by Riley Sandoval ’22

Almost 40 years since their last album, the 70’s pop band, ABBA, is back and ready to release new music. Their album Voyage is set to release November 5. It contains 10 new songs including two singles: “I Still Have Faith in You” and “Don’t Shut me Down” both released September 2.

In addition to their new album, ABBA has announced they will be hosting hologram concerts in the spring and summer of 2022. Tickets went on sale September 5 for shows starting May 27 and extending through October 2. These revolutionary concerts will take place in a custom-built arena in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London. Fans will see the avatars of the four ABBA members performing alongside a ten-piece live band. These lifelike avatars portray younger versions of the popstars, who are now in their seventies. Each song has been performed in a studio to help make the avatars as realistic as possible. The band hopes to give fans the full ABBA concert experience.  

The first single, “I Still Have Faith in You” shares the uncertainty as well as the joy felt by the band’s members in their reunion. The song begins with a slower tempo and deeper voices, asking, “Do I have it in me?” It then picks up with higher singing and additional drums and guitar to help bring back the distinct ABBA sound. The lyrics change to, “We do have it in us!” to go along with their happiness in coming back together to create new music. The second single, “Don’t Shut me Down” is about leaving and coming back as a new person, touching on their reunion, or coming back to past love. While it has a bit of an odd beginning, the single has a fun and upbeat tone with a sound that is undeniably ABBA. 

One of the members, Björn Ulvaeus, spoke in an interview with Apple Music about how the reunion came from the idea for the avatars, and wanting to give them something new to sing. He and another member, Benny Andersson, called Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid (Frida) Lyngstad to ask if they’d want to come to the studio and just see what happens. Ulvaeus and Andersson were prepared for the girls to decline, but they agreed and picked up in the studio as if they were making music yesterday. “We were as astonished as everyone else, that out came the sound of ABBA as if nothing had happened,” said Ulvaeus. 

The group has also gained popularity on TikTok with teasers for their upcoming album, videos of old performances, and Andersson playing the piano for fans to duet. Their TikTok page as well as their website say, “Thank you for waiting, the journey is about to begin.”