Introduction
The hardships Agnetha faced after ABBA disbanded.
Behind the dazzling success of their careers and the bright lights of the stage, the two couples in ABBA faced serious difficulties in their marriages, which eventually led to their breakdown. Both couples ended up divorcing—first in 1980 and then in 1981. The band continued to function on a limited basis until 1983, when they quietly went their separate ways, without making an official announcement.
ABBA disbanded following the divorces of both couples. Although the separation between Agnetha Fältskog and her husband, singer-songwriter Björn Ulvaeus, was relatively amicable, the simultaneous collapse of her marriage and the disbandment of the group she had been a part of for nearly a decade caused Agnetha to suffer a period of deep emotional distress.
After ABBA disbanded, Agnetha stopped listening to any of the group’s songs. It seemed that the many years of living under intense fame had drained her emotionally, and eventually, she began to suffer from a series of emotional “side effects.”
Later, when enough time had passed for her to calmly reflect on the past, Agnetha admitted in an interview that during ABBA’s final years—when both couples’ marriages were falling apart—she experienced a deep psychological crisis and felt utterly miserable throughout that final, “holding on” period.
During her marriage to Björn, Agnetha had two children. But while Björn quickly moved on after their separation—finding a new partner and enthusiastically continuing his personal and professional life—Agnetha sought psychological counseling to cope.
The song “The Winner Takes It All” was written by Björn right around the time of their divorce. Agnetha later shared that she had to gather enormous emotional strength to sing it, as the lyrics expressed her deepest feelings—written by her ex-husband.
She performed it with raw, heartfelt emotion, especially in the line: “Tell me, does she kiss you like I used to kiss you?”
When both marriages ended in divorce, the two couples still tried to maintain their performances together. They continued releasing new songs that were well-received by audiences. However, after a tour and returning to the studio in 1982, all four members came to the same realization: both couples were now divorced, and there was no longer any joy left in continuing as a group. The spirit of ABBA, once fueled by love and unity, had faded…
To Be Continued…