On Sept. 2, my world stopped when I saw the impossible take place: ABBA, the Swedish disco group popular in the 1970s and ’80s, released new music after a 40-year hiatus. Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad returned with songs “I Still Have Faith in You” and “Don’t Shut Me Down,” which flooded TikTok. This past Friday they introduced the world to their new album, “Voyage.” Just as the title implies, this album crosses the distance between the past and present, old and new. 

Connecting the past to the present runs beyond just the lyrics of the songs, but into the creation of the album itself. According to the album’s official page, the band recorded the single, “Just A Notion,” in 1978. Now, they have released it alongside nine other songs, all recorded recently. 

They released this album with the idea of creating a concert experience that utilized modern technology to take their fans back to the past. The technology allows fans to see the band perform as younger versions of themselves. How will they do that? Holograms! Set for spring 2022, the concerts will be held in a specially designed stadium in London, where a live band will perform alongside the (mildly sim-like) avatars. This allows present-day fans to experience an ABBA concert as if it took place 45 years prior. It’ll be an interesting experience. 

The album starts with a few slower songs, piling on the emotional gravity with the lyrics and slower tempo. In the first track, “I Still Have Faith In You,” ABBA introduces the larger, orchestral sound that it intertwines with the deep disco that defines the band. It’s a more mature, relaxed sound, which reflects how the band members themselves have grown up.

Honestly, the first few songs did not grab my attention. For my introduction into “Voyage,” I played the album while in the car with my sister. (Both of us could sing ABBA’s top hits by heart, so I figured we were qualified enough to judge the new album.) Nothing grabbed our ears until later into the album list when “Don’t Shut Me Down” played. Following it, “Just A Notion,” “Keep an Eye on Dan” and a few other songs reminded us of our undying love for the band. These songs capture the essence of ABBA, which makes you want to jump up and dance even while the lyrics pull from past hurt and joy. The other songs missed that mark. 

Ultimately, the album focuses on the relationships between the band members and reflects their maturity. This album doesn’t brim with the restless energy of the late teenage and early adult years, but explores how people and emotions echo through different periods of life. “Keep an Eye on Dan” is about child custody and co-parenting, which most 17-year-old dancing queens can’t relate to. This may show a blindspot on my part, where I didn’t enjoy this album as much because I struggled to relate to it. 

I grew up on the timeless hits of ABBA that I fell in love with while watching “Mamma Mia” with my grandmother and learning all the words to the soundtrack with my sister. My parents bought an “ABBA: Gold” CD because of my obsession at six years old. Most of the songs on “Voyage” do not possess that same timeless quality, but some do. “Don’t Shut Me Down” is a fantastic addition to ABBA’s greatest hits, and I could certainly see my eight-year-old self singing it in the car.