Before Aaron Carter was found dead in his home earlier this month, he had been swapping “optimistic” texts with his manager about a new album, talking about how it was their “best work yet,” according to The U.S. Sun. Opening up for the first time about the loss of his friend and client, Taylor Helgeson told the tabloid that Carter had been gearing up to record several tracks, “and it was the first time in a while that I’d seen him so excited.” The 34-year-old singer, according to Helgeson, was planning to use the album “to take accountability” for his long struggle with substance abuse. (Police reportedly found bottles of compressed air and prescription pill bottles near Carter’s body.) In the days before his death, Carter reportedly texted Helgeson: “‘Bro, these songs are amazing,” and “‘This is definitely a Grammy!’” But despite Carter’s positive attitude, Helgeson said, there were signs something was wrong, with the I Want Candy singer failing to appear for several concerts and meetings in his final days. “Aaron was a big Queen fan,” Helgeson explained, “and he lived by that saying, ‘The Show Must Go On.’ And he wouldn't miss a show for anything if he could help it.”