Track-By-Track album review: Agnetha Fältskog - A

I’m going to write reviews of stuff artists I love do from now on, and the best way to begin is with ABBA’s Agnetha  Fältskog’s latest album, entitled A. I took my time to listen to this much expected album, that’s why I only wrote a review after almost two months of its release on May 10, 2013. I made sure I listened to every song carefully and repeatedly, after getting over the joy of Agnetha’s comeback to keep that from making me too biased. Well, here we go, a track-by-track album review:

Album cover

1.       The One Who Loves You Now – this is a nice romantic song that reminds me a lot of Agnetha’s 1983 album Wrap Your Arms Around Me. It’s a great way to open her extremely anticipated comeback album, with a little more modern take on the kind of song we like to hear from her.
2.       When You Really Loved Someone – the first worldwide single of the album was rightfully chosen. It is a great song, very current and unlike Agnetha’s usual stuff. The song is truly grand, fit for the diva that she is. The lyrics are simple and beautiful, perfect for her, and the melody is a little more up-tempo than I expected from her. I was pleasantly surprised.
3.       Perfume in the Breeze – at first it seems to be a pretty little romantic song, but after carefully listening to it, I realized it was about a one-night-stand with a stranger in the beach! How edgy! Totally unexpected from the melancholic blonde who sang “The Winner Takes it All”. Another upbeat song, fun to listen to, and shows a new side to this singer who is clearly trying to break away from her Greta Garbo image. Catchy chorus, too.
4.       I Was a Flower – the Agnetha trademark melancholic lost love kind of song. She sings it beautifully, and it’s a great song. As usual, she touches your soul with her angelic sad voice, making you pity her as she accuses someone of making her colors fade.
5.       I Should’ve Followed You Home (with Gary Barlow) – she reaches a new audience with her partnership with Take That singer Gary Barlow. Their voices go well together, but it is far from being my favorite Agnetha duet. Barlow co-wrote the song, which is great, makes it a little more personal instead of being an entirely commercial tune.
6.        Past Forever – it feels like another melancholic tune, but it has a note of conformation with the past. It’s more like a “shoulda coulda woulda” kind of message instead of the expected “oh no, it’s gone” kind.
7.       Dance Your Pain Away – a disco song by Agnetha in 2013? Yes please! It is great to hear a fresh dance song done by the girl from ABBA, the Dancing Queen herself. On the other hand, it is truly an attempt to reach the gay audience, and it has been said it was indeed intended as a gay anthem. It is a commercial song, no doubt, made for the sole purpose of selling records. It is the second single of the album, and it’s a great choice commercially.
8.       Bubble – Agnetha’s favorite song of the album. It is darker than most of her material and it has artistic value. It’s almost hauntingly beautiful. A nice song for a rainy day.
9.       Back On Your Radio – I consider this to be the silliest song in the album, but it is suggestive in the sense that Agnetha is “back on your radio”. It has a somewhat catchy chorus where she sings with a sweet voice that reminds me a little of ABBA's “Slipping Through My Fingers.”
10.  I Keep Them On The Floor Beside My Bed – she loves a long title, doesn't she? Well, I absolutely LOVE this song, not only for the fact that it is beautifully sung, but also because she wrote it. The fact that she made an attempt of composing a song makes me give her a standing ovation. She has always been a talented songwriter from an early age, and this song is no different. It is a rare gem of pop music, and my favorite from this album