ABBA make a triumphant return after 40 years
After a forty-year hiatus, the Swedish pop legends have finally returned with two new tracks and the announcement of a new album
Photo: Industrial Light Magic
Yes, you read that correctly.
Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad have reformed to not only come back as a group but to release a brand new album.
The two singles from the group’s ninth album, I Still Have Faith In You and Don’t Shut Me Down, were released in conjunction with the announcement of Voyage and a May 2022 residency. As many fans were hyped for the comeback after speculation on social media, the release of the singles stormed the internet. Spoiler alert: it’s safe to say that ABBA have come back strong and just as talented as they were forty years ago.
Beginning with I Still Have Faith In You, ABBA make a triumphant return with an uplifting re-introduction. Presumably, about the reunion of the band and giving music another go after a long absence, I Still Have Faith In You begins with a ballad arrangement.
Filled with piano, orchestra, harmonies, and layered percussion(s), the song crescendos as it rolls onward. From the soundtrack of lingering doubt to a proclamation of ability, the song has love and precision ridden in. It is akin to an uplifting gospel choir song; however, it is only enhanced with ABBA’s magic touch of silky smooth vocals and vibrant production. Clocking in at a little over five minutes, the opening track to Voyage serves as well for a comeback as it does as an album opener. When greeted with the question of if doing this was still possible (“I never really thought I’d feel this way / But I remind myself / Of who we are / How inconceivable it is to reach this far”), the entourage appears to come out confident in themselves.
Photo: Press
The track released as a B-side to I Still Have Faith In You, Don’t Shut Me Down makes an appearance a few tracks later on the album. It has a similar type of opening vibe as the prior track; however, it does not last as long as its predecessor.
The track sweeps from a song that could easily make an appearance in a musical (maybe we will get a Mamma Mia 3 after all?) to a shimmery disco track. After being hidden away for three years, Don’t Shut Me Down has the signature Swedish pop that made ABBA household names.
It is an inspirational number in the sense of self-confidence and self-worth. After dealing with demons (“And I love you still and so I won’t pretend / I have learned to cope / And love and hope is why I am here now”) it is clear that a rebirth of sorts has taken place and there is no reason to not let the fire become hotter. Those who are familiar with ABBA’s classic hits that left high marks in the ’80s will find themselves right at home with Don’t Shut Me Down. And, if not, the sick guitar lick in the middle should grab your attention.
When a band has been on hiatus for just shy of half a century it becomes a marvellous thing to see how they have progressed in their decades away from making music as a group.
ABBA proves that age has no limit when it comes to doing what makes your heart feel content. If their comeback album is anything as delightful as these two singles it’s sure to be talked about. The long road from winning Eurovision in its golden (50th) anniversary to 2021 has been exhilarating for the group and their many devoted fans.
Regardless of what comes from it, the world sure needs something golden; ABBA might just have the answer.