Agnetha Fältskog, Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad, better known as Abba, are back in the studio to record new music together.
Abba Returns To The Studio
More than three decades after the Swedish group disbanded in the 1980s, the music icons revealed that they have recorded two new songs. On an Instagram post, the band shared new details about their reunion and their exciting next project.
"We all four felt that, after some 35 years, it could be fun to join forces again and into the recording studio," a statement published on Friday, April 27, reads. "So we did. And it was like time had stood still and that we only had been away on a short holiday. An extremely joyful experience!"
One of the tracks recorded by the '70s group was "I Still Have Faith In You," which will be used in an upcoming television special produced by NBC and the BBC. The performance, which will be made digitally, will air some time in December.
Hologram Tour
Abba also announced an upcoming tour in which the renowned singers, all in their late 60s and early 70s, will not be physically present at the venue. Instead, they will be sending their virtual avatars to perform in front of fans.
Recording the two new tracks, the group stated, was the "unexpected consequence" of the tour.
The hologram avatars of Abba, called "Abba-stars," will kick off next year. It is not yet clear how the series of concerts will look like, but the Swedish stars will not be the first to make use of the technology.
Roy Orbison went back on tour earlier this year through a hologram projection. The singer-songwriter died in 1988.
Here he is performing "Oh, Pretty Woman" with an orchestra.
Late artists such as Tupac Shakur and Michael Jackson were brought back to life via a hologram for one final major performance.
Abba reportedly refused an offer to tour again for $1 billion back in 2000. In a previous interview, Ulvaeus argued that the recent popularity of their songs was because the band never reunited.
"We have never made a comeback," he said at the time. "Almost everyone else has. I think there's a message in that."
Last year, Fältskog revealed that the initial offer for the tour required around 250 shows, and the band simply was not up for it.
Details are scarce regarding Abba's hologram tour, which was first announced back in 2016. In a previous post, they detailed that the tour will use the "very latest in digital and virtual reality technology." The project was created and developed with Simon Fuller (of American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance), who has been investing in technology that will enable hyper-realistic avatars of the four singers to go on tour.
More details, including the tour dates and venues, are expected to be announced in the following months.
The anticipated reunion of Abba coincides with the release of Mama Mia! Here We Go Again in July.
