After 40 Years, Abba Takes a Chance With Its Legacy

October 27, 2021 9:54 PM

How one of the biggest pop groups in the world secretly reunited to make a new album and a high-tech stage show featuring digital avatars of themselves — from 1979. Elisabeth Vincentelli writing in the NYT. [Archive link] We just discussed this album [with links to the previous two released songs], but it is now more imminent and we have another new song, Just A Notion.
posted by hippybear (12 comments total)

What I find amazing about this song is that it really stands out as an example of how immeasurably ABBA changed the face of pop music from 1975 to the present. You can hear the influence on countless others via this song, but hearing ABBA playing it is like reading a coffee table book vs. going to a museum.
posted by not_on_display at 10:10 PM on October 27, 2021 [2 favorites]

The Guardian's got a long Abba article today too. It's half think-piece, half interview.
posted by Paul Slade at 3:22 AM on October 28, 2021 [1 favorite]

This is great, because Abba are great, but all articles about this reunion are unreadable because it's all hologram this and hologram that with regard to the stage show.

No holograms are involved. It's a stage magic trick called Pepper's Ghost. Literally done with mirrors.
posted by GallonOfAlan at 6:55 AM on October 28, 2021 [10 favorites]

Unfortunately, "hologram" is a lot more marketable to the public than "watching a prerecorded video".
posted by JoeZydeco at 8:21 AM on October 28, 2021 [4 favorites]

Fältskog as quoted in re stagefright in the Graun article captures perfectly my feelings about ABBA redux: "It’s a thin line between celebration and menace.”
posted by chavenet at 9:21 AM on October 28, 2021 [1 favorite]

Andersson remarked that Ulvaeus had requested a change to his digital alter ego’s hair because there is only so much 1979 realness anybody can take.

Best. Quote.
posted by Melismata at 10:27 AM on October 28, 2021 [1 favorite]

Little Boots is part of Abba's backing band. Wow, that's an inspired choice.
posted by stannate at 12:19 PM on October 28, 2021

The Guardian's got a long Abba article today too.

Tucked away at the end of that article, they reveal that the group have finally broken up:
“I never said myself that Abba was never going to happen again. But I can tell you now: this is it.”
On the other side of the Zoom screen, Ulvaeus vigorously nods his assent. “Yeah,” he says, quietly.
posted by Lanark at 2:19 PM on October 28, 2021 [1 favorite]

but all articles about this reunion are unreadable because it's all hologram this and hologram that with regard to the stage show.

The Guardian article contains the sentence "it's not a hologram".
posted by hippybear at 8:09 PM on October 28, 2021

My favorite Abba is Abba Zaba. It's safe as milk.
posted by not_on_display at 8:59 PM on October 28, 2021 [2 favorites]

I was talking to my Dad about this new song on the phone- and he said "wait- is it called 'just an ocean' or 'just a notion'?" In our accent these phrases sound practically the same.

This sounds more like the ABBA I know (admittedly limited fandom) - my daughter did a super cute "baby bop" (knees bending bouncing dance) so she approves too.
posted by freethefeet at 1:38 AM on October 29, 2021

The "A-ha-ha" part is so catchy. I find myself humming it as I'm doing household chores.

Thanks for posting these ABBA updates!
posted by cynical pinnacle at 5:23 PM on October 30, 2021