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The famous Swedish group ABBA surprised and delighted their fans by announcing their debut album together after forty years of separation.
The album, titled ABBA Voyage, will be released in November. The album’s release will be followed by the launch of a series of “unreleased” concerts, in which band songs such as “Mamma Mia” and “Waterloo” will be performed using digital representations of the band members.
The four members of the group, separated since 1982, said they had reunited and returned to the recording studio.
“It started with two songs, and then we were like ‘OK, maybe we should do more,’” said Benny Anderson.
He ended up recording ten songs, two of which were released at an international press conference on Thursday.
The first of the songs is “I Still Believe in You”, a moving song sung with piano accompaniment, and depicts the bond that unites the four members of the group.
“Who would have imagined that we would be where we are now?”
The second track is “Don’t Stop Me,” a melodrama in the form of the band’s old song, “The Day Before You Came,” which depicts a woman’s return to her partner after years of separation.
“You begged me not to go, well here I am again – and I still love you” are the words sung by Waltzkog and Annie Fred Lingstad.
These two songs are at the top of the songs on the album “ABBA Voyage”, which is scheduled for release on November 5, before Christmas time.
Benny Anderson noted that the recording will include “Christmas tunes, as well as a number of popular songs.”
Anderson added: “I think it’s great, we’ve found as many as we can at this age.”
A reunion of the group over the years has seemed elusive. The group wasted $ 1 billion on tour in 2000.
In a 2013 BBC interview, Agneta Waltzkog said she had preferred to quit the group in the past. Then she added: “It was a long time ago, we are getting older and we all have different lives.”
In a statement coinciding with Thursday’s announcement, Agneta said she “didn’t know what to expect” when the group reunited in 2018.
“It was so nice to meet the four of us in the studio and hear Frida and Agneta again,” said Benny Anderson.
But the pianist admits having a moment of doubt before the recording session.
“Five minutes before you walked into the studio, I was like ‘I should have asked them if they could sing any more,'” said Anderson, “but they did, and you’ll realize it when you listen. songs. “
However, none of the band members attended a press conference at London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
“Members ABBA Actually”
The songs of the new group will be performed in a virtual concert and are expected to open next year at a specially prepared venue in east London.
The concert will air six evenings a week and will feature 22 songs, which will be performed by digital versions of the band members.
Tickets for the concert go on sale September 7 from £ 21, with opening night on May 27.
The electronic versions of the group’s characters were created by visual effects company Industrial Light & Magic, founded by George Lucas, the creator of Star Wars content.
More than 850 people worked on setting up the virtual show, using motion capture technology to represent the members of the 70-year-old group.
“Angna, Frida, Benny and Bjorn stood on stage in front of 160 cameras and the same number of visual effects geniuses, and the four cast members performed all of the songs in the series, over a period of five weeks,” said series producer Ludwig Andersen. .
“So when you watch the show, you won’t be in front of digital copies claiming to be a member of the team.” ABBABut they really are. ”
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