ABBA‘s Agnetha Fältskog has returned with her first new music in 10 years, announcing the single ‘Where Do We Go From Here?’ and new album ‘A+’, a reimagining of her 2013 solo album ‘A’.
The Swedish singer-songwriter’s new track is out today (August 31) and was recorded in 2023 to be added to the re-release of her 2013 album ‘A’.
‘A+’ is due out October 13, and you can pre-order/pre-save it here.
Ahead of the 10-year anniversary of the record, Fältskog discussed the idea of what it would sound like if it was created in 2023 alongside songwriter and producer Jörgen Elofsson. They worked with producer Anton ‘Hybrid’ Mårtensson to rework the whole record, keeping the original vocals from 2013 but creating new music for 2023.
“A couple of years ago I heard one of the songs from my last album ‘A’ on the radio. I have lots of fond memories from making that album, so I couldn’t help but smile, time flies…,” Fältskog wrote in a letter to fans.
“Suddenly it hit me, what would the album sound like if we had made it today…? I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I reached out to the boys who produced ‘A’ back in 2013 – ‘What would you guys think about reimagining ‘A’ and making a totally new version of it?’ They loved the idea! ‘Let’s try!'”
She continued: “A while later I heard the first reworked song, and I must say I absolutely loved it! It sounded so fresh and modern, even better than I had imagined it!
“We named the album A+ and as a cherry on top we even recorded a brand new song! And that will be the first thing you´ll hear from me. Now I can’t wait to hear what you think about it! I hope you like it as much as I do!”
Listen to ‘Where Do We Go From Here?’ below.
Speaking about the reimagined version of the album, Elofsson added: “When we made the album ‘A’ ten years ago, it was a bit of a reaction against EDM and the dance music that dominated the pop world at the time.
“We therefore did something that was exactly the opposite, arranger Peter Nordahl created timeless string arrangements. Now, when we brought the songs into today’s music world, we were all surprised by how well it works. The songs have blossomed into the pop songs they are at their core. Anton, who wasn’t there last time, comes from a different generation and has played with completely different rhythms.”
Released in 2013, ‘A’ marked Fältskog’s first album since her 2004 collection of covers ‘My Colouring Book’.
The ‘A+’ tracklisting is:
‘Where Do We Go From Here?’
‘Back On Your Radio (A+)’
‘I Should’ve Followed You Home (feat. Gary Barlow) (A+)’
‘Dance Your Pain Away (A+)’
‘I Was A Flower (A+)’
‘Perfume In The Breeze (A+)’
‘Past Forever (A+)’
‘The One Who Loves You Now (A+)’
‘Bubble (A+)’
‘When You Really Loved Someone (A+)’
‘I Keep Them On The Floor Beside My Bed (A+)’
Back in May, virtual concert series ABBA Voyage celebrated one year since its premiere, and organisers marked the anniversary by releasing new images of the production.
The show has been critically acclaimed, with NME describing it as a “feel-good sensory overload” where “digital sorcery meets pure pop bangers” in a five-star review.
The ABBA Voyage virtual concert series is currently set to run in London into 2024, with plans reported for the experience to be taken on a world tour.
Asked about what the future of the show involves, ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus told NME earlier this summer: “We hope to stay in this [London] venue for as long as we can. We hope they’ll have us for many years, and we might build other replicas of this in other places: Asia, Australia, North America. There are lots and promoters and cities that we’re talking to at the moment about that.
“Each one would take at least two years to build, but there will be announcements towards the end of this year or the beginning of next about where we actually are going. That’s if we’re going somewhere, which we will.”
The last new music from band came on the 2021 accompanying ‘Voyage’ album containing the two recent singles ‘I Still Have Faith In You’ and ‘Don’t Shut Me Down’. Asked if there was a hope for more new music from the band to come, Ulvaeus replied: “No, ‘Voyage’ the album was the last you’ll ever hear from us” – but he did remain open to the idea of the band returning for more projects like the live show, making the most of new emerging technologies.
“There will be new exciting formats in the future that we know very little about right now,” he added. “AI, the metaverse, there are lots of interesting and exciting things happening creatively that ABBA might be involved in as well.”
Visit here for tickets ‘ABBA Voyage’ in London, now running into 2024.
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