ABBA brings back their iconic sound in a brand new album released this month

Long-time fans of the iconic Swedish pop group were on the edge of their seats earlier this month, when ABBA unveiled the name of their new secret project, Voyage. 24 hours later an official album by the same name was released. The super troupers dashed to their choice of audio streaming service to find an album with two songs, “I Still Have Faith in You” & “Don’t Shut Me Down”. These two bops are hard to describe in any words other than “Yeah, it sounds like ABBA”; It’s authentic in its signature style, a true testament to what come of bringing back together the original talent of 18 consecutive Top Ten singles and a total of nine number one hits. Accompanying the songs was a music video for “I Still Have Faith in You”. The emotional ballad was set to footage of the band’s evolution through the years on tour; silk rompers and blue eyeshadow, synchronized dancing and large crowds having a blast in the past. It evokes a nostalgic feeling in a disco decade that feels so far away, and makes their renewal very exciting and in comparison.

This revival of ABBA poses many questions about what could be on the horizon: A tour? Well, ABBA confirmed on twitter that there would be a digital concert on May 27^th 2022. Though we can assume in the short term that it will be the extent of their live experience, as they’ve been open on social media about wishing to remaining cautious in the COVID 19 era. But who knows what the future could bring?  In a statement acquired by Rolling Stone, the band described the release of Voyage as “truly sailing in uncharted waters.” So far, the seas have been kind to their journey. Critical reception has been majority positive, and ABBA’s hit have had an increase in listening across all music platforms since the album drop. We can take an important note as media scholars: this type of revival is rare, and the excitement from the pop community is a feeling we could use more of. Someone pass the message along to Paul Simon- please and thank you.  If ABBA were to continue releasing music, it would be interesting to see how their sound plays in the 2020s. Their current legacy is nothing short of iconic, so 40 years later, would these legends have potential to climb the charts and live up to their reputation?