"Levels"[a] is a progressive house song by Swedish DJ Avicii that was released on 28 October 2011 through Universal Music Group on iTunes.

The music video was directed by Petro Papahadjopoulos, who came up with the concept after a phone interview with Avicii about the supposed "symbolism" behind "Levels".

All the hospital workers slowly start dancing against their own free will after two of them touch a flower sprouted out of the businessman's mouth.

[1][2] After Bergling won a 2008 BBC Radio One competition, the host, Pete Tong, issued the submitted track, "ManMan", as Avicii's first single.

[8] In an interview with WNYL, DJ Mike Posner claimed that he was sent "Levels" by Avicii while it was still in production to provide vocals to it.

[9] Avicii first premiered "Levels" on 11 December 2010 as an untitled track for BBC Radio 1's Essential Mix,[10][11] hosted by Pete Tong.

[13][16] The success of "Levels" on social media allowed Pournouri to make a deal with Universal Music Group to release the song as a single in Nordic countries.

[15] "Levels" was released via iTunes on 28 October 2011 in Australia,[17] Denmark,[18] Ireland,[19] Netherlands,[20] the United Kingdom,[21] and Sweden.

It was referred to by Billboard as a "briefly burbling whistle sound that augments the hook ..."[24] "Levels" received critical acclaim.

"[30] Anje Riberra, on the Spanish news site, El Correo, called the song a "very danceable tune that makes you enjoy it continuously".

[31] Kat Bein from the Miami New Times called the song "a worldwide anthem" and said that Avicii is "part of a whole new generation of young producers helping make EDM the biggest youth culture movement since boy bands".

[13] DJ producer, Joe Bermudez, when talking about "Levels" said that "Avicii's uplifting chord progressions instantly transport club goers to euphoric state".

"[33] New York's subsidiary, Vulture, Emily Yoshida praised the song for its "central hook, stabbing, skyscraper-tall synth line, shiny and sleek and feeling like it could touch God ..."[34] Future Music called "Levels", interesting because of its composition and its example of how "... a simple part can become complex.

[53] It earned a platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America on 9 January 2013, indicating that it was shipped to the US over one million times.

In the UK, "Levels" entered the "Official Singles Chart Top 100" on the week of 27 November 2011 at its peak position of number four.

[63] "Levels" has also received a platinum certification at least once from Australia,[64] Austria,[65] Belgium,[66] Denmark,[67] Germany,[68] Italy,[69] and Switzerland.

Papahadjopoulos created a concept based on Office Space, that he described as "about a man who wakes up to realize he is living in hell.

"[72] Avicii later received the concept of the music video from his production manager, Arash Pournouri, and showed support for it.

During the interlude with a sample from "Something's Got a Hold on Me", the man is dreaming of pushing a big boulder up a mountain, mirroring Sisyphus' fate.