(CNN) — Avicii’s first posthumous song, “SOS,” is out nearly a year after the death of the Swedish superstar DJ. The new song features vocals by American singer Aloe Blacc, who worked with Avicii on the 2013 hit, “Wake Me Up.” The new track is part of the album called “Tim” – Avicii’s real name is Tim Bergling. His collaborators Albin Nedler and Kristoffer Fogelmark released a video explaining how important it was for them to finish their friend’s work and the challenges they faced. The pair said they sought out Blacc for the vocals because Avicii had expressed interest in working with him again after the success of their previous hit. The accompanying video shows a dark background, and touching messages and memories from some of Avicii’s fans. Lyrics are about some of Avicii’s battles Blacc said he was honored that Avicii wanted him on his album. “I feel like ‘SOS’ was a song that was probably ahead of its time for when he wrote it,” Blacc said. “He wrote these lyrics obviously about some of his battles and I think it’s a really important topic to approach and to share … to give people the words to be able to say, ‘I need help.’” The song features words that carry more weight in retrospect. They include lyrics about a man who does not get much sleep and relies on love to pull him back from the brink. “Can you hear me SOS?” Blacc sings. “Help me put my mind to rest.” It also talks about love, drugs and relationships, and the stress that comes with it. “I get robbed of all my sleep. As my thoughts begin to leave. I’d let go but I don’t know how. Yeah I don’t know how but I need to now,” Blacc sings. In true Avicii fashion, the hook is catchy and electrifying, and is sure to send crowds to the dance floor despite the song’s solemn message. Aloe Blacc Album will raise money for mental health Avicii’s family said the rest of the album will be out on June 6, and comprises his remaining work before he died. “He left behind a collection of nearly finished songs, along with notes, email conversations and text messages about the music,” his representatives said. The DJ and producer died on April 20, 2018, at age 28. His family started a foundation in his honor to raise money for mental health and suicide prevention. Net proceeds from the album will benefit the Tim Bergling Foundation.<doc-sep>UPDATE 4/10 | Avicii’s new song “SOS” with Aloe Blacc is out now. Listen here. Avicii‘s tragic death has left many questions — and fans are hoping his new music will provide answers. The producer took his own life at age 28 on April 20, 2018. Coming up on a year, his posthumous album is almost here. This June, his family has plans to oversee the release of Tim, an entire album nearly finished at the time of his passing. The first track, “S.O.S.” arrives April 10th. As the title suggests, it may be a call for help. The New York Times recently sat down with Avicii’s closest family and peers to get a better grip on his latest music and his state of mind at the time of his death. Which, may be closely related if we listen. No matter who you ask, Avicii was in a better place than friends and family had seen him in years, leading up to his unexpected death. They describe him as “excited.” He made plans and he seemed to look forward to the future. It’s a dramatic contrast from the star’s defeated state seen in the Avicii: True Stories documentary. Again, this leaves more questions than answers. For the new, forthcoming single, “S.O.S.” Avicii wrote lines that Aloe Blacc sings with a “special urgency.” He’s the same voice behind “Wake Me Up.” Can you hear me, S.O.S. / help me put my mind to rest According to the article, most of Avicii’s songs were 75 – 80 percent completed at the time of his death. He left behind specific notes about them on his phone and computer. It was almost as though he knew someone else would have to finish the music for him. For the last six months, Carl Falk has been the one working diligently in studio with a ghost. “I was trying to produce through someone else’s eyes and ears — someone who’s not here,” he explains. “It was really hard not to criticize yourself the whole time. Would he like this? What would he have done?” His entire team believes that whatever Avicii had to say, he says it through this album. Check back soon to hear “S.O.S.” Read more: The New York Times | Photo via Rukes.com<doc-sep>Avicii and Aloe Blacc reunite on the new song “SOS,” the first offering from the late producer’s posthumous album, Tim, out June 6th. The song was accompanied by a music video featuring words of praise for the artist born Tim Bergling from his fans. The track boasts a lithe pop groove made out of synths that twist and tumble atop a beat of crisp drums. Though the song features a quintessential EDM build, there’s something poignant and understated about its apex as Blacc sings, “I can feel your touch picking me up from the underground/And I don’t need my drugs, we could be more than just part time lovers.” “I feel like ‘SOS’ was a song that was probably ahead of its time for when he wrote it,” Blacc said of the song in a statement. “He wrote these lyrics obviously about some of his battles and I think it’s a really important topic to approach and to share, especially with his visibility and his access to ears and hearts. To give people the words to be able to say ’I need help.’” In a recent New York Times profile, Avicii’s team said the songs that will appear on Tim were “75 to 80 percent done” when the producer/DJ died by suicide in Muscat, Oman last April. A variety of Avicii collaborators helped complete the album, including Albin Nedler and Kristoffer Fogelmark, who worked on “SOS.” “He had a completely different way of playing piano and keyboard,” Nedler said in a statement. “As a result his fingers would sometimes strike an unusual key, which added to his unique sound. Tim’s fingerprints are literally across the entirety of ‘SOS. '” Nedler and Fogelmark reached out to Blacc after seeing that Avicii had written in some personal notes that he wanted to record with the singer again (the pair previously collaborated on the 2013 smash, “Wake Me Up”). Tim will also feature contributions from Salem Al Fakir and Vincent Pontare. Coldplay’s Chris Martin provided vocals on the leaked song, “Heaven.”<doc-sep>
“SOS,” the first song from the forthcoming posthumous Avicii album, dropped today. The song, which features vocals from “Wake Me Up” singer Aloe Blacc and is quite distinctively an Avicii track, is the first to arrive from the album, which is called “Tim” and is due in June. Collaborators said was nearly finished at the time of the artist’s death from an apparent suicide on April 20 of last year. The track was produced by Avicii (legal name: Tim Bergling), Albin Nedler and Kristoffer Fogelmark. The two collaborators talked about the challenges of completing the work Avicii had started. “Afterwards, finishing them was … I just get paralyzed by talking about it, but everything was about completing Tim’s version,” says Fogelmark. Through the program Fruity Loops, Nedler and Fogelmark were able to track and preserve Bergling’s keystrokes. “He had a completely different way of playing piano and keyboard,” says Nedler. “As a result his fingers would sometimes strike an unusual key, which added to his unique sound. Tim’s fingerprints are literally across the entirety of ‘SOS.’” In personal notes recovered after Bergling’s death, he had written about wanting to work with Aloe Blacc, so they invited him to record. Said Blacc, “I feel like ‘SOS’ was a song that was probably ahead of its time for when he wrote it. He wrote these lyrics obviously about some of his battles, and I think it’s a really important topic to approach and to share, especially with his visibility and his access to ears and hearts: To give people the words to be able to say ’I need help.’” Late last month, Bergling’s family announced the establishment of the Tim Bergling Foundation, which “will initially focus on supporting people and organizations working in the field of mental illness and suicide prevention,” the brief announcement reads, noting that it will also be active in climate change, development assistance, nature conservation and endangered species. Proceeds from the album will go to the foundation. “Tim wanted to make a difference,” the statement concludes. “Starting a foundation in his name is our way to honor his memory and continue to act in his spirit.”