“You requested me to not go away, effectively right here I’m once more” • Popjustice

If there’s one factor value bringing Popjustice out of semi-hiatus for it is the long-awaited return of an iconic, platinum-selling four-piece pop jug­ger­naut whose acronymised identify alone can scale back grown adults to tears. However sufficient about JLS, whose new single is out as we speak, and let’s discuss ABBA.

Particularly, let’s say:

• Of the 2 new songs, Do not Shut Me Down is THE ONE. 
• The most effective pop songs are sometimes about one factor (eg a rela­tion­ship) and one other factor (eg a band making a comeback). Do not Shut Me Down is about that one factor and that different factor, nevertheless it’s additionally a couple of third factor: a popstar returning as a spooky infinite digital pop entity.
• There was a second on the finish of the launch occasion final evening when Do not Shut Me Down had simply began taking part in and Benny and Bjorn have been making their approach from the stage to the again of the room. Benny stopped for a second and when the beat dropped (do beats drop in ABBA songs? Let’s go together with it) Benny turned to the room and mimed the piano swoop. As he did that he smiled, and as he smiled, he and I made eye contact. I am nonetheless computing all of it to be trustworthy however proper now it appears like essentially the most imply­ing­ful second I’ve exper­i­enced in 25 years of loitering round popstars. 
• Shortly after that I used to be intro­duced to Ludvig Andersson, the producer of the brand new present (amongst different issues), and I requested him if as soon as the digital ABBAtar issues had been created, it might be potential to amend them for particular events, as an illustration chucking Santa hats on the band for Christmas exhibits. “In principle sure,” he stated, “however…” “However principally no,” I supplied. “No,” he agreed. And that was that.
• Attention-grabbing to notice following my latest tweet about whether or not Voyage is professional­nounced ‘voyage’ or ‘voyage’, it is really professional­nounced ‘voyage’.
• A number of years again, earlier than any of this present stuff was introduced, I used to be considering of doing a web site known as JUST ONE SONG: a petition, of kinds, request­ing only one extra ABBA track, and laying out the explanations this could occur, and might occur with minimal rigmarole for the band’s members. It will have included a reas­sur­ance that the band would not must do any press, or touring, or media stuff. Maybe B and B have made the same reas­sur­ance to A and A. Both approach, ten new songs is abso­lutely very best. 
• Ten new songs!
• TEN!
• Perhaps I lack ima­gin­a­tion however after I was con­sid­er­ing what the band’s first press shot would possibly seem like — and there is been loads of time to contemplate it, provided that new music was first introduced a couple of years in the past — one look I did not contemplate was Tron: The Gameshow. But right here we’re. What a time to be alive.
• ‘What a time to be alive’ is kind of a robust expres­sion on this context is not it? Quite a bit has occurred in forty years and I can not be the one one as we speak considering of all of the individuals who liked this band and are not round as we speak to listen to these new songs. How fortunate all of us are, in so many alternative methods, to listen to this music.
• No one’s making a lot of the truth that one of many ten new songs known as Preserve An Eye On Dan. Who’s Dan? What’s he taking part in at? Why can he not be trusted? If you happen to suppose you is perhaps Dan, please step ahead.