ABBA outshines Ed Sheeran as new album Voyage becomes UK charts best-selling LP in four years

ABBA’s latest album, Voyage, has already broken a UK record by becoming the best-selling LP in four years, just six days after its general release.

The Swedish pop pioneers returned with their ninth and final album on November 5, with sales figures suggesting it quickly overtook all other current releases – among which Ed Sheeran = (equal).

Sheeran’s fifth math title LP has been available for purchase since October 29 and currently sits at No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart, but is expected to be ousted by ABBA when the chart is updated on November 12.

While = (equal) sold 139,000 copies in just seven days, Voyage – ABBA’s first album of original material since 1981 – sold 181,712 copies over a shorter period of time.

The Swedish pop group wowed fans when they announced their return with a groundbreaking concert and new album in October.

Immediately after the announcement, Agnetha Fältskog, 71, Björn Ulvaeus, 76, Benny Andersson, 74, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad, 75, released new tracks I Still Have Faith In You and Don’t Shut Me. Down – which received rave reviews.

Popular: Swedish pop pioneers returned with their ninth and final album on November 5, with sales figures suggesting it quickly overtook all other current releases

However, reviews were divided by the rest of the work after the full album was released on Friday morning.

Jude Rogers of The Guardian gave the album only two stars, noting: “The glamor promised by the two formidable singles on this album is horribly unsatisfied.”

Rogers added, “In the past, they’ve excelled when they tweaked the sounds of their time in their own way, when they were into glam, disco, and electronic pop, but also outside of those genres; when their peculiarities elevated them rather than diminished them.

Top of the tree: Ed Sheeran’s mathematically titled fifth LP = (equal) currently sits at No. 1 on the UK Albums chart, but is expected to be ousted by ABBA when the chart updates on November 12

“If only they had stopped at these two scholarly songs, leaving the rest to our dazzling imaginations.

The Telegraph’s Neil McCormick was slightly more generous with a three-star rating, but said the Swedish group had “drifted away from Waterloo”.

Alas, the new music didn’t live up to their bigger hits, as Neil wrote: “There’s nothing here that hits the sheer gold seam of their classic 45s.

“Travel is weighed down by too many theatrical ballads and schlager-style fantasies that sound like minor falls from the ’70s.”

He concluded, “Voyage is an OAP smooth cruise around the backwaters of Abba’s reputation. Grandma Mia! Here we go again.’

Rivals: While = (equal) sold 139,000 copies in just seven days, Voyage – ABBA’s first album of original material since 1981 – sold 181,712 copies over a shorter period of time

NME also awarded three stars as they questioned whether the return of the iconic group was “more remarkable than the music itself?”

The Daily Mail’s Adrian Thrills also awarded Voyage four stars, writing: “The quartet’s debut album since The Visitors in 1981 rekindles the heartfelt storytelling and melodic genius that helped make the band one of the greatest hits in the world. pop.”

He concluded, “Whatever side of Abba you like, there is something here for you. So, do I like it? I do, I do, I do, I do, I do.

Old times: ABBA revolutionized pop music during their heyday of the 70s and early 80s

Voyage is ABBA’s ninth studio album and the sequel to The Visitors, which was the band’s last album when it was released in 1984.

The Swedish group released three singles from their new album, I Still Have Faith In You, Don’t Shut Me Down and Just A Notion, which was recorded in 1978 but was not selected for their sixth album Want You. .

ABBA’s comeback songs reached numbers nine, fourteen and 59 on the UK Singles Chart – as well as number one in their native Sweden.

It comes after the quartet announced their retirement following the release of their album and the end of their residency on stage.

The pop pioneers originally split in 1982, but reformed earlier this year to record the ninth studio album Voyage and unveil plans for an immersive digital show, to be held in Stratford next May.

The show will take place in the purpose-built ABBA Arena at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London from May 27, 2022.

ABBA rose to fame after winning the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest with the single Waterloo.

They then released tracks including Mama Mia !, Dancing Queen, Take a Chance On Me and Thank You For The Music before moving away from the music industry.

The band broke up at the height of their careers, and in their later years Björn divorced his bandmate Agnetha while Benny and Frida also went their separate ways.

They performed together for the first time in decades in 2016 at a private event, which marked the 50th anniversary of the first meeting between songwriters Björn and Benny.

Tickets for ABBA Voyage concerts are available on abbavoyage.com.

Digital: The pop pioneers split in 1982, but reformed earlier this year to record the ninth studio album Voyage and unveil plans for an immersive digital show on stage