One of the world's most successful musical groups is set to return with new tunes on Thursday.
Swedish four-piece Abba, who rose to fame in the 1970s, is set to break their 39-year hiatus with a new show and release of brand new music.
A new verified Twitter account called Abba Voyage was created on Thursday and teased images from a purpose-built theatre in East London, along with the dates 02.09.21.
According to The Sun, Abba Voyage will reportedly feature “Abba-tars” or avatars of the group's younger selves beamed on stage performing their classic hits. The show will be accompanied by a documentary-style film, which follows the group's comeback from making music to the creation of a hologram show.
“It will be like taking a step back in time for those watching," a source told The Sun.
While the hologram tour was initially announced in 2016, the band is also expected to release five new songs to accompany the show.
Abba members Agnetha Faltskog, Bjorn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad first confirmed they would be stepping back into the studio in 2018.
“I think sometime this year,” singer-songwriter Ulvaeus told CNBC in May 2020 when asked when fans can expect to hear the long-awaited new tunes. But the coronavirus pandemic delayed those plans.
Abba became one of the most successful pop acts in history after winning the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974 with Waterloo. Their chart-toppers also include Dancing Queen, The Winner Takes It All, I Have A Dream and Voulez-Vous.
They have sold more than 380 million records. A stage show based on their music, Mamma Mia!, is performed worldwide and inspired two blockbuster films: Mamma Mia! (2008) and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018).
The stage musical is also set to return to the UAE on Monday, September 13 at the Dubai Opera.
Speaking to the BBC during the early stages of the Abba Voyage production, Ulvaeus said the idea had been presented to the band by Spice Girls manager Simon Fuller.
"He came to Stockholm and he presented this idea to us that we could make identical digital copies of ourselves of a certain age and that those copies could then go on tour and they could sing our songs, you know, and lip sync. he said. "I've seen this project halfway through and it's already mind-boggling."
Three ways to limit your social media use
Clinical psychologist, Dr Saliha Afridi at The Lighthouse Arabia suggests three easy things you can do every day to cut back on the time you spend online.
1. Put the social media app in a folder on the second or third screen of your phone so it has to remain a conscious decision to open, rather than something your fingers gravitate towards without consideration.
2. Schedule a time to use social media instead of consistently throughout the day. I recommend setting aside certain times of the day or week when you upload pictures or share information.
3. Take a mental snapshot rather than a photo on your phone. Instead of sharing it with your social world, try to absorb the moment, connect with your feeling, experience the moment with all five of your senses. You will have a memory of that moment more vividly and for far longer than if you take a picture of it.
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
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