Good tidings! ABBA’s highly anticipated studio album Voyage has finally arrived. 

As this is the celebrated pop group’s first album in nearly four decades, it’s no wonder they broke Universal’s record as the fastest ever pre-order of all time in the UK—in just three days, they sold over 80,000 copies. 

Agnetha, Björn, Benny and Anni-Frid have also announced a revolutionary ABBA Voyage concert where they will perform their greatest hits and much-loved songs digitally with a live 10-piece band, as well as their new tracks ‘I Still Have Faith in You’ and ‘Don’t Shut Me Down.’ 

In a press statement, the band commented: “It’s been a while since we made music together. Almost 40 years, actually. We took a break in the spring of 1982 and now we’ve decided it’s time to end it. They say it’s foolhardy to wait more than 40 years between albums, so we’ve recorded a follow-up to ‘The Visitors.’ To tell the truth, the main inspiration to record again comes from our involvement in creating the strangest and most spectacular concert you could ever dream of. We’re going to be able to sit back in an audience and watch our digital selves perform our songs on a stage in a custom-built arena in London next spring. Weird and wonderful!” 

As with all previous ABBA releases, the ten-song album Voyage was written and produced by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus in Andersson’s studio Riksmixningsverket in Stockholm over a four-year period.

Their lyrics are complemented through the unmistakable and timeless vocals of  Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad.

Andersson says of the new album: “We knew if there was a show, we would need a couple of new songs to go with it…When we got into the studio after 39 years it was like no time had passed...we had a great time. I speak to Frida and Agnetha, and know they’re extremely happy having done this.”

Ulvaeus adds: “...So now we have ten songs - a whole album, called Voyage - because it's been a voyage, into uncharted territory...There must be something with the combination of Frida and Agnetha that makes that unique sound - when they started singing, it was ABBA.”

The ABBA Voyage concert will open on 27 May 2022 in a purpose-built ‘ABBA arena’ at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London. Tickets are on sale now from abbavoyage.com.

You can now stream ABBA’s new album on Spotify. 

While you’re at it, why not revisit some of their greatest hits too?