ names are having it easy and perhaps they do; I’m not one of them and therefore I would not know. When I look at Zedd and I follow his Twitter and Instagram I see him flashing his new lavish villa with a grin and I’m thinking how lucky this guy is and how happy he may be. Look at Deadmau5 and his new supercar. They are super talented, they worked hard and they deserve it, right?
After all these DJs make a lot of money we all know that. we know that Calvin Harris made 49 million USD in 2017, we know Tiesto made 39 million, we know the Chainsmokers made 38 million, so they must be super happy; well hell, look at their social media accounts they are always smiling they live life to the full, they fly in private jets and choppers to the festival sites they are where perhaps to fulfil their lives ambitions. I would be smiling as well. Would you not?
This is what some of them are telling us “I never dreamt I would be right here right now” or “ I finally achieved my dreams”. Many aspiring bedroom DJ listening to this podcast right now you’ll probably be thinking yes they achieved what they wanted and perhaps one day I may be lucky enough to do the same, to have a shot at this. One day I may be the Avicii of my generation.
But perhaps there’s a darker side to this full-on success. Perhaps with success comes arrogance. It is what the ancient Greeks personified as the goddess Hubris. And that brings as a consequence Nemesis the so-called downfall The larger they are the harder they fall as we say. Or insecurity and fear of the next day. What if my next remix is ignored? My follow up to “Worlds” will not be as good? I cannot top up my previous work. Why am I not booked for Tomorrowland? Why did this DJ had a go at me on Twitter? Why isn’t my manager leave me alone for an hour? The voices are going round and round in the head…
Strangely enough, I had a look at a tweet from Skrillex on 18th June 2018 and he said and I quote “I’m not dead, I’m not gone … I just needed time to be a human for a bit. I don’t say it enough but infinite love to all my fans. I’d be dead without you. Thanks for being patient”
Skrillex just wants to be human. That tweet is so important. Would you not want to be Skrillex? why is he complaining, why is he saying to me and you he’s only human, he is always smiling after all in every gig, he is jumping around, he is having fun, so what is the problem is he not making tons of money from this. And Joyride responded to his tweet “Skrillex by Sonny, Snake by William, Nghtmre by Tyler, Joyryde by John, these projects are all love but are by people. always protect the mind body and soul before a Check or Status”
But perhaps he is not happy. I wouldn’t know because I’m not Skrillex, I haven’t talked to him or his manager. Perhaps he is happy and I am overreading his tweet but then why would you tweet this out? Why would Avicii commit suicide after recording so many albums and selling that many records, after having played in every imaginable electronic Dance Music Festival being at the top of the bill, having so many fans and having so many followers on social media?
Surely there’s no reason to commit suicide. We will of course never know the real reasons unless his family or the people who were really close to him come out with the statement. We will never know the real reasons for his sickness in 2016 and him quitting touring. Was he just a shy teenager who only wanted to make music for himself, just that with no complications, but did not anticipate the unwelcome package that comes with having a successful music career? Was he an introvert who did not want to awkwardly smile for the fans and media? Who the drove him to pursue this path of a pop star, if I may say? Did you not anticipate the price of being a public figure. We see it with all the Hollywood stars; it must be amazing when one is a teenager being the centre of attention. It may be a small price to pay to lose all your private life, everybody’s following your every thought, tweet, photo, you have paparazzi following you at every step, you can’t go out to eat without being disturbed, you can’t watch a movie like you used to, you can’t just chill out with friends and have a drink round the corner…
There will be somebody there that wants to take your autograph, take a selfie with you, pass through a demo, ask your opinion about how to make it big, harass you because your new tune is not as good as your old ones. To them it is your duty to satisfy their needs and wants, after all they’re your fans, they’re the ones who pay for your gigs, they are the ones to fill the clubs, they’re the ones who stood hours on end in festivals like Ultra, EDC or Tomorrowland just to get a glimpse of you, they are the ones that watched YouTube videos countless times. Now, that they have a chance of a second with you surely it is your duty to satisfy them isn’t it Avicii?
So what is happening in the background with the most successful DJs; how happy are they in reality? Do they need to reach out and ask for help? Is that an example or what is actually happening? Is mental health a thing?
Therefore I might have sounded controversial when I said, in the beginning, Avicii was murdered. But who murdered him? Myself and you, we are are the murderers, we all whispered in his ears wanting a bit more of his flesh.
Take care…
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Avicii was murdered | Episode 92