The band is back together! Swedish pop sensations ABBA have announced their first studio album since the early 1980s and a concert series. But this isn't just any concert, Anni-Frid, Agnetha, Benny and Bjorn will be performing as Industrial Light and Magic-made digital avatars (ABBAtars?) set to a live 10-piece band.
From the band's statement:
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 [1981's] '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!
We simply call it 'Voyage' and we're truly sailing in uncharted waters. With the help of our younger selves, we travel into the future. It's not easy to explain but then it hasn't been done before.
The album, Voyage, drops November 5. The show, ABBA Voyage, opens May 27, 2022 at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park's arena in London. Tickets go on sale to the general public on September 7.
image via ABBA Voyage/FB
