ABBA Returns
The smash-hit Swedish group teases a return on Twitter
The faces of ABBA: (left to right) Benny Andersson, Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Agnetha Faltskog, Bjorn Ulvaeus
August 31, 2021
After 39 long years without any new content, ABBA asked us once again to take a chance on them. After a few years of secrecy, the dancing queens took to Twitter to post a cryptic release photo titled ABBA Voyage, the date Sept. 2, 2021, a link, and a message telling us to join them. The post, made Aug 26, confused many users who thought that ABBA had all but disappeared. Could this mean new music? A tour? Or possibly a final farewell to their doting fans spanning across generations?
Visiting the website linked in the image brings you to a waiting room type screen. In bold text appears the message: “Thank you for waiting, the journey is about to begin”, along with the names of all ABBA members. The website asks you to register for news about “Voyage”, still not telling us exactly what it is.
The answer may not be as shrouded and foggy as it seems, however. Many fans project a music release or even a tour of the past. According to the New York Times, Sept. 2 will bring an exclusive event in Central Park with all things ABBA. Several people think this event will not be attended by the band themselves but by ABBA-tars—hologram versions of the quartet, speculated because of a since-scrapped virtual reality ABBA tour of days past. These ABBA-tars are speculated to be projected onto stages across the world to perform, and possibly be the guests of honor to view a rumored ABBA documentary.
Past this event, fans and casual enjoyers assume that two songs “I Still Have Faith in You” and “Don’t Shut Me Down” will be released along with three others to kick off the canceled 2018 tour “Holograms”, which may have been rebranded as “Voyage”. This is partially confirmed by band member Bjorn Ulvaeus announcing that ABBA will “definitely” be releasing music in the year 2021.
Young people who were raised on the band made their music popular again through ‘70s nostalgia aesthetics and social media trends on TikTok. ABBA’s returned popularity may have lit the fuse for such a publicized and fantastical return to the music scene.
Whether or not you like ABBA, it’s impossible to deny how good it feels to see music return to the world after our headlines were filled with nothing but sadness. The bright glittering lights of disco returned just in time to fill the world with song.
