The Swedish DJ who co-produced Coldplay’s “A Sky Full of Stars” was Avicii.
Avicii, the stage name of Swedish producer and DJ Tim Bergling, collaborated with Coldplay on the song for their sixth studio album, Ghost Stories. He co-wrote and co-produced the track, helped shape its electronic dance sound and played the recorded piano parts. Coldplay, Avicii, Paul Epworth, Daniel Green and Rik Simpson are all credited in the production history.
Released in 2014, “A Sky Full of Stars” begins with a piano-led ballad texture before expanding into progressive-house and EDM-influenced sections. That dance-oriented arrangement marked a notable stylistic change for Coldplay, whose earlier work was more commonly associated with alternative rock and piano rock.
The song became one of Ghost Stories’ most successful singles, reaching the top 10 in more than 16 countries and topping Billboard’s Hot Dance Club Songs chart. It is easy to confuse Avicii with other Swedish electronic producers, but Eric Prydz, Axwell and Alesso did not co-produce this Coldplay track. Avicii died in 2018, aged 28.