“You requested me to not depart, nicely right here I’m once more” • Popjustice

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

Particularly, let’s say:

• Of the 2 new songs, Do not Shut Me Down is THE ONE. 
• The perfect 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, however it’s additionally a few third factor: a popstar returning as a spooky infinite digital pop entity.
• There was a second on the finish of the launch occasion final night time when Do not Shut Me Down had simply began enjoying 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 along 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 sincere however proper now it seems like probably 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 will be attainable to amend them for particular events, as an example chucking Santa hats on the band for Christmas reveals. “In principle sure,” he stated, “however…” “However mainly no,” I supplied. “No,” he agreed. And that was that.
• Fascinating to notice following my current tweet about whether or not Voyage is professional­nounced ‘voyage’ or ‘voyage’, it is truly professional­nounced ‘voyage’.
• A couple of years again, earlier than any of this present stuff was introduced, I used to be considering of doing an internet site known as JUST ONE SONG: a petition, of types, request­ing only one extra ABBA track, and laying out the explanations this could occur, and may occur with minimal rigmarole for the band’s members. It will have included a reas­sur­ance that the band would not have to 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 ultimate. 
• Ten new songs!
• TEN!
• Perhaps I lack ima­gin­a­tion however once I was con­sid­er­ing what the band’s first press shot may appear to be — and there is been loads of time to think about it, provided that new music was first introduced a number 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 strong expres­sion on this context is not it? So much has occurred in forty years and I can not be the one one at this time considering of all of the individuals who cherished this band and are not round at this time to listen to these new songs. How fortunate all of us are, in so many various methods, to listen to this music.
• No one’s making a lot of the truth that one of many ten new songs is named Maintain An Eye On Dan. Who’s Dan? What’s he enjoying at? Why can he not be trusted? For those who assume you could be Dan, please step ahead.