Nearly a decade after “I Took a Pill in Ibiza” became an unavoidable global hit, Mike Posner is reclaiming the song that once defined him and is rewriting its meaning in the process.
Originally released in 2015, the track was an honest snapshot of fame’s emptiness, substance use, and the hollow chase for validation. While Posner wrote it from a deeply personal place, it was the Seeb remix that propelled the song into festival culture, transforming into a euphoric dance anthem. Suddenly, a song about disillusionment was soundtracking sunsets, club nights, and a generation’s coming-of-age.
But in 2025, Posner is standing on the other side of that story.. 10 years sober, 12 years older, and without his friend Avicii. Over the weekend, he shared a video online performing an updated version of “I Took a Pill in Ibiza,” adding new lyrics that reflect sobriety, loss, faith, and the life he’s actively choosing now. The melody remains familiar, but the lyrics shift the song’s meaning entirely.
In the clip, Posner sings:
i went back to Ibiza
and got a hotel by shore
and i’m 12 years older and im 10 years sober
but avicii isn’t here no more
Posner continues by reflecting on leaving behind the lifestyle that once consumed him:
i moved outta LA
im tryna start a little family
cuz all the things i was chasing, and the things i was taking
had me headed towards tragedy
Comments flooded in, many calling the Avicii lyric devastatingly beautiful, others urging Posner to officially record and release the updated version. One fan wrote, “Somewhere between the two versions of this song, we grew up.” Another sharing “Life comes full circle, and this song is proof.”
View this post on Instagram
Posner has never shied away from the real story behind “I Took a Pill in Ibiza” and its meaning. He’s spoken openly about writing the song after taking a pill at an Ibiza show in part to impress Avicii. In the years following the song’s success, Posner stepped back from the spotlight, committed to sobriety, and pursued a slower, more grounded life. In 2019, he even walked across America, raising money for charity and further redefining what success looked like to him.
Now, with this rewritten version, Posner is closing a chapter to who he was and proof that songs, just like people, can evolve.
