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/ News

Still Have Faith: ABBA's "Voyage" Begins with Brand-New Album in November

September 2, 2021 By Joe Marchese 8 Comments

ABBA Voyage

BUY NOW FROM AMAZON.COM

Mamma mia!  ABBA is back.

40 years after the November 1981 release of The Visitors, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, Agnetha Faltskog, and Anni-Frid (Frida) Lyngstad have done what was long thought highly unlikely.  The foursome has reunited to record a brand-new album of ten original songs.  The album, Voyage, shares its title with the concert residency that will begin in May 2022 at a custom-built London arena featuring avatars, erm, ABBAtars, created using state-of-the-art motion capture technology and an 850-person team from Industrial Light and Magic, the firm created by George Lucas.  Voyage is due from Universal Music Group's Capitol label on CD, vinyl, and digital formats on November 5.

The wait is officially over for new ABBA music as two singles today were released from Voyage.  "I Still Have Faith in You" and "Don't Shut Me Down" were recorded by the group at Andersson's Stockholm studio; both songs are promised to feature in next year's digital concert stand.  These songs represent the first ABBA music since the single release of "Under Attack" in December 1982; the former is a dramatic ballad redolent of Andersson and Ulvaeus' musical theatre work such as Chess, while the latter is an uptempo dancer that picks up where the likes of "Dancing Queen" left off (dig that piano!).  Both songs feature ABBA's instantly recognizable harmonies and plentiful melodic hooks, proving that good things do indeed come to those who wait.

All four of the band members shared comments in a statement released earlier today. The joint statement reads: "It's been a while since we made music together. Almost 40 years, actually. We took a break in the spring of 1982 and now we've decided it's time to end it. They say it's foolhardy to wait more than 40 years between albums, so we've recorded a follow-up to The Visitors. To tell the truth, the main inspiration to record again comes from our involvement in creating the strangest and most spectacular concert you could ever dream of. We're going to be able to sit back in an audience and watch our digital selves perform our songs on a stage in a custom-built arena in London next spring. Weird and wonderful!  To all of you who patiently have followed us in some way or another these past decades: Thank you for waiting -- it's time for a new journey to begin.  We simply call it Voyage and we're truly sailing in uncharted waters. With the help of our younger selves, we travel into the future. It's not easy to explain but then it hasn't been done before."

Benny Andersson offered, "It's hard to say what's been the most joyful thing for me with this project, if it's the involvement in creating the concert together with everyone or being back in the studio together again after 40 years. I think hearing Frida and Agnetha singing again is hard to beat. When you come to the arena you will have the four of us together with an absolutely glorious 10-piece band. And even if not in the flesh, we will be right there, thanks to the work of the creative team and ILM."

Anni-Frid Lyngstad added, "Those first sessions back in 2018 were such fun and when Benny called and asked if I'd (Anni-Frid) consider singing some more I jumped at it! And what songs!! My respect and love go out to these exceptionally talented, truly genius songwriters! Such joy it was to work with the group again. I am so happy with what we have made, and I dearly hope our fans feel the same."

Agnetha Fältskog noted,  "When we got back together in the studio I had no idea what to expect...But Benny's recording studio is such a friendly and  safe environment, and before I knew it I was really enjoying myself! I can hardly believe that finally, the moment has come to share this with the world!"

Finally, Björn Ulvaeus shared, "They're such amazing singers, those two, I was completely floored by the way they delivered those songs. They're true musicians; totally unimpressed by pop star glamour but still having a great time being creative in a recording studio. The Voyage project has injected new life into us in more ways than one."

Jointly, they concluded, "So, again, thanks for waiting! We hope to see you in the 'ABBA Arena' and yes -- see -- because we have infused a good deal of our souls into those avatars. It's not an exaggeration to say that we're back."

Here at Second Disc HQ, we're thrilled to share those three words once again: ABBA is back.  Voyage hits stores on November 5 in a plethora of formats:

  • CD with four unique covers (one of each ABBA member) and standard CD;
  • CD box set with exclusive poster, art cards, and sticker sheet;
  • Cassette with four unique covers (one of each ABBA member), standard cassette, and alternative cover cassette;
  • Black vinyl;
  • Amazon-exclusive orange LP;
  • Target-exclusive CD and LP with alternate cover art;
  • Indie-exclusive blue LP;
  • ABBA-store exclusive green and white vinyl (two picture discs sold out within moments);
  • Vinyl single of "I Still Have Faith in You" (ships September 17); and
  • CD single of "I Still Have Faith in You" and "Don't Shut Me Down" (ships September 17).

Many of the formats are available now at the official ABBA store.  Stay tuned for news of any additional retailer-exclusive editions.

"I Still Have Faith in You" and "Don't Shut Me Down" are now streaming wherever you listen to music online.  Visit the official website for more information on the Voyage concert residency.

ABBA, Voyage (Capitol, 2021)

CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
Black LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
Amazon-Exclusive Orange LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
Target-Exclusive CD: Target.com
Target-Exclusive Yellow LP: Target.com
Indie-Exclusive Blue LP: Your Local Record Store [Visit RecordStoreDay.com's store finder]
Various formats including exclusive vinyl, CDs, and cassettes: Official ABBA Store

  1. I Still Have Faith In You
  2. When You Danced With Me
  3. Little Things
  4. Dont Shut Me Down
  5. Just A Notion
  6. I Can Be That Woman
  7. Keep An Eye On Dan
  8. Bumble Bee
  9. No Doubt About It
  10. Ode To Freedom

Categories: News Formats: Cassette, CD, Vinyl Genre: Pop

Avatar photo

Joe Marchese

JOE MARCHESE (Editor) joined The Second Disc shortly after its launch in early 2010, and has since penned daily news and reviews about classic music of all genres. In 2015, Joe formed the Second Disc Records label. Celebrating the great songwriters, producers and artists who created the sound of American popular song, Second Disc Records, in conjunction with Real Gone Music, has released newly-curated collections produced by Joe from iconic artists such as Johnny Mathis, Bobby Darin, Laura Nyro, Melissa Manchester, Chet Atkins, and many others. He has contributed liner notes to reissues from a diverse array of artists, among them Nat "King" Cole, Paul Williams, Lesley Gore, Dusty Springfield, B.J. Thomas, The 5th Dimension, Burt Bacharach, The Mamas and the Papas, Carpenters, Perry Como, Rod McKuen, Doris Day, Jackie DeShannon, and Andy Williams, and has compiled releases for talents including Robert Goulet and Keith Allison of Paul Revere and the Raiders. Over the past two decades, Joe has also worked in a variety of capacities on and off Broadway as well as at some of the premier theatres in the U.S., including Lincoln Center Theater, George Street Playhouse, Paper Mill Playhouse, Long Wharf Theatre, and the York Theatre Company. He has felt privileged to work on productions alongside artists such as the late Jack Klugman, Eli Wallach, Arthur Laurents, Betty Comden and Adolph Green. In 2009, Joe began contributing theatre and music reviews to the print publication The Sondheim Review, and in 2012, he joined the staff of The Digital Bits as a regular contributor writing about film and television on DVD and Blu-ray. Joe currently resides in the suburbs of New York City.

Connect With Joe: FacebookTwitter

Comments

  1. Stefano says

    September 2, 2021 at 6:18 pm

    Capitol? Capitol?? Totally irrelevant of course, but personally I only want Abba to spin on Polydor! Hmm, that will take some time to digest.

    Nice to see all these different formats, even a CD single for a change. The UMG marketing machine is working overtime, but then again, it's an important historic release, no doubt about that.

    Hope the album brings us some interesting, musically clever written songs, with a few typical key changes like Bjorn and Benny so often used in their old catalogue. Just hope it will surprise, and not turn out to be a mediocre comeback. We'll have to wait till November.

    Reply
    • Zubb says

      September 2, 2021 at 7:43 pm

      In the U.S. ABBA's records were on the Atlantic label. Polydor seems foreign to me, maybe because it was. It matters not to me what label they are on. I am just totally pumped about this new album. Dare we now hope for a live post pandemic tour?

      Reply
      • Larry Davis says

        September 3, 2021 at 5:19 am

        OK, first, happy ABBA is back, the 2 new songs are great...secondly, labels...originally in the 70s, they signed to different labels in different countries, whoever promoted them best in each country...so, in the US, they actually started on Playboy Records with their 1973 singles..."Ring Ring" never had an original US release...then signed to Atlantic for "Waterloo" on until the 2LP 1982 comp, which was on Polydor...in the UK, they were on EPIC, in Germany, Polydor, etc...only in the 90s, they consolidated their catalogue for a worldwide label pact with their Polar label going with UMG/Polydor...nowadays in 2021, there IS no Polydor label proper in the US, so they went with another US Universal label, which happens to be Capitol...coulda been Republic or Interscope...hey, the Bee Gees & Barry Gibb are on Capitol in the US as well...I think the boxset of ABBA's "Voyage" will be an import pressing on Polydor...I do wonder if there may be a Target exclusive of sorts...

        Reply
        • Avatar photoJoe Marchese says

          September 3, 2021 at 11:34 am

          Hey Larry, Target will have both CD and LP editions with exclusive cover art. We've just updated the above list and will continue to do so if/when additional retail exclusives are announced.

          Reply
        • David Bradley says

          September 3, 2021 at 2:22 pm

          The Playboy Records single wasn't really "ABBA", it was Björn & Benny With a singer named Svenska Flicka.

          People Need Love / Merry-Go-Round - P 50014

          Reply
          • David Bradley says

            September 3, 2021 at 2:24 pm

            and my understanding of "Svenska Flicka" is "Swedish Girl", could be anyone. They were basically saying it's Benny and Bjorn with some girl we got to sing it.

            Reply
            • David says

              September 3, 2021 at 9:42 pm

              "People Need Love" was with Agnetha & Frida,... see here...
              https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pO7ubf4h8sk

              Reply
  2. Robert Lett says

    September 4, 2021 at 12:11 pm

    So stoked for this. I love the two songs so far.

    Reply

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