A Lifelong Fan's Review Of ABBA Voyage

It's official: ABBA are back. Four decades after going on a "break" from recording that seemed to be definitive, the Swedish supergroup are making history by releasing a brand new album, "Voyage", with 10 completely new songs, in what is probably the greatest musical event of the year, if not the decade. At the time where the world most needed light and happiness, after almost two years in a pandemic, Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid "Frida" Lyngstad put a smile on millions of people's faces, including my own.

ABBA has been my favorite band since I was about five years old, when was visiting my aunt and one day she put an ABBA video on her VHS player. From then on I became completely bewitched by their music, and never stopped listening to them. I even learned a big part of my English from ABBA lyrics. And yes, for the record I AM aware of the fact that I’m a Gen Z’er, but then I suppose I’m wired differently than the rest of my age group. While everyone else was listening to the most current artists and the latest hits, I remained true to the Swedish Fab Four. This obviously came at the cost of having my heart broken early on, when I found out that they were not together anymore. So, after years of countless comeback rumors that were always denied by the band, I was just as floored as everybody else when they announced that they had recorded a new album. The four members had gotten together around 2018 to plan an upcoming “tour”, where instead of actually performing live they would be replaced by virtual avatars of themselves, obviously nicknamed “ABBAtars”, looking just how they did back in their prime. And then, seemingly out of the blue, they felt the desire to go back to the recording studio for just one more song, which then became two and eventually became “Voyage”, with its 10 songs and 3 singles. Now, just over two weeks after the release, I wanted to join other fans by writing my own impressions of these long-awaited songs, almost 40 years in the making. Mamma mia, here we go again!

"I Still Have Faith In You": First single of the album. This is arguably the most powerful song of all. It it an insightful, emocional, almost bittersweet ode to the band's reunion. In the verses, sung by Frida, she expresses the feelings of union, companionship and gratitude that lead ABBA to this moment, and how those feelings were stronger than any of their previous conflicts. While still reflecting on how unbelievable it feels to be back after so many years, she wonders if they are still up to the task, asking the question “do have it in me?” right before the climactic chorus, in which the whole band answers: “we do have it in us!”. It is grand and sublime, and sure to bring tears to the eyes of anyone who knows the story.

"When You Danced With Me": A track with clear influences of Irish folk, even mentioning the medieval town of Kilkenny in its lyrics. The rythm and instrumentation very much remind me of "The Piper", a criminally overlooked jewel with a similar vibe, and the bagpipes make me think of those in “Arrival”, one of only two instrumental songs in ABBA’s discography. An absolute delight to the ears and, from what I can see on social media, already a fan favorite. 

"Little Things": Christmas-themed carol, sung from a parent's point of view (just like "Slipping Through My Fingers") about the feeling of waking up on Christmas morning and watching the joy of their little ones as they open their presents. The song is tender, sweet and very nostalgic, especially considering how all members are now in their 70s and have grandchildren. The end features a children's choir, like the one in the live version of "I Have A Dream". Vocals are shared by both women throughout, which adds to that classic ABBA sound fans love.

"Don't Shut Me Down": Second sigle of the album. Uplifting and cheerful, its lyrics talk about becoming a new version of yourself and picking up where you left off, much like the band itself is doing by recording again and going on tour in the form of ABBAtars. The downbeat after the intro has a clear nod to the piano intro in "Dancing Queen", with Agnetha delivering the lead vocals.

“Just A Notion”: Last single of the album. First recorded in 1978, it narrowly missed the cut to be included in the "Voulez-Vous" album and only a small demo was ever released as part of the "ABBA Undeleted" medley in 1994. This time around, the backing track was slightly rearranged and re-recorded, though all vocals are original. And not only are all vocals shared, but Benny and Björn get their time in the spotlight too and can be heard clearly throughout the song, repeating the formula of other tracks like "Does Your Mother Know" and later, “The Visitors”.

"I Can Be That Woman": A heart-wrenching ballad that dives into the mind of a woman struggling with a drinking problem, a previously untackled subject. Leading vocals are sung by Agnetha with an extraordinary fragility, that could be either a vocal technique used to express the emotionality of the lyrics or just a result of her age. As she painfully reflects on how many years she has been wasting and her destroyed relationship, the song ends with a glimpse of hope and a possible reconcilliation, similar to "One Man, One Woman". The backing vocal harmonies are breathtaking, as in any power ballad sung by Agnetha and Frida.

"Keep An Eye On Dan": By exploring the impact of divorce on a couple's child, this track once again mirrors the past history of the band, which famously split when the two couples that formed it separated. Divorce and single motherhood had already been tackled in the lyrics of "Hey, Hey, Helen", but from a completely different viewpoint that was more in tune with the women's liberation ideals of the time. The track is electronic, and although lead vocals are sung by Agnetha, the overall 80s feel and heavy synthesizer make me think of Frida's solo hit "I Know There's Something Going On" from 1982. The last few seconds feature an unexpected surprise: as the song ends, you can clearly hear the first bars of “SOS”.

"Bumblebee": A sweet ode to nature sung by Frida, as she marvels about the bumblebee living in her garden. it starts with a soft flute, once again similar to the one heard in “The Piper”, but with a tenderness that reminds me more of her vocals in “I Let The Music Speak”. In the verses, she speculates about what the world would be like without her new friend, as it may be changing too quickly for such necessary creatures to survive. Known for being always involved with environmental causes in her public life, Frida delivers a poignant message about the uncertainty we are living with in the face of climate change. The harmonies in the chorus sound dreamy, almost like a lullaby. A very heartwarming song, yet very thought-inducing too.

"No Doubt About It": A danceable, highly energetic song, with a beat similar to that of "Hole In Your Soul" and later, "Elaine". The vocals are led by Frida in the verses until Agnetha joins her in the chorus, that builds up after slightly slower verses. I’m sure many of us will identify with the narrator: a woman with a fiery temper who is always picking up fights with her man. She is unapologetic and prepared to “shout it out across the rooftops”, but he is almost alarmingly calm because he already knows her too well. As she is ranting left and right, waiting for him to take the bait but seeing that he doesn’t, she finally gives up and admits that she has overreacted, while he remains unfazed. Still, the last line is a menacing “this isn’t where it ends”, meaning she is probably still going to have the last word.

"Ode To Freedom": You know this song will be emotional from the get-go, partly because of the title and partly because it is the last one. In a first for ABBA, the song is a deeply moving waltz, very grandly orchestrated and with all four voices singing together, almost symbolizing unity. Contrary to what I expected, the song isn’t and never claims to be an ode to freedom at all. Instead, it speculates about what it would be like if they would write one themselves, but how it probably would not be worth remembering, as it would have been written by people who don’t know what it feels like to not be free. Way shorter than the other tracks and without a chorus, just like “The Way Old Friends Do”, it concludes with the utopian wish that there was an ode to freedom, that everyone could sing, a desire that still remains.

Now that I have covered the songs one by one, I wanted to write a few impressions on the overall album. The only way in which I could possibly describe it is that is is, in two words, pure ABBA. It maintains the exact same unmistakable sound that lets you know what band it is, even if you have never heard the song before. I find it amazing how they were able to pick up their musical evolution right where they left it when they split up in 1982, as if no time had gone by at all. While their music was and still is undoubtedly associated with a certain era, to me "Voyage" is the ultimate proof that ABBA is esencially timeless, and that their work transcends the passage of time with the same grace as Mozart's. Still, while the release of “Voyage” has been an immeasurable joy for all of us fans, it became inevitably bittersweet following Björn and Benny's announcement that these will be ABBA's last recordings, and that this is their last goodbye. Surprisingly, Frida begged to differ in an interview with BBC Radio 2 last week, saying that neither she nor Agnetha knew about this beforehand, as it was not a conscious decision made by all four of them. At worst, it remains a mystery. And even though my lifelong dream of seeing them live has now officially been laid to rest, I am overwhelmed by gratitude and by the feeling that now things have come full circle, as I'm sure many other fans feel too. Even if this is all, then this is all I want, because I lived to see what I never once thought I would ever see: the soundtrack of my life reuniting one final time, and making me smile like only they know how to do.

All that is left to say now is: Thank you for the music!