Agnetha Fältskog
Because of ABBA she stopped writing songs
Agnetha Fältskog at the premiere of ABBA Voyage in London in May 2022.
© IMAGO/TT
ABBA star Agnetha has released her new solo album after ten years. The success with the cult band influenced her own music.
After a ten-year wait, fans can now hear new music from the ABBA star Agnetha Fältskog (73) is happy. The singer of the Swedish cult band released her new solo album “A+” on Friday (October 13th). It is a reworked version of her acclaimed solo album “A” from 2013. In addition to the reissued songs, there is also a new song on the album, “Where Do We Go From Here”. Agnetha’s new track has been available as a single since August.
The new album also includes a new edition of the song “I Keep Them On the Floor Beside My Bed” – when it was first released in 2013, this was Agnetha’s first self-written song in almost 30 years. Although the singer enjoyed great musical success and a fantastic career with ABBA from 1972 to 1982, she completely neglected her work as a songwriter during these years, as she now revealed to the British “Guardian” on the release of her new solo album.
Her passion for songwriting suffered under ABBA
“During the Abba years, I had to look after two small children and was busy traveling, going to concerts and appearing on television. When we had some free time, I wanted to be with my children,” says the 73-year-old Swede. “I hadn’t forgotten the music, I was just busy with other things.”
When she looks at photos or videos from back then, she often no longer knows when or where they were taken – “because we did so much.” At the time, she didn’t want to cancel any appointments, even if she wasn’t feeling well. “I also worked a lot when I was sick. If I had a bad cold or fever and it was a concert, I still had to do it,” Fältskog reflects.
Today, she would give her younger self the following advice: “Don’t worry so much all the time. Try to relax and have fun.” She was worried about everything at the time. The musician reflects that she still thinks a lot today. “I have a lot of humor, but I’m also a very serious person.” The fact that she has something melancholic in her is probably because she is Swedish. “I think it has something to do with our climate – we have long, dark winters and that affects us in the long term.”
This is what the ABBA icon’s life looks like today
Today Agnetha Fältskog lives in seclusion on her farm on the island of Ekerö, an hour from Stockholm. “We have dogs, cats, chickens and a rooster and maybe 20 or 30 horses. It’s a big farm.” In everyday life she is only recognized if she wears a lot of make-up or nice clothes. “The Swedes are very reserved, only every now and then someone comes and says ‘Thank you for the music’. That’s very nice.”