Aloe Blacc recently reflected on the invaluable lesson he learnt from his late collaborator Avicii.

While conversing with PEOPLE at the Opry 100: A Live Celebration event in Nashville on March 19, the singer and rapper revealed that he learnt important things from Avicii, whose real name was Tim Bergling, such as “dedication to craft.”

Calling to mind, Blacc shared, “I remember we were in Miami, and he had to DJ at a party, and there was a huge entourage, but he couldn’t care less. It wasn’t his entourage, it was like hangers-on, management’s friends. I was there … I was invited, I just kind of watched him, and he sat in a corner, and he just put his headphones on. He just worked on his set.”

The King Is Born crooner went on to note that Avicii “wasn’t there to be at the party and to party with people;” rather, “he was there to deliver what he was supposed to deliver to the party.”

Blacc “thought that was really special, especially being in the studio with him … [to see his] dedication to his craft, focusing on melodies and never letting good enough be enough and keeping the intensity up and pushing for a better and better.”

Notably, other than singing on the Addicted to You hitmaker’s 2013 song Wake Me Up, the 46-year-old also performed at the Avicii Tribute Concert in 2019.

The event, which took place at Friends Arena in Stockholm in the presence of more than 50,000 people, honoured the late DJ, remixer, and record producer’s life and music.

For the unversed, Avicii, who released chart-topping dance music hits such as Levels and Sunshine, died by suicide at 28 when he was on vacation in Oman in April 2018.

It is pertinent to mention that to pay homage to his late friend, Aloe Blacc released a new version of Wake Me Up with Cooper Alan in a country music style in December 2024.