Agnetha, Björn, Benny and Anni-Frid. Scandinavian first names that don’t evoke anything in particular at first reading, but which nevertheless form one of the greatest groups in the history of pop music. Revealed to the eyes of Europe after its victory at Eurovision for Sweden in 1974, ABBA, which many saw at the time as a second-rate group which would quickly fall into oblivion, began a dazzling breakthrough, crossing the ages and generations.
The recipe for success
It is this rise that ABBA Silver, ABBA Gold traces. In just over fifty minutes, the documentary tells the story of this legendary group, and the recipe for its success. Through images of clips, recordings and musical excerpts, he highlights what made ABBA unique: its extravagant costumes, the genius of its devilishly effective compositions, and its duo of unique female voices. Enough to create timeless songs, like Dancing Queen or Fernando, and propel the Swedes to the roof of the music world.
The members of the group themselves look back, in front of the camera, on the golden era they experienced. The opportunity to go back fifty years, to the cabin in which they recorded all their songs, and experienced their first dissensions. Because once they reached the top, the two couples who made up ABBA divorced, and despite a few successes here and there, the triumph gradually ended up fading.
But, after a notable return in 2021 with an album, the group’s hits still resonate in the evenings. The documentary also broadcasts them and shows behind the scenes of their design. The opportunity to introduce the youngest, and to bring back to the older ones the era of flashy jumpsuits and disco balls.
