Abba’s Anni-Frid Lyngstad admits she’s not a fan of Eurovision anymore: ‘It’s not what it was’

Anni-Frid has been honest about her view on Eurovision (Picture: George Napolitano/FilmMagic)

Abba’s Anni-Frid Lyngstad has admitted she is no longer a fan of the Eurovision Song Contest, which propelled her and Sweden’s most famous band to superstardom in 1974.

The singer, 75, revealed that she felt it’s ‘not what it was’ and doesn’t follow along with it anymore.

Talking to Zoe Ball on The Radio 2 Breakfast Show on Thursday, she said: ‘I’m not so interested because it has changed so much over the years and it’s not what it was at that time.

‘Now it’s more like a show, it’s very technical and there are some good songs coming out of it, but I cannot say I’m a fan of Eurovision, maybe I shouldn’t say it, but I did it anyway.’

Abba won with their song Waterloo in 1974, and this year’s winners were Italian rock band Måneskin with Zitti E Buoni, which cracked the UK top 20.

They have since enjoyed chart success around the world with other songs.

Abba after their Eurovision win with Waterloo in 1974 (Picture: Olle Lindeborg/AFP via Getty Images)

Måneskin were 2021’s winners (Picture: Vyacheslav Prokofyev/TASS via Getty Images)

Band members Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus recently admitted in a group interview on BBC Breakfast that they would consider writing the UK entry for Eurovision, provided it was sung by Dua Lipa, after branding the news that the Physical hitmaker’s management, TaP Music, is to scout a pop star to compete for the UK at next year’s show as ‘promising’.

Anni-Frid, who is also known as Frida, also shared that Abba ‘didn’t expect anything’ with their new album Voyage, which was released last week, and, although they were all pleased with its success, she ‘doesn’t take it as seriously’ as when she was younger.

She added: ‘As Benny said in an earlier interview, we don’t have to prove anything so we have just done it for the fun of it and that’s a good feeling actually.’

Abba is back with a new album and upcoming ‘Abbatar’ shows (Picture: Industrial Light/PA Wire)

The I Still Have Faith in You singer said it was ‘wonderful’ that people liked it.

As well as revealing that Abba ‘never stopped working together’ over the years due to meetings and their friendship, despite it being 39 years between Voyage and their previous album, The Visitors, Anna-Frid also gave an answer sure to delight the band’s long-term fans.

More: Eurovision Song Contest 2021

When asked if there will be anything more from the group, she replied: ‘I have learnt to say ‘never say never’.’

The music icon also said she was ‘concerned about everything that happens in the world right now’ as she praised climate activist Greta Thunberg as ‘a little Queen in Sweden’, admitting: ‘I must say I’m very proud of her.’

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