5 years ago today, ABBA's 9th and final album, Voyage, was released. I remember staying up til midnight and listening to all 10 songs in order for the first time It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and one that I still think about. For decades, dedicated fans hoped and dreamed of a reunion, and the ABBA members had made it pretty clear that a reunion was not on the cards, despite never officially saying no. I was only 9 years old when I first discovered ABBA, and I didn't think I'd ever witness the four of them standing publicly in the same room together, let alone making an album! And yet ABBA surprised us all, 40 years after the release of their last studio album.
To those who only knew ABBA from the Gold compilation album or the Mamma Mia soundtrack, the album didn't match their expectations, as none of the songs sound anything like Dancing Queen! 😮 Which is such a shocker, considering ABBA had already switched to a more "mature" sound from 1980 onward.... 🙄 To me, the album picked up exactly where they left off, and it was everything I could have asked for and more.
Not to sound cliché, but thank you, Agnetha, Björn, Benny, and Frida, for the music. ❤️
Also, one of the best parts of the whole Voyage release was getting to experience it, from the first single in September 2021 to a livestream of the 2022 Voyage show premiere, with Skyler Bird right by my shoulder. Unfortunately, he didn't enjoy the songs or the album immediately like I did, but eventually it grew on him, and he loved head-bobbing around to Don't Shut Me Down especially. ❤️
