After a 40 year hiatus, ABBA is back with an album that will make you feel like you’re dancing along a beach in Greece with your three surrogate fathers. ABBA, a Swedish pop group formed in 1972, revived their popularity when their songs were included in the soundtrack of the 2008 film “Mamma Mia.” 

 However, the band split in 1982 after the two couples that comprised the band both decided to divorce. According to Agatha Faltskog (a member of ABBA), they realized that they weren’t having fun recording and writing anymore. 40 years later, the band decided to try again, claiming that they again felt the friendship and warmth that they once felt in the studio.

Even before their long awaited return, ABBA’s music was growing in popularity in a big way through the social media app TikTok. Songs like “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)” and edited versions of “Dancing Queen” have been used in popular trends across the app, but by far their most viral song on TikTok is 1979 song “Chiquitita,” more specifically the ending piano lick. 

The new album, titled “Voyage,” released Nov. 5, 2021, surprised me with how nicely it correlated to their original sound. If I listened to ABBA’s songs on shuffle, I may not be able to tell the difference between a song from the 1970’s and a song from 2021.

The album started slowly, with a song titled “I Still Have Faith in You,” a ballad meant to set the nostalgic tone for the rest of the album. It was a song about the band members still trusting each other to make music many years later, and it was the perfect introduction to the album.

Another song that was more slow, “When You Danced With Me,” followed the first song. This song was lighter and made me smile while listening. Keeping up with the theme, “Little Things,” came next as a sweet ballad that was reminiscent of a lullaby. It also reminded me of my childhood with it’s very nostalgic lyricism, such as “children bursting with giggles and screams, oh, what joy Santa brings.”

By far my favorite on the album was released as a single on Sept. 2 as a prerelease to their album, “Don’t Shut Me Down.” This song makes me so happy and definitely reminds me of the old ABBA vibe.

As the album continues, I noticed as I listened that the songs seem to become faster and more exciting. “Just A Notion” is a perfect follow to “Don’t Shut Me Down” as it keeps the tempo fast and was definitely made to dance. 

With a complete tone change, and one of the most important songs on the album, “I Can Be That Woman,” comes next. This song tells the story of a woman trying desperately to be enough for a man that doesn’t deserve her. It truly is a powerful song, and climaxes with an orchestra of sounds that make the listener really feel something.

Another one of my favorites on the album was “Keep An Eye On Dan.” It was unlike anything I’d ever heard before. It was very disco-esque, and transported the listener to a 70’s disco club.

Following was “Bumblebee,” yet another one of my favorites. This song made me feel free, like I can do anything, and I believe that was ABBA’s original intent.

Second to last was “No Doubt About It,” another song that makes me want to dance. A lot of nostalgia comes with this song, it sounds just like something ABBA would have released in the 1970’s. I think it was a perfect lead up to the ending.

The final song on “Voyage” was “Ode to Freedom.” It was a soft falling action to the album, again almost reminding me of a lullaby. 

I believe “Voyage” had a wonderful rise and fall, and was ABBA’s perfect return to the music industry. Each song made me feel a different way, while still keeping the same nostalgic vibe throughout the album. 

Contact Olivia Lane at [email protected]