True cover art

  Studio Album · No. 1

True Songwriting Credits by Avicii

2013 PRMD Music / Island Records 10 tracks 47 min

Produced by Avicii

PRMD Music / Island Records EDMCountryHouseSoulBluegrass
90%
Authorship
Artist

Holds writing credit on 9 of 10 tracks

Authorship Breakdown 9 / 10 documented

Who wrote the songs?

Scored across the 10 tracks with documented writers, by whether Avicii carries a lyricist or composer credit.

90%
9 trackswritten by Avicii 1 trackoutside writers
Avicii's roles on this album

Share of the 10 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.

Lyricist90%
Composer90%
Producer100%
Performer100%

By the Numbers

10
Tracks
19
Lyricists
3
Producers
2013
Released
Data Insight

True features Tim Bergling as co-composer on all 10 tracks, with Arash Pournouri as near-universal co-writer and co-producer. Outside lyricists dominate the vocal tracks: Aloe Blacc and Mike Einziger on Wake Me Up, Veronica Maggio and Salem Al Fakir on Hey Brother, and Nile Rodgers and Adam Lambert on Lay Me Down. The one track Avicii did not co-write is Hope There's Someone, a cover of an Antony and the Johnsons song where Anohni Hegarty holds all the publishing credits.

True is the debut studio album by Avicii (Tim Bergling), released in September 2013 on PRMD / Island Records and self-produced by Avicii. The album became a global phenomenon, blending progressive house with folk, bluegrass, and country influences in a way that was entirely unexpected from the EDM world and proved enormously influential on the subsequent development of electro-folk and country-dance crossover music. 'Wake Me Up,' featuring Aloe Blacc, spent weeks at number one in twenty-seven countries and became one of the best-selling singles in history, while 'Hey Brother' and 'Addicted to You' became additional smash hits. The album's fusion of organic acoustic instruments with driving electronic dance music was audacious and was initially met with skepticism from electronic music purists, before its commercial dominance made the argument moot. True sold over five million copies globally and cemented Avicii as one of the defining producers of the 2010s.

Track Listing & Credits 10 tracks

Written by the artist Written by outside writers
#TitleLyricist(s)Composer(s)Producer(s)Performers
1
Wake Me Up #4
Tim BerglingAloe BlaccMike Einziger Tim BerglingAloe BlaccMike Einziger Tim BerglingArash Pournouri Tim Bergling (Production)Aloe Blacc (Lead Vocals)Mike Einziger (Lead Vocals)
2
You Make Me #5
Tim BerglingArash PournouriVincent PontareSalem Al Fakir Tim BerglingArash PournouriVincent PontareSalem Al Fakir Tim BerglingArash Pournouri Tim Bergling (Production)Arash Pournouri (Lead Vocals)Vincent Pontare (Lead Vocals)Salem Al Fakir (Lead Vocals)
3
Hey Brother #16
Tim BerglingArash PournouriVincent PontareSalem Al FakirVeronica Maggio Tim BerglingArash PournouriVincent PontareSalem Al FakirVeronica Maggio Tim BerglingArash Pournouri Tim Bergling (Production)Arash Pournouri (Lead Vocals)Vincent Pontare (Lead Vocals)Salem Al Fakir (Lead Vocals)Veronica Maggio (Lead Vocals)
4
Addicted to You
Tim BerglingArash PournouriMac DavisJosh Krajcik Tim BerglingArash PournouriMac DavisJosh Krajcik Tim BerglingArash Pournouri Tim Bergling (Production)Arash Pournouri (Lead Vocals)Mac Davis (Lead Vocals)Josh Krajcik (Lead Vocals)
5
Dear Boy
Tim BerglingArash PournouriKaren Marie OrstedJonas Knutsson Tim BerglingArash PournouriKaren Marie OrstedJonas Knutsson Tim BerglingArash Pournouri Tim Bergling (Production)Arash Pournouri (Lead Vocals)Karen Marie Orsted (Lead Vocals)Jonas Knutsson (Lead Vocals)
6
Liar Liar
Tim BerglingArash PournouriAloe BlaccMike EinzigerBruce DriscollErica DriscollPeter Dyer Tim BerglingArash PournouriAloe BlaccMike EinzigerBruce DriscollErica DriscollPeter Dyer Tim BerglingArash Pournouri Tim Bergling (Production)Arash Pournouri (Lead Vocals)Aloe Blacc (Lead Vocals)Mike Einziger (Lead Vocals)Bruce Driscoll (Lead Vocals)Erica Driscoll (Lead Vocals)Peter Dyer (Lead Vocals)
7
Shame on Me
Tim BerglingArash PournouriAudra MaeSterling Fox Tim BerglingArash PournouriAudra MaeSterling Fox Tim BerglingArash Pournouri Tim Bergling (Production)Arash Pournouri (Lead Vocals)Audra Mae (Lead Vocals)Sterling Fox (Lead Vocals)
8
Lay Me Down
Tim BerglingArash PournouriNile RodgersAdam Lambert Tim BerglingArash PournouriNile RodgersAdam Lambert Tim BerglingNile RodgersArash Pournouri Tim Bergling (Production)Arash Pournouri (Lead Vocals)Nile Rodgers (Lead Vocals)Adam Lambert (Lead Vocals)
9
Hope There's Someone
Anohni Hegarty Anohni Hegarty Tim BerglingArash Pournouri Tim Bergling (Production)Anohni Hegarty (Lead Vocals)
10
Heart Upon My Sleeve
Tim BerglingArash Pournouri Tim BerglingArash Pournouri Tim BerglingArash Pournouri Tim Bergling (Production)Arash Pournouri (Lead Vocals)

Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 19 contributors

TB
Tim Bergling
Writer · Producer · Production
On this album9 written
AP
Arash Pournouri
Writer · Producer · Vocals
On this album8 written
AB
Aloe Blacc
Writer · Vocals
On this album2 written
ME
Mike Einziger
Writer · Vocals
On this album2 written
SA
Salem Al Fakir
Writer · Vocals
On this album2 written
VP
Vincent Pontare
Writer · Vocals
On this album2 written
NR
Nile Rodgers
Writer · Producer · Vocals
On this album1 written
AL
Adam Lambert
Writer · Vocals
On this album1 written
AH
Anohni Hegarty
Writer · Vocals
On this album1 written
AM
Audra Mae
Writer · Vocals
On this album1 written
BD
Bruce Driscoll
Writer · Vocals
On this album1 written
ED
Erica Driscoll
Writer · Vocals
On this album1 written

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Frequently Asked Questions True

Did Avicii write the songs on True by himself?
No. True is a collaborative album. Tim Bergling co-wrote nearly every track with Arash Pournouri and a rotating cast of outside vocalists and songwriters. Wake Me Up brought in Aloe Blacc and guitarist Mike Einziger; Hey Brother involved Veronica Maggio and Salem Al Fakir; Lay Me Down was co-written with Nile Rodgers and Adam Lambert.
Who wrote Wake Me Up on True by Avicii?
Wake Me Up was co-written by Tim Bergling, Aloe Blacc, and Mike Einziger of Incubus. Blacc also sang the vocal. The song reached number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 1 in 27 countries.
How did Wake Me Up by Avicii chart on the Billboard Hot 100?
Wake Me Up peaked at number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached number 1 in 27 countries, including Australia, Sweden, and Denmark. It was one of the best-selling singles of 2013.
Who sang Hey Brother on True by Avicii?
Dan Tyminski, a bluegrass vocalist and longtime member of Alison Krauss's band Union Station, sang Hey Brother. His Southern American delivery gave the track its defining folk-country crossover quality. Hey Brother peaked at number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Who sang Lay Me Down on True by Avicii?
Adam Lambert sang Lay Me Down, which was co-written and co-produced by Nile Rodgers, who also played guitar on the track. It is one of True's most explicitly pop-oriented songs and a rare instance of Avicii working with a rock producer.
What is Hope There's Someone on True by Avicii?
Hope There's Someone is a cover of a song written by Anohni Hegarty (formerly Antony of Antony and the Johnsons). It is the only track on True where Avicii holds no songwriting credit; he produced and arranged the piece but did not co-write it.
Who co-produced True with Avicii?
Arash Pournouri co-produced nearly every track on True with Tim Bergling. Nile Rodgers co-produced Lay Me Down. The album was released on PRMD / Island Records in September 2013.
What US certification did True by Avicii receive?
True was certified Platinum by the RIAA in the United States, and received Gold or Platinum certifications in over 20 other countries including Australia, Canada, the UK, and Sweden.

Sources

Wikipedia: True (Avicii album) MusicBrainz: True (release group) Cover Art Archive: True Cover Art Archive: True by Avicii