ABBA landed the very first Grammy nomination of their iconic career this year, and now they’re sharing their thoughts about it.
In a statement to Variety, the Swedish pop legends wrote, “A Grammy should be mandatory for those who dare leave 40 years between album releases. We suggest a new category. ABBA / Agnetha, Björn, Benny, Anni-Frid.”
Of course, the quartet are referencing the four-decade break between their eighth studio album, 1981’s The Visitors, and their latest LP, 2021’s Voyage. In the wake of the latter, ABBA is currently up for Record of the Year for its lead single “I Still Have Faith in You.” They’re nominated in a crowded field against the likes of Olivia Rodrigo (“drivers license”), Billie Eilish (“Happier Than Ever”), Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett (“I Get a Kick Out of You”), Justin Bieber (“Peaches” featuring Daniel Caesar and Giveon), and more.
Earlier this week, the quartet filed a lawsuit against cover band ABBA MANIA for trademark infringement, calling the British tribute act “parasitic” in its attempts to cash in on their “cachet.”
Next year, ABBA is set to launch ABBA Voyage, a hologram concert experience produced by Industrial Light and Magic. The one-of-a-kind show will kick off May 27th for a long-term residency at London’s 3,000-capacity Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. The concert will feature a de-aged Agnetha, Björn, Benny, and Anni-Frid, as well as a 10-piece live band.
Meanwhile, a different ABBA tribute concert in Uppsalla, Sweden ended tragically in disaster early last month when a man in his 80s fell seven stories onto a couple below, leaving two dead and one hospitalized.
