Avicii – Tough Love ft. Agnes, Vargas & Lagola

The distinctive Indian element in Avicii’s “Tough Love” is a flute melody in the intro and hook that interpolates/samples the opening flute line of the song “Banarasiya” (composed by A.R. Rahman from the 2013 Bollywood film Raanjhanaa.

Following his retirement from active touring in 2016 to prioritize his health, Tim retreated into the studio to find fresh musical directions. He actively sought to push the boundaries of EDM by incorporating acoustic instruments and distinct cultural sounds. [1, 2]

During the spring of 2017, Tim immersed himself in studying the traditional music, scales, and string instruments of Northwest India. While exploring these structures, he came across the composition “Banarasiya” by A.R. Rahman and isolated its opening melodic phrase to create a loop. [1, 2, 3]

His long-time production partners, Vincent Pontare and Salem Al Fakir (Vargas & Lagola), recalled the moment Tim introduced the sound to them: [1]

• The Melody Loop: Tim arrived at the studio in 2017 and played a loop of the Indian melody for the duo. [1]
• The Perfect Fit: Vincent Pontare later noted in a statement that, oddly enough, the Indian influences fit seamlessly into a dance track they had already been building. He remarked that this ability was “so typical of Tim… he was a melodic genius.” [1, 2]
• Reworking the Track: While the initial concept began in 2016–2017, Tim heavily reworked the song’s layout during his final studio sessions in March 2018, emphasizing the Eastern instrumental sample alongside dynamic string layers. [1, 2, 3]