How ABBA keeps finding new fans
If you were on TikTok three or four years ago, you probably came across viral videos reminiscing about the past—or joking about life’s tiny tragedies—set to a sped-up version of a song that went: “Sometimes, when I’m lonely I sit and think about him…” And if you’re still chronically online, there’s a good chance you will still stumble across one of these clips.
That was “Angeleyes” by the Swedish pop group ABBA. While a successful single in its own right when it was released in 1979, the song was overshadowed by bigger hits from the same year, including “Chiquitita,” “Voulez-Vous,” and “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!”
But more than four decades later, thanks to the internet, the song found a second life among younger listeners. The trend even reached one of the song’s original creators, Björn Ulvaeus, who joined in on the joke—using the viral audio to mourn the disappearance of his 1970s platform boots.
A joy to play onstage
Indeed, ABBA’s music has always found its way back to people, somehow, some way. And one act that has witnessed the rise, fall, and resurgence of the group’s popularity over time is Björn Again, the 38-year-running ABBA parody tribute act from Australia.
“What we have learned is that you never underestimate the power of social media to gain traction or popularity,” says the member who goes by the name Benny Anderwear, a playful take on the original Benny Andersson.
The group features a rotating cast of performers who take on fictionalized versions of the ABBA members, complete with pun-filled stage names such as Agnetha Falstart (Agnetha Fältskog), Frida Longstokin (Anni-Frid Lyngstad), Benny Anderwear (Benny Andersson), and Björn Volvo-us (Björn Ulvaeus).
Volvo-us has always loved “Angeleyes” for all its “funky little parts that make it a joy to play onstage,” but he has noticed the audience response to the song becoming noticeably more enthusiastic in recent years. “Fans, including the young ones, can now access ABBA’s music whenever and wherever they like. It’s wonderful,” he tells Lifestyle Inquirer.
Comedy and musical homage
While the band faded from the spotlight in the early 1980s as disco fell out of fashion, their music remained in the public consciousness through the 1992 compilation album “ABBA Gold” and 1990s films like “Muriel’s Wedding” and “The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.”
In fact, in the Philippines, it’s not out of the ordinary to wake up on a Sunday morning to your neighbors playing “Fernando.”
But perhaps nothing played a bigger role than the global success of the “Mamma Mia!” stage musical and film adaptations in the 2000s and 2010s. “The films in particular really helped showcase ABBA’s lesser-known songs like ‘Angeleyes,’ ‘Slipping Through My Fingers,’ and ‘Honey, Honey.’ ‘When I Kissed the Teacher’ is also having a resurgence,” says Falstart.
“So now we have new generations of fans listening to these songs and making them even more popular.”
While those media undoubtedly played big roles in ABBA’s legacy, Björn Again’s contribution can’t be overlooked. “We would like to think that our shows also play a big part in the popularity and continuation of the music,” Volvo-us says.
Aside from being the only tribute band officially endorsed by ABBA members, what sets Björn Again apart from other acts is that they deliver theatrical productions that add a healthy dose of comedy—fake Swedish accents and all—to their pitch-perfect musical homage.
“I think we’re just actually quite naturally funny, so people laugh at us and with us without really trying too hard,” Volvo-us says. “We feel we’re trying to put on a character because this is simply who we are.”
Happy-sad music
This is something fans can expect when Björn Again takes the stage at Waterfront Cebu City Hotel & Casino on Aug. 7 and at The Theatre at Solaire on Aug. 8 and 9. “We last performed in Manila in 2017, so this new show is long overdue,” says Falstart, who remembers the Philippines as a “very musical country.”
“We loved playing there and hearing everyone sing so well. For some reason, you’re all amazing singers out there!”
But at the end of the day, no number of viral moments or amount of media exposure can make classics out of songs that lack the quality to stand on their own. “Timeless” is a word that always came up whenever Björn Again described ABBA’s music.
But what makes them timeless? If you look closely at their songs—like “Angeleyes,” “Knowing Me, Knowing You,” and maybe even “Dancing Queen”—they’re actually quite sad songs about longing and heartbreak, but packaged as dazzling midtempo ballads or glamorous upbeat disco tracks.
“They’re pieces of art… They’re about heartbreak, but also wanting to go out and dance… People love dressing up, being with their friends, having a night where they can just celebrate despite their problems,” Longstokin says. “Those things will never change and will always be relatable, no matter what age you are.”
And that’s why, decades later, we’re still singing: Thank you for the music.
