‘Tough Love’ shows Avicii’s experimentation in forthcoming posthumous album
The second track from Avicii‘s postmortem album, TIM, has now been released, and it’s a stark contrast from melancholic first release, “SOS.” “SOS” was centered on Aloe Blacc‘s soulful vocals and the story of someone finally starting to find light again after a dark period of time. Avicii’s newest addition,”Tough Love,” is a definite juxtaposition to “SOS,” with cheery vocals, upbeat arrangement, and emphasis on instrumentals. The track also displays Tim Bergling’s continued dedication to sound experimentation in his music with its Eastern influences.
Bergling became inspired after visiting India and brought a sound loop of what became the drop for “Tough Love” to co-collaborators Al Fakir and Vincent Pontare. Pontare commented on the Eastern influences, stating,
“Oddly enough, the Indian influences fit perfectly into a song we were working on, something that was so typical of Tim. He was a melodic genius.”
In Bergling’s notes about the track, he wrote, “This one needs to be a duet. Coolest thing would be a real couple. Or a couple that have worked together enough to be almost considered a couple!”
When Bergling passed in April 2018, the recording was 80 percent completed, and, similarly to “SOS,” his co-collaborators completed the track based upon the producer’s wishes for the release. Co-collaborator Pontare asked his wife, Swedish artist Agnes, to sing the song with him as a duet.
“Tough Love” showcases that TIM is almost certainly going to be a collection of very unique tracks with influences from Bergling’s travels around the world after he stopped touring in 2016.
Photo credit: Sean Eriksson
Categories: Music