PanamaTimes

Friday, Mar 29, 2024

Abba singles race to top of streaming charts in comeback triumph

Swedish pop group shows cross-generational appeal, amassing 5.5m likes on TikTok since 1 September

Two singles released from Abba’s first album in 40 years have raced to the top of the streaming charts, in a comeback that has generated praise and excitement among fans who remember the original releases and a new younger audience.

The first two singles from Abba’s forthcoming album, to be released on 5 November, were in first and third place on YouTube’s trending rankings in 12 countries on Friday, including the UK. I Still Have Faith In You gained 4.4m views within 24 hours in Britain and Don’t Shut Me Down 1.4m views.

In a further confirmation of the Scandinavian pop band’s cross-generational appeal, Abba have already amassed 991,000 followers and 5.5m likes on TikTok despite only joining the platform on 1 September.

The group, who made a piano rendition of Dancing Queen that received 7.3m views their first post, have spawned a huge number of videos from generation Z fans lip-syncing to songs or parodying scenes from the film Mamma Mia.

While Spotify has not updated its charts since the release of the singles, it shared data showing the band were most streamed by 18- to 24-year-olds, and that their music has been growing in popularity since 2014, with streams doubling over that period. Dancing Queen is the most popular track on the platform, the data showed.

An Abba Voyage event in Stockholm, Sweden.


Although Abba, who released all their earlier hits between 1972 and 1982, are now seen as one of the most successful of all time, their popularity dipped in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when they were increasingly seen as kitsch.

It was not long before the Swedish quartet returned to chart-topping fame, however, with the launch of the Abba Gold: Greatest Hits compilation in 1992, which is still one of the bestselling albums ever worldwide. This was followed by the popular Mamma Mia musical on stage in 1999 and two successful film adaptations starring Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Dominic Cooper and Amanda Seyfried, in 2008 and 2018.

Fans of all ages have been delighted by the return of the pop legends. Gary Collins, who edits the magazine for Abba’s official international fanclub, said they had been “absolutely overwhelmed” by news of the 10-track album. “It’s so much more than people dared to hope for from a band that hadn’t recorded for so long. I think it’s amazing they would come back.”

In particular, fans appreciate how Abba have sought to recapture the timeless appeal of their original sound, he said. “It sounds like they never went away. These songs in 2021 could easily have fitted on to one of their last two studio albums in 1980 and 1982.”

Collins said he was unsurprised Abba’s music was so popular among teens as they have always had cross-generational appeal, and also their glam rock-era flamboyance and escapism resonates so much with the current mood.

“I remember back in the 70s, I was only a young kid, but the electricity would go off for two days a week,” he said.

“Music was a way of escaping some of the hardships people had. People are going through bad times now, the news is awful, and they’re hankering after that return to something a bit more joyous, it’s a bit of an antidote.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

PanamaTimes
0:00
0:00
Close
Apple warns against drying iPhones with rice
In a recent High Court hearing, the U.S. argued that Julian Assange endangered lives by releasing classified information.
Global Law Enforcement Dismantles Lockbit Ransomware Operation
Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny has died at the Arctic prison colony
The President of Argentina Javier Mile does not fly private, he flies commercial, with the citizens he represents. And they LOVE him for it.
Bitcoin Reaches $50,000 for First Time in Over Two Years
Belo Horizonte: Brazil's Rising Carnival Hotspot for 2024
In El Salvador, the 'Trump of Latin America' stuns the world with a speech slamming woke policing after winning a landslide election
Tucker’s interview with Putin is over 50M views on X within the first 5 hours.
Finnish Airline, Finnair, is voluntarily weighing passengers to better estimate flight cargo weight
President Nayib Bukele has proudly announced El Salvador's remarkable achievement of becoming the safest nation in the Western Hemisphere.
Former Chilean President Sebastian Piñera Dies in Helicopter Crash
This farmer seems to understand science a bit more than the event organizer, Klaus Schwab.
Facebook turns 20: From Mark Zuckerberg's dormitory to a $1trn company
The Coolest Dictator in the World" on the Path to Victory in El Salvador
Macron, France and fake news
Indian-Origin Man 'King' Arrested For Smuggling $16 Million Drugs Into US
Can someone teach Americans that not every person with slanted eyes is Chinese?
Europe's Farmers Feeding the People, Protesting Against Politicians Who Do Nothing for Their Country and Serve Only Themselves at Taxpayers' Expense
Paris Restaurant That Inspired 'Ratatouille' Loses $1.6 Million Worth Of Wine
Brazilian Police Investigate Bolsonaro's Son for Alleged Illegal Spying
Police in Brazil Raid Residence of Bolsonaro Associate Over Allegations of Illegal Spying
Border Dispute Escalates as Texas Governor Vows Increased Razor Wire
OpenAI Enhances ChatGPT-4 Model, Potentially Addressing AI "Laziness" Issue
The NSA finally acknowledges spying on Americans by acquiring sensitive data
Report Reveals Toxic Telegram Group Generating X-Rated AI-Generated Fake Images of Taylor Swift
US Border Patrol States 'No Plans' to Remove Razor Wire Installed in Texas
Bitcoin Experiences Approximately 20% Decline in Value
Klaus Schwab recently appointed himself as the Earth's "trustee of the future."
DeSantis Drops Out, Endorses Trump.
Nikki Haley said former President Trump is "just not at the same level" of mental fitness as he was while president in 2016.
Residents of a southern Mexican town set the government palace on fire in response to the police killing of a young man
Samsung Launches AI-Driven Galaxy S24, Ushering in New Smartphone Era
Judge Questions SEC's Regulatory Overreach in Coinbase Lawsuit
The Ecuador prosecutor who was investigating the television studio attack, has been assassinated.
Is artificial intelligence the solution to cyber security threats?
Vivek Ramaswamy suspends his US election campaign and endorses Trump.
Viral Satire: A Staged Satirical Clip Mistaken as Real Footage from the 2024 World Economic Forum in Davos
The AI Revolution in the Workforce: CEOs at Davos Predict Major Job Cuts in 2024
Ecuador Reports 178 Hostages in Prison Gang Standoff
The Startling Cuban Espionage Case That Has Rattled the US Government
Two Armed Men in Ecuador, Dressed as Batman and The Joker Storm the Streets.
Armed Gang Raids Ecuadorian TV Station Following State of Emergency Declaration
Anti-Democratic Canada: Journalist Arrested for Questioning Canadian Finance Minister on Support of Terrorist Group
Ecuador's 'Most-Wanted' Criminal Vanishes from Prison
Mexican Cartel Supplied Wi-Fi to Locals Under Threat of Fatal Consequences for Non-Compliance
Border Surge Leads to Over 11,000 Migrants Waiting in Northern Mexico
Outsider Candidates Triumph in Latin American Elections
As Argentina Goes to the Polls, Will the Proposal to Replace the Peso with the Dollar Secure Votes?
Fatal Shark Attack Claims Life of Boston Woman Paddleboarding Near Bahamas Resort, According to Police
×