ABBA, the super quartet is back again teasing new music and other spicy projects. With over 30 years of public absence, the super music band is back.
“ABBA is finally making their comeback and plan to release their first new music in 39 years next Friday — it’s huge,” an inside source told The Sun.
Although they haven’t released a studio album since the 1980s, “The Visitors” their legacy, is seen as a classic worldwide, as it has been used in several blockbuster movies and video games.
New generations of pop lovers also got to revel in the awesome songs that the pop stars produced. Like old wine they sure have aged gracefully.
Want to know more about this awesome group and what they have planned for fans? Keep reading below for more information.
What Do We Know About ABBA?
The pop group from a Swedish origin, got together in 1972 to become one of the best music chart-toppers of all time. Their reign of glory was within 1974 to 1983 where the band released back-to-back hits leading to record sales of over 150 million. These wins made them one of the best-selling music artists of all time even after a 30-year hiatus.
They are known as the first group from a non-anglophone region to release songs that consistently topped the charts of English-speaking countries, including the US, UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and have remained as one of the best-selling bands out of Europe.
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ABBA an acronym for the first letter of the team members name, consists of songwriters Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson from The Hep Stars and singers Agnetha Fältskog, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad, who were already successful as solo artists. Ulvaeus married Fältskog, and Andersson married Lyngstad, and they remained as couples for most of the band’s main active years until their divorce which might have triggered the disbandment of the group.
Several news outlets have discussed ABBA releasing brand new tracks in the coming weeks. This would be the first new music from the group after 3 decades. Also, in the works is a documentary-style film, titled “ABBA Voyage.” “They plan to showcase the artistry content of how they created their music in the documentary and unveil their ABBA-tars, which are like holograms of themselves performing and singing,” a close source disclosed.
It seems like the project has been in the works since 2019. Alongside Simon Fuller, the band is working hard to produce brand new materials, according to IMDB.
Personal Lives
More fame in their glory days brought more disruption to their personal lives ultimately leading to the end of both marriages within one year of each other.
ABBA never officially announced the end of the group, though it was considered dissolved by most fans after a last public performance in 1982, and no other return to the stage as a band. After the group disbanded-ish, Andersson and Ulvaeus attained success as excellent music writers for other artists, while Lyngstad and Fältskog continued with their solo careers.
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The breakup of both marriages brought about darker music compositions that reflected the changes in the band’s relationship. The relationship changes were reflected in the group’s music, with later compositions featuring darker and more introspective lyrics.
Hit Songs
In 1974 ABBA won the Eurovision Song Contest, with the song “Waterloo,” after previous trials at the contest.
The song went on to become their first No. 1 single in several European countries, including the U.K and West Germany. It also made it to the top ten list in Spain, Australia and France, Canada, and the U.S, and this was just the tip of the iceberg.
Further success came after the release of “SOS,” “Mamma Mia” and “I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do” pushing them out of the music newbies tag into stardom. By early 1976, the group already amassed four Top 30 singles on most music charts around the world, and four more successes waited in the horizon.
ABBA then released a fourth studio album “Arrival,” a superb musical work of art. The album prompted reviews from UK music weeklies such as Melody Maker and New Musical Express and several others from US critics. Arrival produced hit after hit, such as “Money, Money, Money,” “Knowing Me, Knowing You, Dancing Queen,” and “Fernando” to the delight of fans.
The band remained relevant even after their separation as seen from tech giants, Sony collaborated with music group Universal to release SingStar ABBA on both the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3 game consoles, as part of the SingStar music video games in 2008. The PS2 version features 20 ABBA songs, while 25 songs are featured in the PS3 version.
Shows And Tours
ABBA launched their first European tour, with appearances in Denmark, West Germany, and Austria. The project had limited success as most venues did not sell out.
The second leg of the tour which took them through Scandinavia was a smashing success that gave them the accolades they desired. Live performances continued in the middle of 1975 to 1980 as ABBA embarked on more tours to Sweden, Finland, Canada, U.S, and Japan.
In Japan, 1980 upon their arrival at the airport, thousands of fans were already present to welcome them. The group went on to perform eleven concerts to full houses, including six shows at Tokyo’s Budokan. This tour was the last for their sterling career.
However, fans might just get to see their first tour in eons if all goes well. Watch out.
