Single Review: ABBA – I Still Have Faith in You
Livia Cockerell reviews ABBA’s exciting latest return single.
After the year we have all had, there were only four people who could provide us with a musical remedy, and they go by the name of ABBA. I Still Have Faith in You was released earlier this month as a dual lead single before the much anticipated release of Voyage this November, the band’s first album since 1981.
this song would be added to my ‘Drunk mums dancing at a wedding’ playlist
Have ABBA moved with the times? Not really. But have the times moved with ABBA? Almost certainly. No, this single is not particularly 2021, but I think that is part of its charm – it is undeniably and whole-heartedly ABBA.
There is a complete sense of reflection and nostalgia embedded within the lyrics of I Still Have Faith in You as the legendary band seem reminisce over their bittersweet past filled with romance, hit records, broken relationships, friendship but ultimately, a “union of heart and mind” which brings together these four musicians. The music video that accompanies offers a further feeling of escapism to the band’s romanticised past as it presents a montage of retro clips and photographs from ABBA’s rise to fame back in the 70’s.
In true ABBA style, you only need to listen to the song once before having the chorus firmly rooted in your head for weeks. If we are getting into specifics, this song would be added to my ‘Drunk mums dancing at a wedding’ playlist. With its simultaneously uplifting and emotive lyrics and melody alike (and of course, an expected amount of cheese), the undertones of this single remind me of those of ABBA’s 1975 release, I’ve Been Waiting for You which also featured on the soundtrack of 2018’s Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.
ABBA have most definitely stood the test of time and I for one am unashamedly excited to hear the rest of the rest of the album this November. I Still Have Faith in You was the dose of ABBA that we have been awaiting for decades so for that, I say: ABBA, thank you for the music.
