Interview
ABBA star, Bjorn Ulvaeus, on Mamma Mia and Brexit sadness
- Digital avatars modeled on the 1979 band members are planned, with an expectation that observers will perceive them as human rather than digital when viewing and hearing them perform newly recorded songs.
- The release timeline for the new songs has shifted from a planned end-of-year target to the beginning of the next year, with scheduling anticipated to fluctuate slightly forward or backward.
- Discussions regarding a Mamma Mia 2 film have persisted for approximately ten years, while the band members expect to see a development in their discography from younger-sounding early works to more mature later albums.
- The speaker anticipates increased personal freedom and bolder decision-making at age 73 compared to their younger self, including selecting the song "Head Over Heels" as a definitive desert island choice despite potential listener disagreement.
- Political outlooks include a fear that populists harbor authoritarian ambitions, a belief that liberal democracy must be defended in Europe, and an expectation that European social democracy currently lacks a clear direction.
- There is an expectation that the remaining European nations will find the strength to resist populist movements, alongside a belief that unresolved issues will eventually resolve themselves.
- The speaker holds pride in the new recordings and anticipates significant listener feedback regarding the choice of specific tracks, particularly concerning the comparison between ABBA songs and other artists like Margaret Atwood.