Despite his tragic passing over three years ago, Avicii‘s presence continues to be felt among artists, fans, and the dance music community at large. Having ascended to the heights of success in the formative years of his career, Avicii was uniquely positioned to change the trajectory of dance music forever.
His path to greatness wasn’t without bumps, however. Having experienced success at such a young age, Avicii, a self-described introvert, was constantly in a state of flux. While he was very analytical in his personal and professional life, he ultimately arrived at well-formed convictions and learned to defend his creative instincts. Dance music would be all the better for it.
Today we’re highlighting some of the most illuminating quotes from Avicii, which collectively illustrate his innovative spirit, acute sense of self-awareness, and undying gratitude.
“I just feel so happy that I’m one of the few people who can actually say that I love what I’m doing. To have gotten to the point where I’m at today, it’s amazing. I still can’t believe it.” – Avicii, Elite Daily
“A great DJ interacts with the audience, you have to engage people. Dancing, smiling… It sounds very abstract, but a great DJ takes his audience on a journey.” – Avicii, GQ
“It’s been a very crazy journey. I started producing when I was 16. I started touring when I was 18. From that point on, I just jumped into 100 percent. When I look back on my life, I think: whoa, did I do that? It was the best time of my life in a sense. It came with a price—a lot of stress a lot of anxiety for me—but it was the best journey of my life.” – Avicii, The Hollywood Reporter
“I will always produce music that I love and listen to. But my album is certainly not “country”, and people have gotten hung up on an instrument we used for the live cover of a song…We wanted to make a statement, and theres really no better place to make one than UMF mainstage. People will soon see what it’s all about.” – Avicii on the direction of his debut album, Complex
“I don’t necessarily like the attention, but I’m so grateful for the wonderful opportunities it has given me.” – Avicii, AskMen