Washington [US], September 3 (ANI): Almost four decades after the dissolution, Swedish superstars ABBA, one of the most successful music groups of all time, have announced their return with a new studio album and a new concert.
According to Variety, the new concert will see singers Agnetha Faltskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad and instrumentalists / songwriters Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus perform digitally via avatars with a live 10-piece band in a specially built arena in London, which begins on 27 May. , 2022.
The “Voyage” album will be released worldwide on November 5 via Universal Music Group’s Capitol label. The two recently released songs, ‘I Still Have Faith in You’ and ‘Don’t Shut Me Down’, were recorded by the group in Andersson’s Riksmixningsverket studio in Stockholm and will both be included in the concert.
These songs are the first new material from ABBA since the release of the single ‘Under Attack’ in December 1982, although the members, now all in their 70s, have released several solo projects.
According to the announcement, the digital versions of ABBA have been created “after weeks and months of motion-capture and performance techniques with the four band members and an 850-strong team from Industrial Light and Magic”, the company founded by George Lucas.
According to Variety, “ABBA Voyage” opens on May 27 at ABBA Arena, a state-of-the-art 3,000-capacity arena located at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London. Pre-registration for tickets opens from September 2 on abbavoyage.com with tickets on general sale from September 7.
This announcement follows three and a half years with tantalizing statements from Ulvaeus and Andersson about new music. First there were two songs, then six, along with some form of virtual performance going on.
The couple said in 2019 that the music would be delayed while the preparations for the concert were completed, and finally a cryptic announcement about ‘ABBA Voyage’ was published on social media last week.
ABBA is one of the most popular musical artists in history and has sold hundreds of millions of albums worldwide since it was formed in Sweden in 1972. The group’s simple-sounding but very sophisticated songs have existed since the group, consisting of two married couples, shared in the middle of the two couple 1982.
They set a template for pop music that has grown in recent years, exemplified by compatriots Max Martin (who has worked with everyone from Britney Spears to Taylor Swift and Justin Timberlake over the past two decades) on the commercial side and Robyn on the innovative side.
While songwriters Andersson and Ulvaeus continued to work together (including a musical, ‘Chess’, with lyricist Tim Rice in 1984), the four members did not appear in public again on stage until 2016.
Producers Svana Gisla and Ludvig Andersson said: “The magic of ABBA and the wonderful efforts of this fantastic team reach a long-awaited milestone today. To finally be able to share this endeavor with the world is a proud moment for us and we can not wait to welcome you to our arena in East London, a place where we are so happy to be. “a huge joy to be surrounded by ABBA and their music. Their boundless creativity and timeless melodies make us want to collaborate with them on everything they do because we know it will simply be amazing, says Universal Music Group Chairman / CEO Lucian Grainge, according to Variety. (ANI)
Source: sn.dk