The ABBA way of life: A voyage through time shows the band has evoked awe and awkwardness in equal measure

In #TheMusicThatMadeUs, senior journalist Lakshmi Govindrajan Javeri chronicles the impact that musicians and their art have on our lives, how they mould the industry by rewriting its rules and how they shape us into the people we become: their greatest legacies

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In the entire universe of modern music fans, there can be no greater elitist or stuck-up breed of music lovers than those of classic rock.

Being one myself, I would have you know that I am well within my rights to call them/us out for being exactly what this music derides: self-proclaimed authorities with blinders on. This is particularly and deliciously ironic given that rock, as a genre, has built its entire raison d’etre on questioning anything that is the norm or worse, snobbish. Without a doubt, we must give credit where it is due: the music scene of the 1960s and ’70s was so rich in the experiments of rock n’ roll, blues, and soul that it spawned generations of sub-genres. Even today, these stand the test of time, taking the sounds to newer and younger pastures even if rock is not as much a staple today as it was back in the day. Given all the social and societal confines that rock has attempted to knock down, one would imagine its supporters would be more welcoming of anyone else doing the same. They, of course, had just not bargained for ABBA . The Swedish band’s staggering and continued legacy finds roots in the fact that even at the peak of their prime, it was not cool to love ABBA. Why? Because the custodians of rock and its various offshoots did not think so. It is another matter that ABBA took its identity to a direction hitherto unknown — a composite of the best in pop musically, glam rock sartorially, and classic rock attitudinally — and rolled with it in a manner that had not been seen until they came along.

That ABBA just could not care about what costumes, what tunes, what music tech or what moves were perfect for the mood of the time, contributed significantly to their popularity.

They are the first group from a non-English-speaking country to achieve consistent success in the charts of English-speaking countries, including the US, the UK, Republic of Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.

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It has been 40 years since their last album release, and the Swedish band are now back with an updated, yet nostalgic form of their music. Once again, we find ourselves observing their comeback with cynicism because this time — along with their new music — we also have to contend with the New Age but creepy “Abbatars.” The release of their latest album Voyage will lead to a series of virtual spectacles where realistic VFX versions, of the band members that have perfected their every move and note, will mesmerise their fans. Slated for the summer of 2022, these virtual concerts are a creation of Industrial Light and Magic, founded by Star Wars creator George Lucas. Once again, ABBA have found a way to evoke awe and awkwardness in equal measure. While their digital theatrics might play to the interests of the younger generation of music lovers, those who have been their most ardent fans find themselves curious about the new music more than the concerts. The most crucial section of the ABBA audience today will be those who mocked them in their prime and have over time found that the band has had a lot more substance than it has been given credit for. The reluctant fans, as we should call them, are the ones for whom the nostalgia hits home the most. Let us face it: ABBA was a big part of our growing-up years, and now in our 40s and 50s, we realise that that saccharine, glitzy quartet that made you dance even if you did not want to, had more to it than its appearance and synth sound. That is also because we are almost always consumed by their happy hits like ‘Mamma Mia,’ ‘Dancing Queen,’ ‘Happy New Year,’ ‘Gimme Gimme Gimme,’ et al.

Yet, the more you think about it, ABBA’s repertoire has actually delved frequently into shades of melancholia that are far removed from those that we habitually find in the blues sound of rock music: the African American voice. Coming from a nation where it snows for half the year and the sun disappears for a couple of months, ABBA is well placed to write and score about the weightiness and depression that their roots offer. Given that for the most part they were two married couples that formed the band, their dynamics and those of their individual marriages too found way into their art. You needn’t look farther than the entire final album The Visitors, as well as songs such as ‘The Winner Takes it All’, ‘When All is Said and Done’, ‘My Love My Life’, ‘‘The Way Old Friends Do’, ‘The Day Before You Came’, ‘I Wonder’, ‘One of Us’, ‘Our Last Summer’. Yet — ABBA has also fuelled this a fair bit — we cannot see (or hear) beyond their bling and their moves. In the ABBA official biography, Bjorn Ulvaeus revealed that their clothes were more than just personal preferences; they were tax benefits. The book mentions that ABBA actually got a tax benefit for donning outrageous outfits. Swedish tax laws allowed the cost of their costumes to be deducted against tax, but only if they were wild enough that they could not be worn for everyday use. And history is witness to just how successfully ABBA exploited that. Nevertheless, every incandescent star must lose its shine over time. If their Midas’ touch waned in the early ’80s, it found resonance within the gay community of the US and the UK for it represented everything they yearned for: unbridled freedom, disdain for social mores, and a generous helping of Dancing Queens!

Apart from the fans, ABBA has influenced pretty much every pop band that followed. Their distinct sound has found fans in Madonna, Bee Gees, Kurt Cobain, The Cardigans, and so many many more. ABBA paved the way for Madonna to fly solo while experimenting with pitch, tone, and presentation. Elvis Costello has previously admitted to lifting the piano riffs from ‘Waterloo’ and ‘Dancing Queen’ for his song ‘Oliver’s Army.’ The Who’s Pete Townshend has said in interviews that ‘Knowing Me, Knowing You’ and ‘SOS’ are two of the most perfect pop songs ever written and produced. Ray Davies and John Lennon too have counted themselves as ABBA fans. The ABBA model of musicality has inspired many cover bands like Abbacadabra and Abbaesque, to being featured in movies such as Muriel’s Wedding, Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Mamma Mia etc. There is also Erasure’s EP Abba-esque and Madonna’s Hung up, which features an ABBA sample, Cher’s cover, and many other nods to ABBA made by major artists over time. And over 40 years, the world has changed. As has our ear for music. ABBA’s two new singles served as a teaser for Voyage, a recce trip if you will, to help us condition our expectations for a new ABBA with an old soul. Whether or not the experimentation works is a different story. The release of Voyage is a reminder to acknowledge that ABBA has in fact done more good than damage to the music world. It would not make us smaller to admit to that. Listen to ABBA’s Voyage here.

Senior journalist Lakshmi Govindrajan Javeri has spent a good part of two decades chronicling the arts, culture and lifestyles.