Bjorn Ulvaeus admits he was ‘troubled' at first by age gap between him and wife Christina Sas
The pair met in 2021, while Sas was working on the release of the Abba album Voyage, and began dating the following year after he divorced from music journalist Lena Kallersjo, to whom he was married for 41 years.
He and Sas – who married in September 2024 in a ceremony officiated by comedian and TV presenter Sandi Toksvig – have an age gap of almost three decades, as Sas, 52, is 28 years Ulvaeus's junior.
In a new interview, the Swedish musician and composer, 79, revealed that the age difference initially troubled him, even though – for him – it was 'love at first sight'.
'Immediately I had severe problems with myself and the age difference,' he told The Times. 'When a man or a woman meets someone much younger and falls in love they think, 'Am I doing the right thing?''
In the end, though, he said he 'just gave up'. The singer added: 'I decided, 'It's up to her – if she wants to live with someone older and we love each other…' Age doesn't come between us now – we rarely even talk about it.'
Ulvaeus has two children with first wife Fältskog, Linda Elin Ulvaeus and Peter Christian Ulvaeus, and two daughters, Emma and Anna, with Kallersjo.
He and his Abba bandmates, Benny Andersson, Anni-Frid Lyngstad and Agnetha Fältskog, were recently the subject of an authorised biography that delved into the inner workings of one of the most successful pop groups of all time.
Melancholy Undercover: The book of Abba by Jan Gradvall, released last year, offered rare interviews with all four of the 1974 Eurovision champions, along with those who know and work with them, providing insights into how they created immortal hits such as 'Dancing Queen'.
'I cried when I heard it,' Lyngstad said. 'I thought it was so incredibly beautiful.'
Ulvaeus recalled that Fältskog, whom he was married to at the time, was asleep when he returned home and so he went to his sister's home and played it for her 'over and over'.
'We couldn't believe how good it sounded,' he said.
'Dancing Queen' was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2015 and is frequently ranked as one of the greatest pop songs of all time.
Ulvaeus will be speaking at SXSW London, which takes place between 2 to 7 June.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
North Wales Live
an hour ago
- North Wales Live
Yacht grounding prompts warning to ‘stay clear of the hard bits'
North Wales readers have been responding to reports that a luxury yacht became stranded off Gwynedd, with a jet skier broadcasting the Titanic theme tune through a loudspeaker whilst the drama unfolded. Social media footage triggered widespread reaction, with readers discussing seamanship, safety, and the jet skier's actions. The mishap swiftly became a hot topic amongst mariners and residents. Dozens of vessels rushed to assist a luxury 50ft yacht after it struck rocks off the Gwynedd shoreline on Monday, August 11. A nearby jet ski blared the Titanic theme song via a loudspeaker whilst a crew member desperately held onto the tilting craft. The ketch, travelling from Aberystwyth to Pwllheli, met disaster on underwater rocks a quarter of a mile from St Tudwal's Island East near Abersoch on the Llŷn Peninsula. Island proprietor Carl Hollins arrived first at the scene and attempted unsuccessfully to free the yacht from its Carreg y Trai position, also called Half Tide Rocks. The craft was a Swedish-manufactured Hallberg-Rassy, considered the "Rolls Royce" of sailing yachts. Half Tide Rocks typically remain visible above water and serve as a preferred resting place for seals. This week they lay beneath a high Spring tide, though the rocks appear on charts and the twin-masted yacht ought to have received warning of the danger via its GPS equipment. Some discovered grim comedy in the incident. Peteryyz comments: "I hope the jet skier was aptly playing the social media, viral, out of tune recorder version of The Titanic theme." Another contributor, Md71 joked: "You can't park there." Farmernotpharma writes: "The skipper knew what he was doing 'obviously'." Pay1233 says: "Anybody who has not made a mistake in their life, hasn't learnt anything, At all, I've been skipper on Diving boat round there, and thanks to more season skippers give me advice what to do / look out for. I feel for this person, so don't anybody sling mud at this Skipper." Puffinisland12 replies: "No need to sling mud, it's more of s'ling me your hook'. A £500k boat without charts, GPS and radar makes you wonder what did it have to help that poor captain. In the dark and no lights, no wonder he made a mistake." Weneedpie joins in with: "Agree, the captain surely would have checked his charts before making the journey from Aberystwyth, Carreg y Trai is even shown on OS Maps. Anyway, seems no one was hurt other than their egos, and they live to sail another day." Daffyddthomas thinks: "Always interesting to see this sort of thing well done to the Jet-ski driver!" While over on our Facebook page - Aneurin Jones comments: "Luxury yacht? Just looks like an ordinary yacht to me! It does bother me that 'sailing' requires no training and marine charts show depths of water but sailors regular run aground. First rule of sailing, stay clear of the hard bits!" Katey Victoria Duncalf feels: "Easily done as that rock only sticks out at certain tides."
Scotsman
9 hours ago
- Scotsman
Max Martin: The Swedish producer to the stars and his previous hits away from Taylor Swift
Get to know the producer behind Taylor Swift's hit records, and his other collaborations that become pop classics Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Speculation continues regarding Taylor Swift's 12th studio album. Despite having announced the title of it, 'The Life of a Showgirl,' with more details expected this week, some fans think she's about to work with Max Martin once again. Who is the pop producer to the stars? How did he end up working with Swift initially, and what are some of his other smash-hit collaborations? In case you haven't heard by now, Taylor Swift is about to release her 12th studio album. With more details expected to be provided when she features as a guest on the New Heights podcast this week (August 13), hosted by her current beau, Travis Kelce and his brother, there have been some hints as to what 'The Life of a Showgirl' may offer Swifties. Orange colour coding is one example, while another is the recent playlist she curated - 22 tracks on Spotify, all of which were produced by the team of Max Martin and Shellback. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad That's led fans to think that Martin and Shellshock are set to return to work with Swift, marking the end of an era with her collaborations with Jack Antonoff, which date back to 2014 when he collaborated with her on '1989.' The shift might also lead to perhaps a newer, optimistic, poppier Taylor Swift once again, as Martin and Shellshock have become renowned for the upbeat, catchy production work. So, who is Max Martin? Where did he come from, and how did he meet Taylor Swift? Most importantly, what have been some of his biggest successes that led to Taylor Swift requesting his production efforts on an earlier album, and potentially her forthcoming one? Let's learn a little bit more about the smash-hit pop producer and his previous, outstanding collaborations. Who is Max Martin? As Max Martin continues to be rumoured as the producer of Taylor Swift's 12th studio album, who is the producer to the stars and what have been his greatest hits that haven't involved Swift? | Getty Images Born Karl Martin Sandberg, the producer started his musical odyssey in the mid-1980s as the frontman for a glam metal band called It's Alive. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad After dropping out of high school to pursue music, he eventually came to the attention of the late Swedish producer Denniz PoP, who became his mentor. PoP hired him to work at his Cheiron Studios, gave him the name Max Martin, and helped him develop his songwriting skills. Martin's style is renowned for its ability to create powerful, catchy melodies and choruses. He often focuses on what he calls "melodic math," which prioritises how a melody sounds and its rhythmic structure over the lyrical meaning. This approach has led to a long and successful career defined by his ability to consistently produce chart-topping hits across different genres and decades, and a reputation for being a meticulous and dedicated collaborator who works closely with artists to refine and perfect their songs. When did Max Martin first start working with Taylor Swift? In interviews, Taylor Swift has shared details about how her collaboration with Max Martin on the Red album came to be, mentioning that when she was working in a studio in Los Angeles and noticed that Max Martin was working in the studio next door, and had always admired his work. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Swift has described walking into his studio and talking with him for an extended period, sharing personal stories that would later inspire the songs they wrote. She would talk for about 25 minutes about her relationships and feelings, and then the song-writing would begin. This led to them co-writing 'We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,' 'I Knew You Were Trouble,' and '22' for the Red album - some of which are Swift's biggest hits. In a 2012 interview , Swift spoke about the joy of collaborating, saying, "I really had a blast making this album with a lot of people, because when you have a big team of people who have collaborated to make the album what it is, you have a lot of people to call when things go well. 'Like you can call your co-writers and go, 'We got #1 on the Hot 100 this week! This is crazy!' and they go, 'I know it's crazy!' Back when I had Speak Now out, I had written everything by myself. I'd be like, 'Hey, Taylor, the song went #1!' I'd be like, 'Cool, that's great, you're the only one that wrote that.' And it's wonderful and I'm proud to have done that." What are some of Max Martin's biggest successes - that's not Taylor Swift? Where do we start? Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It's a proverbial who's who from the world of pop and chart successes. But away from Taylor Swift, here are some of the biggest successes Martin has been involved in. Katy Perry - Teenage Dream (2010) Max Martin and Shellback were the primary creative force behind this album, which famously produced five number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100, tying a record set by Michael Jackson's Bad. The singles 'California Gurls,' 'Teenage Dream,' 'E.T.,' and 'Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)' were all co-written and produced by the duo, solidifying Perry as a pop superstar and considered a high point in their collaboration. Britney Spears - ...Baby One More Time (1998) Arguably Martin's career-launching song, it introduced a new sound to pop music and made Britney Spears an overnight global sensation. While Shellback wasn't involved in this early hit, it's a foundational achievement for Martin that set the stage for all his future collaborations. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad In a 1998 interview with Billboard, Spears told reporters, "When I started working with Max Martin in Sweden, he played the demo for 'Baby One More Time' for me, and I knew from the start it was one of those songs you want to hear again and again. It just felt really right. I went into the studio and did my own thing with it, trying to give it a little more attitude than the demo." The Weeknd - "Blinding Lights" (2019) A monumental achievement considering the everlasting appeal of the song, with Max Martin co-writing and co-producing the song. It set a new record for the most weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, ultimately becoming the chart's greatest hit of all time. The song's 80s-inspired synth-pop sound became a defining trend, and it was a critical and commercial smash, though it famously received no Grammy nominations - however it is still one of the most streamed songs on Spotify and considered The Weeknd's signature song. Justin Timberlake - Can't Stop the Feeling! (2016) 'Can't Stop the Feeling!' marked the first time Justin Timberlake had worked with Max Martin and Shellback since his days with *NSYNC. After going solo, Timberlake had focused on other producers like Timbaland and The Neptunes, making this reunion a significant and highly anticipated event Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The song, taken from the film 'Trolls', reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and won the Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media, while the team of Max Martin, Shellback, and Justin Timberlake received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song as well. P!nk - "So What" (2008): This was a key collaboration for the duo as it became P!nk's first solo number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and was a major success worldwide. The song's angsty, empowering pop-rock sound became a signature for P!nk, and it was one of Shellback's first major hits with Max Martin, cementing their partnership. P!nk has said that the song was a "joke" and that she "heard this beat from Max Martin" and joked about her relationship. "We kept it because I don't really care. I don't think about the consequences when I write songs and now I am regretting every second of it." Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Maroon 5 - Payphone (2012) and One More Night (2012) The work Max Martin and Shellback did on Maroon 5's 2012 album, 'Overexposed,' marked a pivotal moment in the band's career, cementing their transition into a more pop-centric sound. This shift was largely a response to the massive success of their 2011 single, 'Moves Like Jagger,' and Martin was brought in as the album's executive producer to double down on that new direction. The album delivered two major hits: 'Payphone' was a commercial juggernaut, debuting at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 and setting records for first-week digital sales by a group, but 'One More Night,' was an even bigger success, spending an impressive nine weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. This lengthy reign at the top of the charts was particularly notable for blocking other major songs from reaching number one, including Taylor Swift's 'We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.' Kelly Clarkson - Since U Been Gone (2004) Originally not intended for Clarkson, but she and her team fought to record it after hearing the demo. The song's raw, high-energy pop-rock sound, which blended powerful vocals with driving guitars and an explosive chorus, was a deliberate shift from the more ballads-heavy style of her debut album. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad This new sound perfectly matched Clarkson's powerful voice and gave her a confident, rebellious edge that resonated with a wide audience. 'Since U Been Gone' was a massive critical and commercial success, revitalizing her career and proving she was more than just a reality TV star. It became a ubiquitous radio hit and an anthem of empowerment as the song was recognized with a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. Adele - 25 (2015) The collaboration between Adele, Max Martin, and Shellback on the single 'Send My Love (To Your New Lover)' for the album 25 was an unexpected but critically acclaimed success. The collaboration came about when Adele heard Taylor Swift's 'I Knew You Were Trouble' and, not knowing who Max Martin was, asked who had produced the track. What made their collaboration so unique is that it was built around an existing idea from Adele. She had a guitar riff that she had written when she was just a teenager, and she brought it to the session. Max Martin and Shellback then helped her build the song's "up-tempo, rhythmic sound" around that riff. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The result was a pop song that, while a departure from Adele's signature ballads, still felt authentically her. Looking for more information about Taylor Swift's forthcoming album? Check out everything we know so far in our previous article.
Scottish Sun
10 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Harry Clark breaks silence on Celeb SAS axe after shock brawl at Brits revealed
Harry reveals why he thinks bosses 'did him a favour' for giving him the boot SPEAKING OUT Harry Clark breaks silence on Celeb SAS axe after shock brawl at Brits revealed Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) TRAITORS star Harry Clark has broken his silence after being booted off SAS: Who Dares Wins for cheating. It was a humbling moment for the ex-Army lad, who has now admitted he 'hated' his time on the Channel 4 show. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up Directing staff Billy Billingham and Jason Fox caught Harry out performing only 10 burpee exercises when he'd been challenged to do 20 - then lied about it. He was meant to complete the set before pulling a switch. Harry said: 'Obviously I was so disheartened and so annoyed, but at the same time in the back of my head I was like, 'but it's all right though because I've made that switch, I'm here to stay'. 'I did exactly what I would do in the military. 'And that's what annoyed me so much because it was like I just hit that switch, but they'd kicked me off for it. 'So it was like, well then how can I prove to you now that I've changed? 'But then at the same time, when I look back on it and I've matured a lot now, they've probably done me a favour because I know that the next big stage was the interrogation phase.' The show was filmed in September last year. Celebrities always dread the interrogation segment and many crumble. Harry added: 'The place where I was mentally and physically, I would've definitely been broken down easy. I was easy pickings. Celebrity SAS star axed after 'lying and cheating' on show - as another quits 'So I think they actually done me a favour kicking me off the show, they probably saw that I needed to go and sort myself out. 'I didn't like the experience that much, personally, it made me angry at them and myself that I wanted to get better. 'I felt like they didn't like me. 'I absolutely hated it while I was there. 'I just want people to be able to look at me now and think that is a completely different person.' The episode of Harry's exit aired as The Sun revealed he had got into a shocking brawl at the Brits Awards with a Tiktok star. Harry is said to have had a 'drunken scuffle' with Moe Osman at the glitzy bash in March. Sources close to Harry say he retaliated after being 'antagonised' by the influencer, who goes by the username of Hellacreps online. Harry was an Army helicopter engineer for seven years but left the forces following his Traitors win.
