ABBA: Celebs Rumors

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ABBA announce 50th anniversary reissue of ‘Waterloo’

ABBA have announced details of a 50th-anniversary reissue of their iconic album ‘Waterloo’. Find more information below.The reissue of the band’s sophomore album comes to mark 50 years after the now-legendary Swedish band had their international breakthrough in the Eurovision Song Contest.The moment saw the members – Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid “Frida” Lyngstad – change the world of pop music forever, when they entered the stage at The Dome in Brighton on April 6, 1974, dressed in their shiny glam-rock costumes.Set for release on April 5 via Polar Music International, the ‘Waterloo’ anniversary reissue arrives as a half-speed mastered 45RPM 2LP Vinyl, along with a limited edition box set of the three vinyl singles originally released in 1974.
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All news where ABBA is mentioned

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ABBA ‘Voyage’ boosts London economy with £323million of annual spending
ABBA Voyage boosted London’s economy with nearly £323million in spending turnover within a one year period, according to a new report.The avatar concert experience – which is continuing to run until at least November 2024 at the 3,000-capacity ABBA Arena in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park – provided a huge financial boost to London and the East London area around the venue.According to research compiled by Sound Diplomacy and RealWorth, the report covers the period of May 2022 to May 2023 and found that the show contributed £322.6million in turnover to the London economy and £177.7m in GVA (Gross Value Added) (per Music Week).“The operation and attendee spending are ongoing generators of economic contribution to the local and city-wide economies, demonstrating that as long as ABBA Voyage is in London, it has the potential to contribute to the economic wealth of the city,” read the report.42 per cent of the aforementioned total was generated in the local area – the boroughs of Newham, Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest – which equals £134.1million turnover and £73.7million GVA.Contributing factors included spending on accommodation, food and beverage, transport, shopping and entertainment.Additionally, ABBA Voyage has provided employment opportunities to 5,075 workers in London. That includes those directly connected to the concert and sectors impacted by the show including staff in restaurants, sales, hotels and more.£42.72million (36%) of the direct attendee spend in the local area was attributed to 181,674 international visitors.Michael Bolingbroke, CEO and executive producer for ABBA Voyage, said: “The presence of ABBA Voyage is felt in a way that will be enduring.
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Watch “famous knitting brothers” Ian McKellen and ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus agree to knit stagewear for Kylie Minogue
Sir Ian McKellen and ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus have returned with another festive knitting video, this time, agreeing to create some stagewear for Kylie Minogue.The new video was shared on the ABBA Voyage Twitter/X page earlier this morning (November 24), and shows the renowned actor and iconic musician continuing their annual tradition of coming together to knit festive jumpers for the Christmas season.The collaboration between the two first sparked back in 2021 when the pair shared a video of them knitting ABBA-branded Christmas jumpers in silence – and the footage quickly went viral online.A second instalment arrived last year too, with a video of them making a new set of festive attire being shared, followed by an ABBA merchandise range which also included Christmas cards and bobble hats.Now, McKellen and Ulvaeus are back for a 2023 edition of the tradition, this time revealing that they will be teaming up with Kylie Minogue to knit some stagewear for her upcoming shows in Las Vegas.In the video, the duo are seen knitting a new range of jumpers, before getting a surprise phone call from the Australian singer, who shares her love of their collaboration and asks them to “whip up something for the band, all the dancers and myself?”More than happy to oblige, Sir Ian wipes away a tear and declares that the two will become “famous knitting brothers” by working with Kylie.
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The Japanese House covers ABBA’s ‘Super Trouper’ for ‘ITEIAD Sessions’ EP
The Japanese House has shared a cover of ABBA‘s ‘Super Trouper’ as part of the newly released ‘ITEIAD Sessions’ EP – check it out below.The singer-songwriter – real name Amber Bain – shared the stripped-back cover of the hit song today (November 22) on the six track project, which is an acronym of the artist’s latest album ‘In The End It Always Does’.The EP also features a never-before-heard live version of ‘Boyhood‘ along with previously shared live versions of other tracks from the LP.‘In The End It Always Does’ came out back in June, which NME said in four-star review explores the “cyclical nature of life with a brighter, more organic sound”.It added: “If Bain’s lyrics are poised to pull you one way on ‘In The End It Always Does’, her voice and instrumentals yank you back in the other direction – it’s disorientating, dizzying and utterly intoxicating. If there’s one thing that the second Japanese House album reaffirms – it’s that the artist never surrenders any less than her whole self to the process.”The album also featured MUNA’s Katie Gavin on the track ‘Morning Pages’ along with backing vocals from The 1975’s Matty Healy on ‘Sunshine Baby’.1. ‘Sad to Breathe’2. ‘Touching Yourself’ 3. ‘Sunshine Baby’ 4. ‘Boyhood’5. ‘One for sorrow, two for Joni Jones’6. ‘Super Trouper’Back in June, Bain spoke to NME about her new album and longstanding collaborative relationship with labelmate Healy.
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Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson to star in ABBA-inspired horror movie ‘Bjorn Of The Dead’
Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden is set to star in an ABBA-inspired horror flick, titled Bjorn Of The Dead.The news comes shortly after the iconic metal frontman announced details of his upcoming solo tour, and is set to see him take on a lead role in an apocalyptic, zombie-themed movie.According to a report by Deadline, Dickinson signed on to star in the project – which will centre on an ABBA tribute band who get trapped in a nightclub with other tribute acts just as an apocalypse starts.“Bjorn and his band must work together to save themselves, humanity, and the future of music,” it reads.The Iron Maiden frontman is one of several famous faces from the rock and metal scene to appear in Bjorn Of The Dead, according to the outlet, although no other names have been announced at the time of writing.The upcoming horror was written by the singer’s son, Austin, who is also a rock vocalist for London bands As Lions and Rise To Remain. The premise is also based on the original story by Andrew Prendergast, who is producing the movie alongside Austin.Directed by Elza Kephart, filming is set to start next year and speaking with the outlet, Austin said he was “honoured” to be working on “this crazy adventure”.“Andrew, Elza, and myself can’t wait for you guys to see what’s in store,” he said.
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Did Agnetha Faltskog just tease an ABBA reunion?
ABBA reunion ahead of one of the band’s upcoming milestones.The singer was speaking in an interview when she seemed to hint that there may be some potential ABBA announcements on the horizon – particularly with the group celebrating the 50th anniversary of their Eurovision win.Reflecting on her time in the band alongside Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad during a discussion with The Sun (via Daily Mail), it seemed as if something may be in the works to bring their concerts back.“You never know anything about ABBA and when we’re going to…’ Fältskog said, trailing off and quickly adding: ‘Well, I won’t say anything about that. I’d rather be quiet.”The comments also arose after the band were rumoured to be planning to perform at next year’s instalment of Eurovision, when the contest will return to their native country following the win of returning Swedish contestant Loreen earlier this year.The hints dropped by Fältskog also come on the heels of her recent single ‘Where Do We Go From Here?’, her first new solo music in 10 years.The single is taken from her upcoming album ‘A+’, a revisited version of 2013’s record, ‘A’.Set for release on October 13, the singer explained her reasons for revisiting the record in a letter to fans, writing: “I have lots of fond memories from making that album, so I couldn’t help but smile, time flies…”“Suddenly it hit me, what would the album sound like if we had made it today…? I couldn’t stop thinking about it,” she added.
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Glasgow has been named the vinyl collecting capital of the UK
vinyl collecting capital of the UK, according to a new study.Up to 32 per cent of the UK’s vinyl collectors live in the Scottish city, The Royal Mint found via DJ Mag.The study also discovered that Glasgow was followed closely by the North East of England in boasting the most record collectors in the nation, with 25 per cent of vinyl collectors living there.It comes after vinyl record sales in 2021 were at the highest they’ve been in 30 years, despite widely publicised issues with backlogs and delays.According to figures from the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), more than five million vinyl records were sold last year, an 8 per cent increase on 2020. It marked the 14th year in a row that the format has increased sales, with vinyl records making up 23 per cent of all albums sold.The biggest-selling vinyl album of 2021 was ABBA‘s comeback record ‘Voyage’, while Adele‘s huge ’30’ and Sam Fender‘s ‘Seventeen Going Under’ – NME’s Album Of The Year – also sold big on wax.Campaigns such as LoveRecordStores, Record Store Day and National Album Day also helped rally sales for independent record shops and specialist chains.Earlier this year, it was also reported that vinyl sales in the UK look set to overtake CDs.Vinyl albums brought in £135.6million in 2021 (up 23.2 per cent year-on-year) compared to £150.1million in CD sales (down 3.9 per cent year-on-year).
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ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus pays tribute to England’s Lionesses after 4-0 win over Sweden
ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus has shared a message of support for the English women’s football team (aka the Lionesses) after they celebrated a 4-0 win over Sweden earlier this week.The Lionesses dominated Sweden, where ABBA hail from, in the semi-final match of the 2022 UEFA Women’s Euro Championship. The game took place at Milton Keyes’ Stadium MK on Wednesday (July 27) and is to be followed by the final match this Sunday (August 31).There, the Lionesses – who are currently eighth in the FIFA Women’s World Rankings – will face off against Germany at London’s Wembley Stadium.As reported by the Evening Standard, the Lionesses celebrated their semi-final victory with a singalong to ABBA, who feature prominently in the team’s dressing room playlist.When asked what she and her team listened to after scoring the final goal, forward Alessia Russo told journalists: “It was a little bit of ABBA – there’s always ABBA – but also Proud, West Virginia, a couple of old songs.”Leaning into the irony that the Lionesses marked their win over Sweden by singing along to Swedish music, Björn took to Instagram with a message of congratulations the team, which he delivered wearing the jersey of Sweden’s own football team.In the message, he said: “I understand that you celebrated your well-earned victory the other day with ABBA music, and I have to say, that makes the defeat a little easier to bear.
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