Songfacts®:

• This was the first song that came out of a songwriting session between Tim "Avicii" Bergling, his longtime collaborator Carl Falk, British singer/songwriter Joe Janiak, and Joakim Berg, the lead vocalist/writer for one of Sweden's most successful rock band's Kent. The session, in the spring of 2018, was the first time Avicii met Janiak. The Swedish producer preferred to work with his most trusted collaborators; Falk recalled in a Spin interview how he almost turned the newcomer away.
  
  According to Falk, Avicii called him from his house the day Janiak was arriving. He said: "Maybe we should start the session with just you and me and see how it goes.'" Falk urged him to let Janiak join them as at that very moment he was waiting outside Avicii's front door.
• Avicii did let Janiak join them; the Swede was glad he did, as he loved the Brit's voice and vibe from the start. By this time, Joakim Berg had joined them and the four started talking about how '60s and '70s bands and artists were comfortable in making giant leaps in mood and feel within just one song. That conversation seeped into "Fades Away," which combines melancholic lyrics with a pretty melody.
  
  Said Berg: "We wrote it in a bright mode, sort of carefree, and there were lots of laughing and joking, so for me Fades Away will always be a positive song, a simple message about accepting changes, the passing of time and making the best of what you have."
• "Fades Away" was released as a single on December 5, 2019. While the version on Tim features vocals from Swedish singer-songwriter Noonie Bao, the single version features vocals from Costa Rican singer MishCatt. This linked in with the Avicii Tribute Concert for Mental Health Awareness on December 5, where MishCatt performed the song live. The tribute gig, co-organized by the hitmaker's friend David Guetta, was live-streamed on Avicii's YouTube channel.