In 2018, former ABBA member Björn Ulvaeus announced that he, Benny Andersson, Agnetha Fältskog, and Anni-Frid “Frida” Lyngstad had reunited after over 35 years to record two new songs, “Don’t Shut Me Down” and “I Still Have You.” The Swedish pop supergroup, whose songs inspired the Broadway hit musical “Mamma Mia!,” are still celebrated as one of the most successful acts in the history of pop music.
“I first heard it inside my dad’s car after he watched it,” eighth-grader Alex Segal said about “Mamma Mia!” “I then watched it afterwards. And I’ve been addicted since.”
The band formed in Stockholm in 1972. They would go on to win the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974 with “Waterloo,” and over the next eight years release six studio albums: “ABBA, Arrival,” “ABBA: The Album,” “Voulez-Vous,” “Super Trouper,” and “The Visitors.” During their active years, the group consisted of two marriages, Ulvaeus and Fältskog and Andersson and Lyngstad, both of which collapsed during their height of popularity. As their personal lives were affected, so was their music.
“I think their music is an emotional outlet and they express all their angst, love, and sadness through their songs,” English teacher Beth Repp said. “I think I remember Frida saying ‘Thank You For The Music’ was her favorite song as it meant quite a lot in terms of the band coming to an end.”
They would split in late 1982 to early 1983, only intending on taking a three year break. Ulvaeus and Andersson would write music for the musical Chess with Tim Rice, while Agnetha and Frida would pursue solo careers. In 1999, “Mamma Mia!” premiered on Broadway and was followed by the 2008 film and 2018 sequel.
As of 2020, they have recorded five songs and they have been scheduled to be released in 2021, with an ABBAtar tour featuring holograms of themselves from the late 70s being pushed to 2022 due to COVID-19.
