Agnetha Fältskog, one quarter of Swedish legends ABBA, has caused a media frenzy by announcing she is releasing her first new album in nine years, including her first original material since 1987.

Rumours have surrounded the 62 year-old’s seclusion since the collapse of ABBA in the early eighties, although in a recent interview she has spoken out about the low-profile she kept.

“I have been described as very mysterious, but I’m not,” she told the press, “I think I’m just very grounded. My life contains so many other things; I have my children, my grandchildren, my two dogs, and a big place in the country.  I have my own life.”

It is a common misconception that Agnetha disappeared into obscurity after ABBA, but she in fact released three solo albums in English in the eighties to the tune of moderate success. She charted in the UK with the reggae-inspired song The heat is on, but had great success all over Europe with I won’t let you go and Wrap your arms around me. Despite this, she found her record sales dwindling and began to experience great anxiety when flying.  These factors decided that she should retreat from the limelight.

http://youtu.be/LOrzouYXA5s

Rumours about Agnetha’s comeback began to circulate last year, when she was seen in a studio with Grammy-nominated producer, Jörgen Elofsson, who has written for superstars such as Britney Spears, Kelly Clarkson and Leona Lewis.  The first song Elofsson produced for Agnetha was premiered this week, a ballad titled When you really loved someone.  Other songs featured on the album are expected to stick to the pop sound she is so famous for with ABBA, and on one of the tracks she duets with British singer Gary Barlow.  Agnetha even wrote one of the songs herself, I keep them on the floor beside my bed.

Agnetha’s twelfth album, A, is to be released on the 13 May 2013.