Abba star Agnetha Faltskog releases video for first solo music in a decade
By Ellie Iorizzo, PA Senior Entertainment Reporter
Abba singer Agnetha Faltskog has released a music video featuring memories from her life and career to accompany her first new solo single in 10 years.
The video to the track Where Do We Go From Here? sees an animated Faltskog in a dreamlike world, which includes a replica of the Triumph Spitfire car she owned in the 1960s and drove between her home in Jonkoping and Stockholm, where Abba were recording.
Created by animator Aarto Hiiemaa, also known as Josh Twist, the video also features Faltskog’s dogs and pays homage to a selection of the definitive Abba outfits of the era, including a blue star print co-ord.
Faltskog, 73, said: “When I saw the video for the first time, I couldn’t believe my eyes! It was so beautiful and so emotional.
“Everything was there, even my beloved dogs and the very first car I ever owned, it captured it all.”
The single was released last week alongside the announcement of an upcoming reimagined version of her acclaimed 2013 album A, titled A+ which is due for release on October 13.
The original album was written especially for Faltskog by songwriter and producer Jorgen Elofsson, whose song writing resume includes pop giants such as Celine Dion, Britney Spears, Kelly Clarkson and Westlife.
Approaching the 10-year anniversary of the album, the pair discussed what the record would sound like if it was created in 2023 and decided to explore the idea together, along with fellow producer Anton Martensson.
A+ features a new track listing with songs from the original album stripped back, throwing away the old music while retaining the original vocals.
Released in 2013, A was Faltskog’s first album since her 2004 cover album My Colouring Book and first original material since 1987’s Stand Alone.
The album features Take That’s Gary Barlow on I Should’ve Followed You Home, as well as Faltskog’s first self-written track in nearly 30 years, I Keep Them On The Floor Beside My Bed.
Faltskog first achieved success in Sweden with the release of her 1968 self-titled debut album and along with Anni-Frid Lyngstad, met Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson in 1969.
In 1974 the quartet changed their stage name to Abba, an acronym of their first names, and won Eurovision in Brighton with Waterloo.
Faltskog and Ulvaeus married in 1971, but divorced in 1980.
Following the unofficial break-up of Abba in December 1982, Faltskog enjoyed success as a solo artist with three albums and a leading role in the 1983 Swedish comedy film Raskenstam.