Introduction
For decades, ABBA has remained one of the greatest pop groups in history, but behind the glitter and fame lies a long story of exhaustion, heartbreak, and the yearning for release. Benny Andersson – the musical soul of the band – recently revealed what the final years were truly like, when music, once a burning passion, slowly turned into heavy work. He admitted that the days in the studio lost their excitement, songs arrived more slowly, and everything no longer felt like creativity but rather a routine to be completed.
What stands out is that Benny never placed blame on Agnetha, Björn, or Frida. To him, ABBA’s breakup was simply a logical conclusion, a natural ending when the group had already reached its limits. Behind the global hits, the four real people were utterly drained, both physically and emotionally. Broken marriages and the relentless pressure of fame left them unable to hold onto the unity they once had.
After ABBA disbanded in 1982, each member chose a separate path. Agnetha withdrew from the spotlight, seeking peace on her island home. Björn kept composing, channeling his creativity into new projects. Frida married into European royalty, only to face tragedy when her daughter died in a car accident in 1998. During those darkest days, it was Benny who maintained contact, sharing a kind of pain and understanding that only those who had lived through both the heights and the collapse of ABBA could truly grasp.
Then, the unthinkable happened: in 2018, ABBA announced their reunion after 36 years of silence. Their album Voyage (2021) was not about reviving old glory, but about closure—about finally saying what had never been said. Most groundbreaking of all was the way they chose to perform these new songs: by creating digital versions of their younger selves, performing with a live band in a specially built London arena. This innovation gave fans an emotional experience without forcing the members to relive their past traumas.
Now, at 78, Benny has finally opened up, admitting that music was once his escape from emotions, a place where he buried his private pain. His candor allows fans to see ABBA in a new light—not just as a fairytale of pop music, but as proof of resilience: four individuals who used music to survive love, loss, and the limits of their own humanity.