Latest news with #BjornUlvaeus
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Talks Reportedly ‘Failed' in Efforts to Bring ABBA Voyage to Australia
Plans to bring ABBA Voyage – the virtual concert experience from the eponymous Swedish pop group – to Australia have reportedly failed. First launched in May 2022, ABBA Voyage saw the quartet – which comprises Bjorn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, Anni-Frid Lyngstad and Agnetha Fältskog – taking to the first stage for the first time in 40 years, albeit as digital avatars (or 'ABBA-tars'). More from Billboard Jeremy Zucker Announces 2025 Australian Tour Black Sabbath Members Pay Tribute to Ozzy Osbourne: 'Goodbye Dear Friend' The Damned Cancel North American Concert Dates Following 'Catastrophic Event' While the group themselves have resisted lucrative offers to re-form since their 1982 split, the virtual, live concert experience provided a way for fans to relive the band's live concerts in the modern age. First launched in London in 2022, the immersive spectacle features 1979 versions of the band playing their biggest hits, backed by a 10-piece live band and a lofty light show. Currently, the experience is scheduled through Feb. 1, 2026, with questions having been raised as to where it may be held next (or if it will be extended). While reports of a Las Vegas debut have surfaced recently, discussions in regard to an Australian edition of ABBA Voyage have been in the works since 2023. Initially, both the cities of Sydney and Melbourne were in competition to host the production, with the latter reportedly winning out as the Victorian state government entered into what were labelled 'advanced conversations.' However, reports in May 2024 of an imminent announcement of a production at Melbourne's Flemington Racecourse were later replaced by reports of stalled negotiations, with an unnamed government official claiming that ABBA Voyage organizers – which includes Melbourne's Craig Hartenstine as CEO – 'got greedy.' Now, a new report from the Herald Sun has stated the event is 'not going ahead' in Melbourne after talks had 'failed,' with money and value for taxpayers being the sticking point. Reportedly, the ABBA Voyage production would require a purpose-built 3,000 seat venue to host the event and would cost $100 million AUD to be staged. Paul Dainty – who serves as the president and chief executive of promoter TEG Dainty, and was responsible for bringing the group to Australia in 1977 – called the news 'disappointing.' 'It's been a long journey, but [ABBA Voyage] is a super expensive project,' he added. 'Maybe we can revisit it in the future.' Though it's unclear what sort of value ABBA Voyage had been predicted to generate for the Australian economy, a December 2024 economic and social impact report noted that in the two years since its opening in May 2022, ABBA Voyage had generated £1.40 billion for the U.K. economy. Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
This '70s pop band has won over Gen Z (again) with 1 billion Spotify streams.
It's not 1979, but ABBA is bewitching a whole new generation with its disco magic. The iconic Swedish pop group, beloved for its infectious blend of Europop and danceable grooves, has made Spotify history with its late-'70s hit "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)." The song, cowritten and coproduced by members Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, entered Spotify's Billions Club on Sunday, July 20, after surpassing one billion streams on the music platform, Spotify exclusively confirmed to USA TODAY. This isn't the first time ABBA has dominated the streaming universe with its timeless tunes. The band's enduring anthem, "Dancing Queen," entered the Billions Club in July 2023. Released in October 1979 as part of the group's compilation album "Greatest Hits Vol. 2," "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!" peaked at No. 1 in several territories, including Europe, Denmark, Japan and Switzerland, and cracked the top 20 in ABBA's native Sweden. The song has received a number of revivals over the years thanks to various covers and samples. '80s diva and "Queen of Pop" Madonna featured the track's opening synth line in her 2005 song "Hung Up," which peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100. ABBA book revelations: AC/DC connection, the unlikely inspiration for 'Mamma Mia!', more Additionally, the 2008 film "Mamma Mia!" — a musical based on ABBA's hits-heavy catalog — included a version sung by stars Amanda Seyfried, Ashley Lilley and Rachel McDowall. More recently, "Gimme!" has enjoyed a digital resurgence with Gen Z, as seen on the social media platform TikTok. Several clips show young fans embracing the song's disco sound with lively, choreographed routines. ABBA racks up Gen Z fans by the millions on Spotify ABBA's streaming dominance is in part due to the group's sizable Gen Z audience. Globally, Gen Zers have accounted for 50% of ABBA's total streams on Spotify in 2025, according to the streaming service. Additionally, there have been over 11 million ABBA discoveries by Gen Z listeners on Spotify, which makes up half of the band's discoveries from all users worldwide. See the photos: A 'very emotional' ABBA reunites to receive Swedish royal honors The top 10 most-streamed ABBA tracks among Gen Z listeners in 2025 are as follows: Dancing Queen Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight) Lay All Your Love on Me The Winner Takes It All Mamma Mia Slipping Through My Fingers Money, Money, Money Super Trouper Chiquitita Take a Chance on Me This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: ABBA reaches 1 billion Spotify streams with 'Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!'
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The Independent
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
‘Fear England?' No, this Sweden team believes Women's Euros 2025 is their year
The night of 26 July 2022 brought mixed emotions for Abba's Bjorn Ulvaeus. On one hand, Sweden had just been thrashed 4-0 by England in the Euro 2022 semi-finals. On the other, he had just been informed that the Lionesses played the Abba anthem ' Does Your Mother Know ' in the dressing room, after Alessia Russo 's back-heel sent England through to the Wembley final on a frenzied evening at Bramall Lane. Ulvaeus said it made the humbling defeat to England at least a little more bearable. It explains why Abba has not been banned from England's pre-match playlist just yet, as captain and dressing room DJ Leah Williamson confirmed this week. After all, those are the vibes and emotions that the holders want to recapture as they target a return to the semi-finals. Instead, it is Sweden who need to change the record as they face the Lionesses once again in the knockout stages of a major tournament. The phrase 'always the bridesmaid, never the bride' follows Sweden as resolutely as the country's Soft Hooligans, the nosiest, most colourful fans at Euro 2025 so far. Sweden's loyal supporters turn out in their yellow and blue in hope rather than expectation, and have learned that the hard way. If there is any expectation, it's that Sweden may again reach the latter stages of a major tournament only to fall short: their resume over the past decade includes two defeats in Olympic final, two defeats in World Cup semi-finals, and that Euros semi-final defeat to England three years ago. 'We haven't talked about it as a squad,' said Sweden's head coach Peter Gerhardsson. 'I don't think anyone is waking up at 3:30am in the morning screaming about the 4-0 to England.' It was Ella Toone, though, who said 'Sweden should fear us' after England's 6-1 win over Wales, as the Lionesses found some momentum ahead of the knockout stages. 'We respect England and the team they have and everything they have achieved so far,' Sweden's captain Kosovare Asllani responded. 'Fear? No. We don't have the word fear in our dictionary. We look up the word courage.' That isn't to say Sweden are viewing themselves as underdogs. 'We're flying under the radar and it suits us,' Asllani continued. 'Obviously we think that we are one of the best teams in the world, due to the results we've had from the tournaments, but people rarely speak about us as someone that can win the gold. We don't think about it too much, but I think definitely people should talk about us more.' Williamson said the lack of conversation around their quarter-final opponents was 'slightly disrespectful' and believes they 'deserve more recognition" but Sweden's 4-1 win over Germany and their impressive results in the group stages has gone some way to changing that. Sweden are also unbeaten in a year, since losing to France in Euro 2025 qualifying, and the more relevant results with England ahead of this quarter-final were the more relevant results were the 1-1 and 0-0 draws during that same qualifying campaign. There is very little between the teams, and a lot of familiarity too. Williamson will be marking her Arsenal team-mate and Sweden striker Stina Blackstenius. Lucy Bronze plays next to winger Johanna Rytting Kaneryd and centre-back Nathalie Bjorn with Chelsea. If 'proper England' has become the phrase of England's tournament, there are many in the Sweden squad who have the experience of English football and embrace the 'physical' side of the game. 'We want to go out and play our football intensely, physically,' Asllani said. The Sweden captain, who helped the London City Lionesses to promotion to the Women's Super League last season, said her team will 'fight until the end' and 'run until we collapse'. Sweden will also look to bombard England with crosses and may attempt to crowd Hannah Hampton's box when delivering inswinging set-pieces. They are also a dangerous team in transitions, as Germany found out in their 4-1 defeat at Zurich's Stadion Letzigrund, which will host the quarter-final against England. "When you have a team who work for each other like Sweden, then you don't need to necessarily have a crazy standout threat because everyone plays their roles,' Williamson explained this week. 'I feel like the collective is our strength,' Asllani said. 'That is what's taken us here.' And the belief within the Sweden camp is growing that this may be their year at last. Rytting-Kaneryd, the speedy winger who Bronze said can 'run through walls', said following the win over Germany that 'something feels different' at Euro 2025. Asllani has two Olympic silvers on her shelf at home, to add to two bronzes from the World Cup. Sweden are hungry for a different colour. 'We have been at this stage almost every championship so we are used to it,' Asllani said. 'The fun starts now.'
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Bjorn Ulvaeus unsure if Abba Voyage will continue if a bandmate dies
Bjorn Ulvaeus said he does not know if the Abba Voyage virtual concerts will continue if one of his band members dies. Since opening in May 2022, more than three million people have seen the show that brings to life younger versions of the Abba members through digital 'Abba-tars' and a 10-piece live band in a purpose-built arena in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London. The influential pop group, also made up of Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Agnetha Faltskog and Benny Andersson, were the first Swedish winners of the Eurovision Song Contest with their hit Waterloo in Brighton in 1974. Asked on Times Radio if the virtual concerts will continue if a member of Abba dies, Ulvaeus told the station: 'That's a question I've never had before… I honestly don't know, hadn't thought about that. 'It's good you raise that question – I'll talk to the others about that as we need to decide beforehand between us if it's OK for all four of us to go on after we're gone.' Faltskog and Ulvaeus married in 1971 before splitting almost a decade later, while Andersson and Lyngstad also married and divorced in 1981, a year before the band broke up. Abba had a string of chart-toppers including Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!, Dancing Queen, Super Trouper, The Winner Takes It All and Mamma Mia! The group reunited and released their first new music in almost 40 years with Voyage, their ninth studio album, which topped the UK album charts. Their songs also inspired the musical Mamma Mia!, which began in London in 1999, and became a hit worldwide sensation. It spun off two movies, 2008's Mamma Mia! and 2018's Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.
Forbes
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
ABBA Charts A New Hit Album As Several Huge Singles Debut
ABBA charts three albums and four singles on multiple U.K. rankings, with ABBA – The Singles ... More debuting on several tallies thanks to a special re-release. COPENHAGEN, DENMARK: Pop group Abba pose for a group shot, (L-R) Benny Andersson, Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Agnetha Fältskog (Agnetha Faltskog) (front) and Björn Ulvaeus (Bjorn Ulvaeus), in May 1975 in Copenhagen, Denmark. (Photo by Jorgen Angel/Redferns) In the United Kingdom, it's not unusual for more than one project dedicated to ABBA's biggest singles to find space on the albums chart. While it's common for artists with older hits to keep a compilation on weekly rankings, earning several such titles charting at once is rare. Typically, one such collection of smash singles is enough, as the public continues to head to platforms like Spotify and Apple Music to hear the tunes it loves from a musical act. ABBA stands out in this regard. It's not uncommon for the Swedish pop band to secure multiple placements at once with decades-old albums and newer compilations, and this week, the musicians do it again as they score another charting win. ABBA – The Singles Debuts on Multiple Charts ABBA – The Singles debuts on two tallies in the U.K. The compilation opens at No. 48 on the Official Physical Albums chart and No. 59 on the Official Albums Sales roster. The group has now landed 22 placements on the ranking that looks only at physical products like CDs, cassettes, and vinyl, and 18 appearances on the general list of the top-selling titles in the country, including this latest arrival. ABBA's Gold Rises Again Gold: Greatest Hits — another one of ABBA's hugely successful compilations — joins ABBA – The Singles on the Official Albums Sales chart, while also finding space on several other tallies. Gold, one of the longest-running and longest-charting titles in U.K. history, rises to No. 13 on the Official Albums list. At the same time, it appears on both the Official Albums Streaming and Official Album Downloads rosters. ABBA's Trio of Charting Albums ABBA scores a third successful title as its 1975 third full-length, a self-titled affair, reenters a trio of tallies. ABBA breaks back onto the Official Vinyl Albums, Official Physical Albums, and Official Albums Sales charts at Nos. 22, 45, and 51, respectively, following a special vinyl re-release. ABBA's Multiple Hit Songs The Swedish superstars land a trio of popular albums in the U.K. at the moment, but even more hit songs. Four of the group's beloved singles, all from the band's self-titled album, debut across a variety of charts after being re-released on vinyl alongside the full-length itself. 'Mamma Mia,' 'So Long,' 'SOS,' and 'I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do' all appear on a trio of tallies and even manage to start inside the top 10 on most of them.
