In 1999 Four Swedish Teenagers owned the airwaves of the DCOM generation. 25 years later, with the group set to reunite for a performance at the Swedish music competition Melodifestivalen 2024 on 3 February, I thought it would be fun to take a trip down memory late with some in-depth reviews of their previous release. So heat up your gripping iron, take out your belly chains, and dust off those discerns because I am going to take us to the end of the last millennium, starting with, The ABBA Generation!

Constructed in 1998 by Niklas Berg as an ABBA tribute group called ABBA-TEENS and introduced millennials to the sugar-sweet pop music of their parent’s generation. Like their predecessor, ABBA TEENS consisted of two gorgeous young women, Marie Serneholt and Sara Lumholdt as well as two strikingly handsome young men, Amit Paul and Dhani Lennevald (I thought Amit was a dreamboat). 

The group’s first single, “Mamma Mia”, stayed on the Swedish POP charts for 8 consecutive weeks. To avoid litigation, the group’s name was changed to A☆TEENS and the group went international. “Mama Mia” went on to top the charts in over ten countries. 

That August, the group released their debut album, which was comprised solely of ABBA covers reinterpreted with a more modern and electronic sound, was fun and fresh, but still fit in nicely with the disco revival that was happening in US POP music at the time.

The ABBA GENERATION (INTERNATIONAL COVER)

While the album topped the charts in Sweden and Argentina, it didn’t crack the top 50 in the US. The next two singles, “Super Trouper” and “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)” also charted fairly well in Sweden and Latin America.

Being the little pop-loving princess I was as a teenager, could not get enough of the A☆TEENS! I bought every album and single I could find. They were the soundtrack of my Freshmen year of High School.

To celebrate the end of the last millennium, the group released “Happy New Year” another ABBA Cover, but was a stand-alone single that was not featured on the album. Again, it wasn’t a super-popular track in the states.

Everything changed in 2000 when the music video to “Dancing Queen” added an extra bit of nostalgia and based its premise on the 1985 John Hughs film The Breakfast Club. Though the song barely broke the Hot 100, it landed the group several spots on Disney and Nickelodeon as well as a summer tour with the Queen of Teen Bop Pop herself, Britney Spears. The single ended up going gold. 

The group’s success in Latin America led to several Spanish versions of “Mamma Mia” and “¡Dame! ¡Dame! ¡Dame! (Amor Esta Noche)” as well as a Chilean EP Extr-A☆TEENS that consisted of the two Spanish-language singles, the Pierre J’s Radio Mix of the A☆TEENS-Medley. An enchanted EP, it also included the Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight) music video. 

A Japan-only release of the album also included the track “Knowing Me, Knowing You” as well as a Remix Album including 12 re-mixed tracks and exclusive artwork was also released. Though the physical versions are out of print, a digital-only release is available through some international retailers like OTOTOY. 

Exclusive cover to Japan-Only album

When all was said and done, The ABBA Generation had gone triple platinum, and as the disco-revival was spinning to a close, A☆TEENS were ready to show the world that they were more than just a cover band. They had that unbreakable Teen Spirit, and soon, the would give new meaning to term “Sugar Rush!”

More A☆TEENS soon so…

Stay Tuned!