Avicii has released his first new music in two years with new EP ‘AVĪCI’.
The 27-year-old Swedish DJ – real name Tim Bergling – took a break from the music industry in early 2016 after he announced he would no longer be playing live shows due to the gruelling schedule affecting his health.
But now, the ‘Wake Me Up’ hitmaker has returned to the spotlight with a new five-track EP – which sees him team up with the likes of Rita Ora, Sandro Cavazza, and AlunaGeorge – which fans can listen to on the star’s specially curated YouTube playlist right now.
‘AVĪCI’ is the DJ’s first release since the 2015 album ‘Stories’, from which the last single, ‘Broken Arrows’, was released in September of that year.
Speaking about his new release, the ‘Hey Brother’ musician said: "I’m really excited to be back with music once again, it has been a long time since I released anything and a long time since I was this excited over new music! My focus on this first EP of the album was to get a mix of new and old songs, some that fans have been asking about/waiting for, mixed with brand new songs that they haven’t heard before!"
The news comes over a year after the musician claimed he wouldn’t be stepping out onto a stage again, although he admitted at the time he would still be working on creating new music.
He wrote in a statement on his website at the time: "My path has been filled with success but it hasn’t come without its bumps. I’ve become an adult while growing as an artist, I’ve come to know myself better and realize that there’s so much I want to do with my life. I have strong interests in different areas but there’s so little time to explore them.
"I will however never let go of music – I will continue to speak to my fans through it, but I’ve decided this 2016 run will be my last tour and last shows. Let’s make them go out with a bang!
"One part of me can never say never, I could be back … but I won’t be right back.
"But last but not least thank you to every fan who has ever bought a ticket or snuck in, bought a song or downloaded it, commented on posts or hated at them. It’s your thoughts and ideas about the music that helped me evolve and I do owe everything I have to you. (sic)"
Avicii’s ‘AVĪCI’ track listing:
1. ‘Friend of Mine’ (ft. Vargas & Lagola)
2. ‘Lonely Together’ (ft. Rita Ora)
3. ‘You Be Love’ (ft. Billy Raffoul)
4. ‘Without You’ (ft. Sandro Cavazza)
5. ‘What Would I Change It To’ (ft. AlunaGeorge)
BONUS TRACK: ‘So Much Better’ –
Sandro Cavazza (Avicii Remix)