STOCKHOLM: Swedish supergroup ABBA released their first studio album in 40 years on Friday, but fans hoping for more music in the future will be disappointed to hear this might be the last new venture by one the biggest-selling bands of all time.
"I think the other three will say 'this was the last time'," Bjorn Ulvaeus, one half of the band's song-writing duo who, with Benny Andersson, was responsible mega-hits like "Dancing Queen", "Waterloo" and "Money, Money, Money," said.
"I'm not saying never. There is always some open door somewhere. I hate to say this is it ... I'm just saying I don't think we will record any more."
Formed by two married couples in 1972, ABBA have sold more than 385 million albums since their first hit "Waterloo," topping the charts across the world until their break-up in the early 1980s.
ABBA Gold, a compilation of greatest hits originally released in 1992, recently passed its 1000th week on the UK Album Chart.
"Voyage" is the first album with fresh songs since "The Visitors" in 1981, released just before the band split and coinciding with the break-up of Bjorn's marriage to singer Agnetha Faltskog and Benny's to Anni-Frid Lyngstad.
Rumours swirled for years that ABBA would get back together to perform. But the members turned down many offers, including one reported $1 billion package to tour again.
"In that case, it was for health reasons ... for reasons beyond money, just for well-being," Ulvaeus told Reuters in an interview prior to the release of "Voyage".
"To do a circus like that would take years out of our lives, just because of the stress. We were comfortably well-off at that time, we didn't need it."
The new album was born from a project to launch a new ABBA concert show - also called Voyage - featuring digital representations of the four band members created by motion-capture technology.
"It was the avatars that made it. It was kind of a natural thing to do to give these people something new to sing," Ulvaeus said.
"So we recorded 3-4 songs and then we thought why not record a couple more? And suddenly we had, you know, an album on the horizon."
"Voyage" contains 10 songs, all previously unpublished material apart from "Just a Notion," which was first recorded in 1978.
Ulvaeus said he and Benny had not tried to bring the music up to date and that the album would probably appeal mostly to old ABBA fans.
"You can certainly feel that it's 40 years on. I think there is a depth in the voices, and the music, and the lyrics," he said.
"There is an element of something that comes with age, I think, in the whole album. Not that it sounds like four, tired geriatrics. There is a lot of energy in it."
The band has not lost it's golden touch with the two new comeback singles released so far - "Don't Shut Me Down" and "I Still Have Faith in You" - top 10 hits on the European digital charts, according to Billboard Media.
And the secret of song-writing success?
"It's just a matter of writing a good enough melody and a good enough lyric," Ulvaeus said.
"It's not easy, but it's simple. Whether it works on not, it's up to the audience. We have done our best as we are now."
From May next year, fans will be able to catch the four ABBA-tars - accompanied by a live band - singing a selection of old hits and songs from the new album at a purpose-built ABBA Arena in London's Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
While the digital show could run and run, ABBA themselves - all now in their 70s - may call it a day.
"What we would like to leave with is a good album, some new, good music. I hope that's what we leave with," Ulvaeus said.
"The avatars are taking over now."
Reuters
Fri Nov 05 2021
Formed by two married couples in 1972, ABBA have sold more than 385 million albums since their first hit "Waterloo," topping the charts across the world until their break-up in the early 1980s. - ETX Studio
Pengusaha stesen minyak berdepan ugutan diminta buat laporan polis - Saifuddin
Pengusaha stesen minyak yang menjadi mangsa ugutan sindiket penyeludupan bahan api bersubsidi digesa membuat laporan polis.
Liga Parlimen Al-Quds: Malaysia kongsi pengalaman perjuang nasib rakyat Palestin - Syed Ibrahim
Delegasi negara berkongsikan pengalaman Malaysia sebagai usaha berterusan mempertahankan nasib Palestin dalam Persidangan Liga Parlimen Al-Quds di Istanbul, Turki pada Sabtu.
Akta Laut Wilayah masih sah, terpakai termasuk di Terengganu - PMO
Akta Laut Wilayah 2012 (Akta 750) masih sah dan terpakai di seluruh Malaysia termasuk di Terengganu, walaupun Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) Terengganu membuat keputusan menolak pemakaiannya.
Yakeb sasar 1,000 bekas atlet baharu tahun ini
Yakeb menyasarkan seramai 1,000 bekas atlet dapat berdaftar di bawah yayasan itu sepanjang tahun ini. Yayasan Kebajikan Atlet K
Pulau Pinang mahu perbanyak kedai makan mesra muslim
Kerajaan Pulau Pinang berhasrat memperbanyakkan kemudahan terutama kedai makan mesra Muslim bagi memperkasakan lagi industri pelancongan di negeri ini.
Tiga firma semikonduktor mahu labur AS$100 juta di Pulau Pinang - Chow
Syarikat berkenaan adalah China Wafer Level CSP Co (WLCSP), Ningbo SJ Electronics Co (SJE) dan Wuxi AMTE Inc (AMTE).
Johor pastikan masalah bekalan air ketika perayaan tidak berulang
Kerajaan negeri akan berusaha memastikan sifar masalah bekalan air pada hari raya tahun hadapan dengan beberapa langkah telah diambil.
41 kes kebakaran terbuka di Gua Musang sejak Februari - Bomba
Aktiviti pembakaran terutamanya di kebun, ladang dan hutan perlu dielakkan ketika musim panas ini.
Runtuhan bangunan di Gaza akan ambil masa 14 tahun untuk dialihkan - Pegawai PBB
Serangan Israel telah meninggalkan runtuhan yang dianggarkan seberat 37 juta tan dalam satu wilayah yang padat dengan penduduk.
Fokus Minggu Depan: Gelanggang PRK Kuala Kubu Baharu dibuka
Ikuti kupasan Timbalan Ketua (Strategi), Ibu Pejabat Asia UNSDSN, Universiti Sunway, Prof. Wong Chin Huat mengenai Pilihan Raya Kecil (PRK) Kuala Kubu Baharu yang bermula seusai proses penamaan calon pada Sabtu.
ABBA kembali tersenarai dalam carta muzik UK selepas 40 tahun
Lagu "Don't Shut Me Down" mendapat tempat ke-9 dalam Official Singles Chart di United Kingdom.