Weird how time not only flies but warps in our minds, isn’t it? When ABBA was an active popgroup in the 70s I couldn’t give enough fux about them to put a pancake in between. Same when they split up. We had punk, we had political chants, we were young socialist fighters and beach bums. For me ABBA always were too squeeky clean, too overground, too establishment, too kitschy, too poppy, too happy.

Listening to their legendary songs nowadays I feel nostalgic and am overcome with bittersweet emotions in a kinda happysad way. Past times, lost chances, happy rainy endless summers, sandcastles in the sand, guitars and campfires, clumsy boys kissing you clumsily, the first hangover, tears in my pillow, sand in my sleeping bag, eternal sadness of a stupid teenager.

And the jukebox in the ice cream parlour blasted ABBA on full volume!

All that stuff boils up again in this old woman. Those were the days my friend. The days before we ever heard the term cynicism, when feelings were still pure and clean, contrary to our pimply faces, and we were longing to finally become adults so we could do whatever we want. Little did we know, right?

And ABBA was the soundtrack to all that! Always lurking in the background, making us humming and whistling, or even breaking out into chanting along loudly, against our better judgement. Because it was just so nice, so uplifting. All was ok in the world when ABBA played.

Anyhoo, be that as it may, just wanted you to know our Swedish poptarts are in the studio again, recording new songs. I’m just not sure if I even wanna listen to them. ABBA is legend, I think they should stay a legend, like The Beatles. New material will bring ABBA into the realm of modern popmusic, where they will compete with and be compared to all those stupid modern popkidz. They will become touchables again. Listening to ABBA’s new  stuff can only be a disappointment, no matter how good their shit might be.