ABBA’s Agnetha Faltskog and Gary Barlow have reunited on a modern version of their 2013 duet ‘I Should’ve Followed You Home’.
The Swedish pop star and the Take That frontman originally released the song for Agnetha’s solo album ‘A’, which has been reimagined for ‘A+’.
The pair went on to perform the song on the telethon BBC Children In Need.
The ‘Dancing Queen’ singer said: “I have such happy memories with this song, and my first meeting with Gary! I love this duet and the new version is even better!!!”
The new version has a new beat that kicks off the song before Gary starts singing, transforming the track from a slow-burning ballad to a dance-pop tune.
The duet follows the release of Agnetha’s first new solo music in 10 years, ‘Where Do We Go From Here?’.
The album was written especially for her by the acclaimed songwriter and producer Jorgen Elofsson and as the pair approached the 10-year anniversary of the record, Agnetha and Jorgen discussed what the record would sound like if it was created in 2023 and decided to explore the idea together.
The two artists worked alongside fellow producer Anton ‘Hybrid’ Martensson and reimagined the album in its entirety, stripping each song back, keeping the original vocals from 2013, throwing away all the old music and creating totally brand new productions for 2023, and in turn, a brand new tracklisting.
In a letter to fans in which she shares her inspiration for the LP, Agnetha said: “A couple of years ago I heard one of the songs from my last album ‘A’ on the radio. I have lots of fond memories from making that album, so I couldn’t help but smile, time flies … Suddenly it hit me, what would the album sound like if we had made it today? I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I reached out to the boys who produced ‘A’ back in 2013 – ‘What would you guys think about reimagining ‘A’ and making a totally new version of it?’ They loved the idea! ‘Let’s try!’
“A while later I heard the first reworked song, and I must say I absolutely loved it! It sounded so fresh and modern, even better than I had imagined it!
“We named the album A+ and as a cherry on top we even recorded a brand new song! And that will be the first thing you´ll hear from me. Now I can’t wait to hear what you think about it! I hope you like it as much as I do!”
The record comes in the wake of ABBA’s 2021 release ‘Voyage’ which was Agnetha, Bjorn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad’s first album of new material in 40 years. It preceded the opening of the ‘ABBA Voyage’ digital concert residency in London in May 2022.
Released in 2013, ‘A’ was Agnetha’s first solo LP since her 2004 cover album ‘My Colouring Book’, and her first original material since 1987’s ‘Stand Alone’.
It also features Agnetha’s first self-penned track in nearly 30 years, ‘I Keep Them On The Floor Beside My Bed’.
Album ‘A+’ will be available via BMG on October 13, 2023, and is available to pre-order.