Nu bryter Agnetha Fältskog tystnaden och delar med sig av sina tankar kring comebacken i en exklusiv intervju i Svensktoppen. Abba som denna vecka också går upp till förstaplatsen med Don´t shut me down. Lyssna på hela intervjun med Agnetha Fältskog i specialpodden här. (English translation available in the text)
Agnetha Fältskog om nya låtarna
Agnetha Fältskog berättar för programledaren Carolina Norén om varför Svensktoppen har en speciell plats i gruppens hjärtan, lyckan efter fansens hyllningar och varför hon än idag är restriktiv med intervjuer. Hon avslöjar dessutom lite mer om vad vi kan förvänta oss av resten av låtarna på nya albumet.
Agnetha om mötet med Frida
Tycker man om de här två första låtarna kommer man tycka om hela albumet. Det är väldigt mycket Abba-sound, vi försöker inte låta annorlunda eller påverkas av sånt som är aktuellt nu. Det blir väldigt mycket Abba när jag och Frida möts i studion. Det är som att våra röster gifter sig med varandra så det är nästan svårt att skilja på oss, säger Agnetha Fältskog.
Hör också senaste nytt om det kommande albumet, hur inspelningarna gick till och Agnetha Fältskogs tveksamhet till om det här med en konsert med Abbatarer verkligen är en så bra idé
Delar av intervjun sänds också i Svensktoppen söndag 19:e september 11.03-12.00 i Sveriges Radios P4 samt går att höra i sin helhet i vår app Sveriges Radio Play.
Agnetha Fältskog interview - English translation
In September, Agnetha Fältskog of ABBA agreed to grant Swedish radio presenter Carolina Norén an interview for the classic Swedish chart show Svensktoppen on Swedish Public Service radio. The interview was broadcast September 19.
Carolina Norén: Don't Shut Me Down by ABBA and with me on the phone I have Agnetha Fältskog. Hello, Agnetha! Agnetha Fältskog: Hello, Carolina!
C: And, of course, congratulations to entering the top of the chart, Agnetha! A: Wow, what a surprise! That was amazing, really fun.
C: Let's just say that I wasn't that surprised, and neither was the rest of the world. However, ABBA.s last number one here on Svensktoppen was actually Waterloo, back in 1974! A: Was it that long ago? Well, there you go. It was about time, then.
C: It was about time! Exactly. A: I'd like to take the opportunity to tell you how happy, grateful and moved everyone in the group is by the enormous reception. It feels very nice and warm inside.
C: I'm thinking, the first time you received a call like this from Svensktoppen, and I don't know if you remember this, Ulf Elfving was calling. It was in 1968, you were 17 years old and Jag var så kär (I Was So in Love), had reached number three. A: Yeah, it's been quite a few years, ha ha.
Agnetha Fältskog: Svensktoppen obviously means a lot
C: What has Svensktoppen meant to you over the years?
A: It means a great deal. We're so used to charts, and have enormous success in several countries, but Svensktoppen it's our native country and the audience we have back here, and it obviously means a lot. We're very moved by the reception everywhere. I remember that first interview with Ulf, I was very nervous, and almost couldn't believe that I'd entered Svensktoppen, it's something you don't forget. This was also an enormous surprise, because you can never really know how it will turn out. One is never sure that something is going to be successful, and one is glad when it happens.
C: I was actually thinking about that a bit: I know that you love spending time in the studio working, and so on, but was there any point while working on this new material where you started to feel doubt or fear: what if it doesn't work? A: Yes, we said that in the beginning: a long time had passed since we recorded, and you can never be sure that the voice is going to hold up was it going to sound old? However, we heard pretty immediately from both Frida's voice and mine that it sounded more or less as it did back then. However, you may have to make another kind of effort, and give more, or how to put it, of your ability to tell a story, to empathise with the song. I always used to do that, but it's a lot more now that one has lived an entire life. You put more emotion into it.
C: I was thinking, whose idea was it to do this who was the driving force behind the comeback?. I mean out of you? From the fans' point of view, it's always been a given. A: Yes ... Well, one thing lead to another, somehow. We felt that we wanted to do a few new songs for the avatar project that will open in May next year, in London. So we said let's do a few songs and see how they turn out, how it sounds. One thing led to another with a few more songs, and then Benny kind of said why not make an entire album?. Yes, and that's how it happened, and since we enjoy working in the studio, it's fantastically fun to be able to create and such.
C: Yes, and you have said that it's sometimes easy to tempt you into doing things if they sound like fun. A: Yes, that's true.
Agnetha Fältskog about the avatar project: I had to give it a think
C: So you weren't hard to convince, when it came to doing this? A: No, I don't think any of us were. Not doing this. The avatar project, I had to give it a think, since it meant a lot of work, as it were, on stage. Because I'm not a stage personality in that respect, but I can convey more feelings in the songs.
C: Indeed. The rumours around this comeback started back in 2018. We got to know the song titles, and it feels like these two songs that we have heard, have been underway for a while. Have you polished the songs over the years? What has happened since we first heard of them in 2018? A: Well, we have been at it. At first we worked on the avatars throughout February...let's see, was it the year before last? No, it was last year. We had just finished working with that, when the Corona situation appeared. Then, after a while, we started recording these songs and it's continued like that.
C: When the songs were released a little over two weeks ago, fans gathered around the world simultaneously. Björn and Benny participated in the live stream and you and Frida were part of the edited program. Björn and Benny said that you were following the broadcast from a distance. How did it feel watching it? A: It was actually enormous. I've been watching our fans a little, when they're listening to the songs, and they're actually crying. It's quite enormous what a reach it had all around across countries. It's almost hard to take it in, actually.
C: I was present at Gröna Lund (in Stockholm), where fans had been invited, and there were many fans from other countries. I can really attest that emotions were enormously strong. It was, you know, almost sacred. Just like you said, they cried and were deeply moved. One thing many of them said, at least the ones I talked to, was that they missed you the girls, they said: Agnetha and Annifrid. A: Yes.
C: Do you know when you will get together next time? A: I don't really dare to say. We're a bit older now, and have our minor ailments, ha ha. But we struggle on. But I don't dare to say, because it's a bit uncertain. At the moment we feel happy that we got this together, and let's hope everything goes well in London, at the premiere over there.
C: Right, in May next year. The avatars. Incredibly cool, actually. A: Right.
Agnetha Fältskog: I like to sit down when I sing. Frida usually stands up
C: You touched upon the thing about the voice, whether it would hold up. When you released your solo album in 2013, you mentioned in an interview that you'd had the same worry, and had taken singing lessons which turned out to be one lesson. How was it this time, Agnetha? Did it end up being any singing lessons? A: Haha. No, it didn't. One knows this, that it has to do with support from the stomach, that you shouldn't ruin...so it doesn't become too much for the throat. Instead, you find support in the belly, and it just fits so well, once you're in the studio. You just, wow, it holds up!. One has different I like to sit down when I sing. Frida usually stands up. It varies a lot, how you feel that you get the power.
C: You are the one doing the main vocals at least most of them on the single Don't Shut Me Down. I should add that I Still Have Faith in You is also in the chart, at number four. A: Yes, how fun!
C: How does it work when you divide it between the two of you? Do you choose your favourites, or is it directed by the respecive voice registers? Do tell. A: Yes. It's probably the guys who are in charge of that. We get some lyrics, get to listen a bit, and try a little. It's also happened that one has felt this one I'd like to do. There are no fights about anything. We try it out, but it's usually the guys, I think, who already know who is supposed to sing what. We're also part of each others'... Even if one of us sings the solo verses, we're always join together for the choruses, for the most part.
C: You have also a background as a songwriter, and ran your solo c
Agnetha Fältskog om nya låtarna
Agnetha Fältskog berättar för programledaren Carolina Norén om varför Svensktoppen har en speciell plats i gruppens hjärtan, lyckan efter fansens hyllningar och varför hon än idag är restriktiv med intervjuer. Hon avslöjar dessutom lite mer om vad vi kan förvänta oss av resten av låtarna på nya albumet.
Agnetha om mötet med Frida
Tycker man om de här två första låtarna kommer man tycka om hela albumet. Det är väldigt mycket Abba-sound, vi försöker inte låta annorlunda eller påverkas av sånt som är aktuellt nu. Det blir väldigt mycket Abba när jag och Frida möts i studion. Det är som att våra röster gifter sig med varandra så det är nästan svårt att skilja på oss, säger Agnetha Fältskog.
Hör också senaste nytt om det kommande albumet, hur inspelningarna gick till och Agnetha Fältskogs tveksamhet till om det här med en konsert med Abbatarer verkligen är en så bra idé
Delar av intervjun sänds också i Svensktoppen söndag 19:e september 11.03-12.00 i Sveriges Radios P4 samt går att höra i sin helhet i vår app Sveriges Radio Play.
Agnetha Fältskog interview - English translation
In September, Agnetha Fältskog of ABBA agreed to grant Swedish radio presenter Carolina Norén an interview for the classic Swedish chart show Svensktoppen on Swedish Public Service radio. The interview was broadcast September 19.
Carolina Norén: Don't Shut Me Down by ABBA and with me on the phone I have Agnetha Fältskog. Hello, Agnetha! Agnetha Fältskog: Hello, Carolina!
C: And, of course, congratulations to entering the top of the chart, Agnetha! A: Wow, what a surprise! That was amazing, really fun.
C: Let's just say that I wasn't that surprised, and neither was the rest of the world. However, ABBA.s last number one here on Svensktoppen was actually Waterloo, back in 1974! A: Was it that long ago? Well, there you go. It was about time, then.
C: It was about time! Exactly. A: I'd like to take the opportunity to tell you how happy, grateful and moved everyone in the group is by the enormous reception. It feels very nice and warm inside.
C: I'm thinking, the first time you received a call like this from Svensktoppen, and I don't know if you remember this, Ulf Elfving was calling. It was in 1968, you were 17 years old and Jag var så kär (I Was So in Love), had reached number three. A: Yeah, it's been quite a few years, ha ha.
Agnetha Fältskog: Svensktoppen obviously means a lot
C: What has Svensktoppen meant to you over the years?
A: It means a great deal. We're so used to charts, and have enormous success in several countries, but Svensktoppen it's our native country and the audience we have back here, and it obviously means a lot. We're very moved by the reception everywhere. I remember that first interview with Ulf, I was very nervous, and almost couldn't believe that I'd entered Svensktoppen, it's something you don't forget. This was also an enormous surprise, because you can never really know how it will turn out. One is never sure that something is going to be successful, and one is glad when it happens.
C: I was actually thinking about that a bit: I know that you love spending time in the studio working, and so on, but was there any point while working on this new material where you started to feel doubt or fear: what if it doesn't work? A: Yes, we said that in the beginning: a long time had passed since we recorded, and you can never be sure that the voice is going to hold up was it going to sound old? However, we heard pretty immediately from both Frida's voice and mine that it sounded more or less as it did back then. However, you may have to make another kind of effort, and give more, or how to put it, of your ability to tell a story, to empathise with the song. I always used to do that, but it's a lot more now that one has lived an entire life. You put more emotion into it.
C: I was thinking, whose idea was it to do this who was the driving force behind the comeback?. I mean out of you? From the fans' point of view, it's always been a given. A: Yes ... Well, one thing lead to another, somehow. We felt that we wanted to do a few new songs for the avatar project that will open in May next year, in London. So we said let's do a few songs and see how they turn out, how it sounds. One thing led to another with a few more songs, and then Benny kind of said why not make an entire album?. Yes, and that's how it happened, and since we enjoy working in the studio, it's fantastically fun to be able to create and such.
C: Yes, and you have said that it's sometimes easy to tempt you into doing things if they sound like fun. A: Yes, that's true.
Agnetha Fältskog about the avatar project: I had to give it a think
C: So you weren't hard to convince, when it came to doing this? A: No, I don't think any of us were. Not doing this. The avatar project, I had to give it a think, since it meant a lot of work, as it were, on stage. Because I'm not a stage personality in that respect, but I can convey more feelings in the songs.
C: Indeed. The rumours around this comeback started back in 2018. We got to know the song titles, and it feels like these two songs that we have heard, have been underway for a while. Have you polished the songs over the years? What has happened since we first heard of them in 2018? A: Well, we have been at it. At first we worked on the avatars throughout February...let's see, was it the year before last? No, it was last year. We had just finished working with that, when the Corona situation appeared. Then, after a while, we started recording these songs and it's continued like that.
C: When the songs were released a little over two weeks ago, fans gathered around the world simultaneously. Björn and Benny participated in the live stream and you and Frida were part of the edited program. Björn and Benny said that you were following the broadcast from a distance. How did it feel watching it? A: It was actually enormous. I've been watching our fans a little, when they're listening to the songs, and they're actually crying. It's quite enormous what a reach it had all around across countries. It's almost hard to take it in, actually.
C: I was present at Gröna Lund (in Stockholm), where fans had been invited, and there were many fans from other countries. I can really attest that emotions were enormously strong. It was, you know, almost sacred. Just like you said, they cried and were deeply moved. One thing many of them said, at least the ones I talked to, was that they missed you the girls, they said: Agnetha and Annifrid. A: Yes.
C: Do you know when you will get together next time? A: I don't really dare to say. We're a bit older now, and have our minor ailments, ha ha. But we struggle on. But I don't dare to say, because it's a bit uncertain. At the moment we feel happy that we got this together, and let's hope everything goes well in London, at the premiere over there.
C: Right, in May next year. The avatars. Incredibly cool, actually. A: Right.
Agnetha Fältskog: I like to sit down when I sing. Frida usually stands up
C: You touched upon the thing about the voice, whether it would hold up. When you released your solo album in 2013, you mentioned in an interview that you'd had the same worry, and had taken singing lessons which turned out to be one lesson. How was it this time, Agnetha? Did it end up being any singing lessons? A: Haha. No, it didn't. One knows this, that it has to do with support from the stomach, that you shouldn't ruin...so it doesn't become too much for the throat. Instead, you find support in the belly, and it just fits so well, once you're in the studio. You just, wow, it holds up!. One has different I like to sit down when I sing. Frida usually stands up. It varies a lot, how you feel that you get the power.
C: You are the one doing the main vocals at least most of them on the single Don't Shut Me Down. I should add that I Still Have Faith in You is also in the chart, at number four. A: Yes, how fun!
C: How does it work when you divide it between the two of you? Do you choose your favourites, or is it directed by the respecive voice registers? Do tell. A: Yes. It's probably the guys who are in charge of that. We get some lyrics, get to listen a bit, and try a little. It's also happened that one has felt this one I'd like to do. There are no fights about anything. We try it out, but it's usually the guys, I think, who already know who is supposed to sing what. We're also part of each others'... Even if one of us sings the solo verses, we're always join together for the choruses, for the most part.
C: You have also a background as a songwriter, and ran your solo c
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