A new Abba song in the Eurovision Song Contest? Not exactly - but close enough to count as a major coup for the organisers of this year's songfest, which takes place in May in Abba's native Sweden.
Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, the band's male half, have written a new song, 'We Write the Story,' to serve as an anthem for the 2013 contest.
Adding an element of youth appeal, the song will be arranged by the Swedish DJ Avicii (Tim Bergling), whose electronic dance number 'Levels' was a huge international hit in 2011.
The invitation to Andersson, Ulvaeus, and Avicci came from two executives of the Swedish national broadcaster SVT, Martin Österdahl and Christer Björkman, who are tasked with planning and delivering the 2013 contest.
Österdahl and Björkman 'presented us beautifully with SVT’s vision,' Andersson and Ulvaeus said yesterday. 'This led us on to the assignment to collaborate with Avicii on a piece on mutual understanding and fellowship. It’s a lot of fun and very inspiring.'
In recent years Eurovision host broadcasters have gone to great lengths to promote the local culture; last year, for example, Azerbaijan built a brand new performance venue, the Crystal Hall, to host the contest. Avicii's executive producer Ash Pournouri clearly sees 'We Write the Story' in this context of national promotion: 'to experience the union of two of Sweden’s biggest musical exports and the collaboration between generations is extremely exciting,' he said yesterday.
Abba is the most successful pop act to have performed in Eurovision; they won the 1974 contest with 'Waterloo' and went on to sell 370 million albums and singles worldwide before breaking up in the early 1980s. In recent years they have distanced themselves from Eurovision; they did not appear at the contest's 50th anniversary celebrations in Copenhagen in 2005, despite the European public having voted 'Waterloo' their favourite Eurovision song.
'We Are the Story' will be focal point of the opening act of the Eurovision final on Saturday, May 18th.
Ireland's 2013 Eurovision competitor, Ryan Dolan, will perform his song, 'Only Love Survives' in the contest's first semifinal on May 14th.