An open letter to Mamma Mia! girls concerned about not knowing who the parent of their baby is

You’re forgetting the fact that no one will date them because they won’t shut up about Mamma Mia.

Look. You’re very pretty and seem like nice girls, but how many of you know an ABBA song other than the ones on the Mamma Mia soundtracks? Even better, could you sing along with Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again the first time seeing the movie? 

Do you know ABBA? Can you name the band members? 

I didn’t think so. So here is what you should know. 

ABBA is a Swedish pop group formed in 1971 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. Only real fans can properly pronounce their names. Their first breakthrough hit was “Waterloo” back in 1974. The original is soooo much better than the one in the movie by Blondie and that Beatles wannabe. 

Very few people actually know the history of ABBA. Luckily for you, I am an official member of the ABBF – Agnetha, Benny, Björn, Frida Fan Club. So, the group actually began back in 1966 when Björn Ulvaeus met Benny Andersson for the first time. They established a partnership as composers. In the spring of 1969, Björn and Benny met two women who would eventually become their wives and the other two members of ABBA. When they first started creating music in 1972, they went by Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid. After winning Melodifestivalen and making it all the way to the Eurovision finals in England, they changed their name to ABBA which is an acronym of their first names. Did you know ABBA won Eurovision in 1974 with their song “Waterloo” that would then go to hit number one on charts all over Europe? Of course, winning Eurovision didn’t necessarily help the band’s success because of the negative stigma surrounding it. It tends to be really hard for bands to become famous from a competition known for making one-hit wonders. It’s a good thing ABBA  had Benny and Björn, only two of the best writers and composers of the 70s and 80s. Roughly a year after the release of ‘Waterloo,’ ABBA released the album ABBA with smashes like “SOS” and of course, “Mamma Mia.” By 1976, ABBA was one of the biggest groups in the world, especially after the release of “Dancing Queen.” The group continued making music all throughout the 70s and early 80s even after Benny and his wife divorced. In 1982, the group decided to take a break, and over the course of the next three decades, their albums would go platinum, the musical Mamma Mia! would open on Broadway, (did you girls even know there was an actual musical before the movie?), the 2008 movie would release featuring star Pierce Brosnan, and ten years later, Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again would release, with Brosnan reprising his role and a cameo from Madonna. 

In November 2021, the group released their ninth studio album: Voyage. (Have you girls listened to it? The songs might be too slow for you who are used to the Mamma Soundtrack but the real fans appreciate it).

Obviously, I am an expert on ABBA so here is a list of the best ABBA songs not from the Mamma Mia Soundtrack that you need to know to be a real fan:

1. If It Wasn’t for the Nights
2. Disillusion
3. Don’t Shut Me Down
4. Summer Night City
5. Tiger
6. King Kong Song
7. Dum Dum Diddle
8. Hey Hey Helen
9. Rock Me
10. Hole in Your Soul

Anyways, Bill is the father.

Kathryn Miller is a second-year integrated marketing and communications major who will raise their child in Abba’s image. You can reach them at [email protected]