They still perform together on stage as friends: blonde Agnetha and dark-haired Anni-Frid from ABBA. Still, the fairytale of the unknown Swedish group that achieved worldwide fame within a couple of years seems to come to an abrupt end. And the most important cause is not Björn and Agnetha's divorce, but the increasing rivalry between the two singers...The fairytale seemed so wonderful: ABBA, four young and unknown people, who took the whole world by storm within five years. ABBA turned into an enterprise with perfect performances, well-planned tours and records that made the charts, every single one of them. But the fairytale seems to have ended now. Recent developments in the group make insiders expect that everything will start going downhill pretty soon. The big tour, that will take them to our country this week, might in fact be a farewell visit.
"Björn and I didn't see a future together any longer," blonde Agnetha stated almost a year ago in Paris, "and that's why we decided to go our separate ways. But this won't have any effect on the group. I still see a future with him as a musical partner. So it won't have any consequences at all for the group..."
Agnetha seemed to be right. ABBA kept going after Agnetha and Björn's divorce, as if nothing had happened. Still, new troubles started to arise in the group. But this time it's about the other half of ABBA, Benny and Anni-Frid. The red-haired singer and the blonde, bearded singer of ABBA got married last year in all secrecy. Because when Björn and Agnetha's relationship started to deteriorate, the attraction between the other couple increased. Manager Stig Anderson tried everything he could to control the increasing rivalry between the two female singers as much as possible. But it all seems to be in vain.
Red-haired Anni-Frid, who already had a big career as a solo singer before ABBA, allegedly prefers to continue alone with her husband. Contractual obligations have to stop her from doing that now. But nothing was standing in her way to work on her own future apart from ABBA. And she makes the most of it now.
"Luckily, I'm free to do whatever I want in that respect," says Anni-Frid. "For instance, I played the leading role in a new Swedish movie recently. I thought it was great fun to be able to act. Oh well, as long as the audience still likes ABBA's music I will probably continue working with the group. But that doesn't mean that I will occupy myself with ABBA exclusively. Because apart from a possible solo career I have my family to take care of as well. My son Hans and Benny's son Peter are living with us. And then there's my daughter Lise-Lotte and Benny's daughter Helene who respectively live with their father and mother, but often visit with us too. And then Benny: he is the best thing that ever happened to me and not ABBA!"
Agnetha has a hard time coping with all of this. Björn only occupies himself with composing songs. Anni-Frid is dreaming about a solo career with her Benny. So what remains for blonde Agnetha...?
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