'Tough Love' shows Avicii's experimentation in forthcoming posthumous album

The second track from Avicii‘s post-mortem album TIM has now been released, and it’s a stark contrast from melancholic first release “SOS.” “SOS” is centered around 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” thanks to the cheery vocals, upbeat arrangement, and emphasis on instrumentals. The track also displays Bergling’s continued dedication to sound experimentation in his music thanks to the track’s Eastern influences.

Bergling became inspired after visiting India and brought a sound loop of what becomes the drop for “Tough Love” to co-collaborators Al Fakir and Vincent Pontare. Pontare comments 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 the recording was eighty 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.