ABBA's Björn Ulvaeus explains Eurovision no-show and shares "personal" meaning of classic song

13 September 2024, 06:00

Björn Ulvaeus and ABBA have had a busy few years.

It's been quite the time for ABBA fans recently, with the comeback album Voyage and the launch of the groundbreaking avatar-led live experience.

The band also celebrated the 50th anniversary of winning the Eurovision Song Contest with 'Waterloo' but despite continued rumours, they didn't appear at this year's final – and Björn Ulvaeus has now revealed why they sent their "Abba-tars" along instead.

• Watch the full interview here or on Global Player

"We just felt, no, we didn't want to do it for artistic reasons and other reasons," Björn told Gold's James Bassam. "We just thought we would be better represented by our avatars."

Recalling their breakthrough moment all those years ago, Björn admitted that he never thought the band had a hope of coming out on top.

How Eurovision made ABBA: From introducing Benny and Ani-Frid to their breakthrough with 'Waterloo'

"We were this obscure band from the north yesterday, and now we're sort of known around the world," he said. "It just happened overnight. And very few things like that happen overnight.

"It was such chaos when we had won. It was a mess. I don't remember too much about that, but I remember waking up and thinking, 'My God'. I thought we'd end up number nine or six or something."

Björn also opened up about the meaning of ABBA's classic 'Slipping Through My Fingers', the band's 1981 single from The Visitors.

He said that was a song from their back catalogue that still "stands out" to him as being particularly special.

"That was about my oldest daughter," he said, referring to Linda Ulvaeus, the child he had with then-wife and bandmate Agnetha Fältskog, who sings the song.

"She was 6, 7. She was allowed to go to school on her own because the school was very close to where we lived. Sweden back then was so safe. You didn't lock your doors.

• Watch the full interview here or on Global Player

"She was very proud. She had a bag or backpack... she left and she went by herself to school. She was so proud. I remember when she looked back and waved, looking so proud.

"At that moment, it was a step into independence. And therefore, I was kind of losing her, and she was slipping through my fingers. So that's what that song is about, and it's very personal."

As well as celebrating the 50th anniversary of ABBA winning Eurovision, this year marks the 25th anniversary of the Mamma Mia! musical on stage, and five years of Mamma Mia! The Party, the immersive dinner experience based on the show.