By ANGELINA MANDELL
Copy Editor
After the iconic Swedish pop group known for party anthems like “Dancing Queen” and hit musical and movie Mamma Mia! split up in 1982, fans had only dreamed of hearing members Agnetha Fӓltskog, Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaes and Anni-Frid Lyngstad sing again. Well, good news, ABBA is back! Their first album since their break-up, Voyage, has just dropped Nov. 5, and the vibe is immaculate as ever.
Ulvaes and Andersson announced the date and tracklist for Voyage via livestream on Sept. 2 as fans around the world watched and even attended ABBA parties thrown by the band in major cities like New York City, Stockholm, Sweden and London, England. Ulvaes and Andersson also revealed the construction of a specially-built ABBA concert arena in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London for their upcoming, futuristic CGI hologram concert. Fans were shocked enough to hear of their long-awaited reunion, let alone such a creative and technological plan for a series of comeback concerts in which ABBA members will wear CGI suits to make them appear as their younger selves.
On Sept. 2, two initial tracks from Voyage were released as singles entitled “I Still Have Faith In You” and “Don’t Shut Me Down.” “I Still Have Faith In You,” an emotional ballad and first track of Voyage, played on the livestream as a montage of old photos and videos of ABBA were shown. The ballad sounded like an ode to the relationship between the band members and the decision to reunite, singing “We do have it in us / New spirit has arrived / The joy and the sorrow / We have a story / And it survived.” The song continues expressing having faith in someone and that the union of the relationship has lived on through the years, finally finding new purpose. This is the perfect track to announce their reunion and kick off their first album they say was “40 years in the making.”
The classic disco themes playing in the background with Benny on piano and a string orchestra in “Don’t Shut Me Down” provide a melody that you just can’t help but dance to. The song tells a story of someone returning to their old apartment and their previous lover. The lover is surprised to see the speaker come back to them, but the speaker describes how they have become a new person as they sing, “I’m not the one you knew / I’m now and then combined / And I’m asking you to have an open mind / I’m not the same this time around / I’m fired up don’t shut me down.”
This song could also be interpreted as a metaphor for the group’s reunion as they both had previously been married couples who divorced, leading to their split in 1982. Now, they have changed and come together again, bringing their older style of music into the world of pop music today.
As fans eagerly anticipated the release of Voyage, the group couldn’t help but drop one more crumb to hold us over until Nov. 5, releasing a third single, “Just A Notion,” on Friday Oct. 22. This groovy single features more of Benny’s iconic piano melodies, making it another up-beat track on the album.
Voyage differs from previous ABBA albums as it contains more slower, emotional ballads rather than up-beat disco themed pieces. The comeback album even contains a Christmas song entitled “Little Things” where they describe waking up on Christmas morning with their children. Some other notable tracks include “When You Danced With Me,” “I Can Be That Woman,” and “No Doubt About It.” The album ends with a similar slow ballad as it started with called “Ode To Freedom.” Full of emotion and moving orchestral breaks, it’s a perfect closer to the voyage ABBA has taken listeners on throughout the album.
ABBA’s Voyage tells a story of memories, faith, heartbreak and forgiveness, a story very relatable to the band itself as they reunite after 40 years apart. Tickets for their historic hologram concert coming up in 2022 are on sale now, along with a new line of ABBA merch including clothes, vinyl records and posters of the band member’s CGI avatars you can see in the ABBA arena. Fans can only wonder now: is this a one-time thing, or is ABBA back in business for good? Are there more albums to come? Still, get groovy as disco comes back with ABBA Voyage streaming Nov. 5!
