It’s a well known fact that my obsession for ABBA is neither containable nor stoppable. Too many times, I have been told off by DJs to stop requesting it but here I am to explain why ABBA is always the perfect band for any occasion, even if it doesn’t fit in with the vision of your playlist *cough*Kampai*cough*. While this article does not focus on the full extent of ABBA’s golden musical repertoire, I aim to give you the highlights of songs that will fit into even your most random of moods.
1. Slipping Through My Fingers: Nostalgia
This is the perfect song for when you’re feeling nostalgic, or when you’re consumed with pains of growing up or the pain of those around you growing up. It not only touches on familial relationships but also the sadness brought about by passing time and missing moments that go by your life, as well as appreciating the small things that make up connections with people. This song is the perfect balance between poetic, heart-felt and universal. It places a friendly, empathetic hand on the listener’s soul.
Full disclosure: my roommate found me crying on the couch when I last listened to this, and I had to explain that it was this song and prominently started to argue with her as I refused to change it. That’s how freaking magical the power of ABBA is.
2. Chiquitita: Friendship
Chiquitita puts the very nature of kindness to a tune. It focuses on the trials of friendship and the highs and lows we endure with the ones closest to us. Its shift from slow to fast (please forgive the lack of musical terminology here) turns any miserable mood into a happy one, encouraging the listener to forget about their problems and focus on the joys of music and those around them. Whenever you’re upset, just listen to the calming sounds of Agnetha and Anni-Frid, and all worries will be put aside.
3. I Wonder (Departure): Growth
Yes, another slow song I know—I promise I’ll get to the fast-paced music, but “I Wonder” is the perfect exploration of what it means to grow into yourself when you are comparing yourself to those around you. This song focuses on the need for unique experiences that do not rely on other people. It focuses on departure, excitement and adventure, and knowing what is best for you at a certain point in your life. It goes against complacency and comfort in favour of exploration.
4. Angel Eyes: Navigating toxic relationships
This song epitomises every person you’ve ever fallen for, who has either drawn you in with their angel eyes, or pretended to be angelic in some way only for you to find out that they will disappoint you at the first chance they get. The song struggles with wanting the relationship to stay the same but urging the listener to recognise tropes that are common in roping them back into an unhealthy relationship: wishing life were one way, falling back into a relationship (romantic or otherwise) only to be proven wrong about the morality of the other person’s character. (See also: Mamma Mia for a similar vibe).
5. Money Money Money: Financial anxieties
Money Money Money is a college student’s dream. Daydreaming of marrying millionaires and living on a yacht is the ultimate young adult fantasy, which is, of course, perfectly expressed by ABBA through their artful music. The crushing reality of financial struggles is all too real when juxtaposed with the financial fantasy of the richer classes. This song plays with ideas of distant fortune while grounding the listener in a more realistic world — thus perfectly toying with the struggles of working and earning money in the modern era.
Images obtained from:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeWxuogAlNs
www.youtube.com/watch?v=09m6J05fL3Y
www.rockhall.com/inductees/abba