Monday 2 June 2008

Pop Foto, June 1975: ABBA's blonde Agnetha: "We don't want any more children"

When we have to believe ABBA’s blonde Agnetha, having children and singing in an internationally known pop-group at the same time, isn’t exactly a good combination. “If I had known we would become so popular, I would have made sure there wouldn’t have been any children,” says Agnetha, who thinks she fails as a mother...

Ever since ABBA won Eurovision last year with the wonderful song “Waterloo”, there have been some changes for Agnetha, Annifrid, Benny and Björn. All of a sudden they had to appear in front of television cameras everywhere, conduct press-conferences and photo-sessions, and thus barely had the time to relax, back home in Sweden. That wasn’t a problem for Annifrid and her musical husband, but for Agnetha it was! Not long before the Eurovision Song Contest in Luxemburg Agnetha had become a mother. And of course she felt dreadful leaving her little daughter in Sweden. The other members of ABBA have witnessed how much strain having a career and a baby put on Agnetha, and they have decided not to start a ‘real’ family for the time being.

“At the time we were of course delighted winning Eurovision,” Agnetha comments. “But still, for me it couldn’t have come at a worse time. For years we had been trying to get recognition in Sweden. At a certain time, we didn’t see it happening for ABBA, and we just wanted a baby, like every married couple. And right after our daughter was born, ABBA became immensely popular in Sweden. We got to represent our country in Luxemburg, and won too! Now I try to divide my time between my daughter and ABBA as much as possible, but still I have the feeling I’m not doing enough. It’s impossible to take a baby with you everywhere, that’s why she mostly stays with my family when we’re on tour.”

All this hasn’t prevented ABBA from recording a magnificent new album, back in Sweden. This record is simply titled “ABBA” and has just been released. And now we’re waiting for the follow-up to 'I do, I do, I do, I do, I do'.

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