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Bjorn Ulvaeus unsure if Abba Voyage will continue if a bandmate dies

Bjorn Ulvaeus unsure if Abba Voyage will continue if a bandmate dies

Since opening in May 2022, more than three million people have seen the show that brings to life younger versions of the Abba members through digital 'Abba-tars' and a 10-piece live band in a purpose-built arena in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London.
The influential pop group, also made up of Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Agnetha Faltskog and Benny Andersson, were the first Swedish winners of the Eurovision Song Contest with their hit Waterloo in Brighton in 1974.
Asked on Times Radio if the virtual concerts will continue if a member of Abba dies, Ulvaeus told the station: 'That's a question I've never had before… I honestly don't know, hadn't thought about that.
'It's good you raise that question – I'll talk to the others about that as we need to decide beforehand between us if it's OK for all four of us to go on after we're gone.'
Faltskog and Ulvaeus married in 1971 before splitting almost a decade later, while Andersson and Lyngstad also married and divorced in 1981, a year before the band broke up.
Abba had a string of chart-toppers including Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!, Dancing Queen, Super Trouper, The Winner Takes It All and Mamma Mia!
The group reunited and released their first new music in almost 40 years with Voyage, their ninth studio album, which topped the UK album charts.
Their songs also inspired the musical Mamma Mia!, which began in London in 1999, and became a hit worldwide sensation.
It spun off two movies, 2008's Mamma Mia! and 2018's Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.
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The winner takes it all but Leah Williamson won't ‘banish Abba' for Sweden clash
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time21 hours ago

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The winner takes it all but Leah Williamson won't ‘banish Abba' for Sweden clash

The Swedish band's 'Does Your Mother Know' became a key track on the Williamson-curated dressing room playlist during England's triumphant Euro 2022 campaign, where they beat Sweden 4-0 in the last four – a defeat made 'easier to bear' by the use of the song, according to Abba's own Bjorn Ulvaeus. It was a closer affair when they met in the qualifiers for this tournament, drawing twice, including the goalless July 2024 stalemate that was enough for England to book a direct place in the finals. A post shared by ABBA Voyage (@abbavoyage) Hearing some Swedish fans had claimed Abba were better than the Beatles, and therefore Sweden would beat England, Williamson replied: 'I don't (agree with that) I'm afraid. One might be easier to dance to, but no. 'I don't think that will be on the playlist, but it worked in 2022 so I don't want to banish Abba completely.' The England centre-back is gearing up for a battle with Arsenal team-mate Stina Blackstenius. In May, the Swedish forward struck in the winning goal in Lisbon, where the Gunners lifted the Champions League trophy with a 1-0 victory over heavy favourites Barcelona. Blackstenius has already contributed two goals at these Euros for Group C winners Sweden, but is just one of the threats on what Williamson feels is a 'very organised team' that 'work for each other' and 'deserve a bit more recognition'. 'Stina is an incredibly powerful footballer,' said Williamson. 'I think she's very intelligent with her runs, she's a hard player to play against in that respect. I was celebrating her success at Arsenal, and not so much now. 'So we'll see, but she's a great player and she has been for many years now, so her experience speaks for itself.' Despite their familiarity, an international tournament is a rare chance for the club-mates to properly battle it out. 'It's different,' explained Williamson. 'Obviously playing against each other in training (it's) maybe in a drill with restrictions, but it's very rare that I'll play against her in this setting. 'So I enjoy it. I like Stina, so it's tough to just remove all that to then just go at it, and you don't want to focus too much (on it). 'There's loads of different things that come into play when you play against a team-mate, but I think I've know Stina long enough now that it's kind of fun. 'I know who she is, and it's time for us to focus on us.' Williamson captained England to the trophy at Wembley in 2022 but missed the World Cup after sustaining an anterior cruciate ligament injury in April 2023, just months before the tournament. She added: 'I was part of that squad, and I will forever be proud to have been part of that squad, but we don't want it to be the only one. 'It's a constant driver. You want to do more. You always want to do more, and I'd like to say that on that day I felt as happy as I ever felt, and that probably would have been enough for me, but the next day it creeps around and everybody wants more all the time.'

The winner takes it all but Leah Williamson won't ‘banish Abba' for Sweden clash
The winner takes it all but Leah Williamson won't ‘banish Abba' for Sweden clash

Glasgow Times

timea day ago

  • Glasgow Times

The winner takes it all but Leah Williamson won't ‘banish Abba' for Sweden clash

The Swedish band's 'Does Your Mother Know' became a key track on the Williamson-curated dressing room playlist during England's triumphant Euro 2022 campaign, where they beat Sweden 4-0 in the last four – a defeat made 'easier to bear' by the use of the song, according to Abba's own Bjorn Ulvaeus. It was a closer affair when they met in the qualifiers for this tournament, drawing twice, including the goalless July 2024 stalemate that was enough for England to book a direct place in the finals. Hearing some Swedish fans had claimed Abba were better than the Beatles, and therefore Sweden would beat England, Williamson replied: 'I don't (agree with that) I'm afraid. One might be easier to dance to, but no. 'I don't think that will be on the playlist, but it worked in 2022 so I don't want to banish Abba completely.' The England centre-back is gearing up for a battle with Arsenal team-mate Stina Blackstenius. In May, the Swedish forward struck in the winning goal in Lisbon, where the Gunners lifted the Champions League trophy with a 1-0 victory over heavy favourites Barcelona. Blackstenius has already contributed two goals at these Euros for Group C winners Sweden, but is just one of the threats on what Williamson feels is a 'very organised team' that 'work for each other' and 'deserve a bit more recognition'. Williamson and Blackstenius are Arsenal team-mates (Zac Goodwin/PA) 'Stina is an incredibly powerful footballer,' said Williamson. 'I think she's very intelligent with her runs, she's a hard player to play against in that respect. I was celebrating her success at Arsenal, and not so much now. 'So we'll see, but she's a great player and she has been for many years now, so her experience speaks for itself.' Despite their familiarity, an international tournament is a rare chance for the club-mates to properly battle it out. 'It's different,' explained Williamson. 'Obviously playing against each other in training (it's) maybe in a drill with restrictions, but it's very rare that I'll play against her in this setting. 'So I enjoy it. I like Stina, so it's tough to just remove all that to then just go at it, and you don't want to focus too much (on it). 'There's loads of different things that come into play when you play against a team-mate, but I think I've know Stina long enough now that it's kind of fun. 'I know who she is, and it's time for us to focus on us.' Williamson captained England to the trophy at Wembley in 2022 but missed the World Cup after sustaining an anterior cruciate ligament injury in April 2023, just months before the tournament. She added: 'I was part of that squad, and I will forever be proud to have been part of that squad, but we don't want it to be the only one. 'It's a constant driver. You want to do more. You always want to do more, and I'd like to say that on that day I felt as happy as I ever felt, and that probably would have been enough for me, but the next day it creeps around and everybody wants more all the time.'

The winner takes it all but Leah Williamson won't ‘banish Abba' for Sweden clash
The winner takes it all but Leah Williamson won't ‘banish Abba' for Sweden clash

Rhyl Journal

timea day ago

  • Rhyl Journal

The winner takes it all but Leah Williamson won't ‘banish Abba' for Sweden clash

The Swedish band's 'Does Your Mother Know' became a key track on the Williamson-curated dressing room playlist during England's triumphant Euro 2022 campaign, where they beat Sweden 4-0 in the last four – a defeat made 'easier to bear' by the use of the song, according to Abba's own Bjorn Ulvaeus. It was a closer affair when they met in the qualifiers for this tournament, drawing twice, including the goalless July 2024 stalemate that was enough for England to book a direct place in the finals. A post shared by ABBA Voyage (@abbavoyage) Hearing some Swedish fans had claimed Abba were better than the Beatles, and therefore Sweden would beat England, Williamson replied: 'I don't (agree with that) I'm afraid. One might be easier to dance to, but no. 'I don't think that will be on the playlist, but it worked in 2022 so I don't want to banish Abba completely.' The England centre-back is gearing up for a battle with Arsenal team-mate Stina Blackstenius. In May, the Swedish forward struck in the winning goal in Lisbon, where the Gunners lifted the Champions League trophy with a 1-0 victory over heavy favourites Barcelona. Blackstenius has already contributed two goals at these Euros for Group C winners Sweden, but is just one of the threats on what Williamson feels is a 'very organised team' that 'work for each other' and 'deserve a bit more recognition'. 'Stina is an incredibly powerful footballer,' said Williamson. 'I think she's very intelligent with her runs, she's a hard player to play against in that respect. I was celebrating her success at Arsenal, and not so much now. 'So we'll see, but she's a great player and she has been for many years now, so her experience speaks for itself.' Despite their familiarity, an international tournament is a rare chance for the club-mates to properly battle it out. 'It's different,' explained Williamson. 'Obviously playing against each other in training (it's) maybe in a drill with restrictions, but it's very rare that I'll play against her in this setting. 'So I enjoy it. I like Stina, so it's tough to just remove all that to then just go at it, and you don't want to focus too much (on it). 'There's loads of different things that come into play when you play against a team-mate, but I think I've know Stina long enough now that it's kind of fun. 'I know who she is, and it's time for us to focus on us.' Williamson captained England to the trophy at Wembley in 2022 but missed the World Cup after sustaining an anterior cruciate ligament injury in April 2023, just months before the tournament. She added: 'I was part of that squad, and I will forever be proud to have been part of that squad, but we don't want it to be the only one. 'It's a constant driver. You want to do more. You always want to do more, and I'd like to say that on that day I felt as happy as I ever felt, and that probably would have been enough for me, but the next day it creeps around and everybody wants more all the time.'

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