At the height of ABBA‘s career, demeaning comments about Agnetha Fältskog’s appearance were not lost on her.
In ABBA: AGAINST THE ODDS, a documentary on the Swedish band that premiered on Saturday, May 11, viewers get a look at remarks Fältskog faced as she opened up about her struggle with fame.
In 1977, ABBA was seeing massive success during their tour in Australia. While the group loved their fanbase, they admit in the documentary that it got to be a bit too much at times.
“After a while it’s not funny anymore,” Fältskog, now 74, said.
Then, Fältskog became objectified in the media as well — and she had no say over it.
“I read somewhere that you are the proud owner of an award which declares you as the lady with the sexiest bottom,” asked a journalist in a clip from an old TV interview. “Is that true?”
“It’s completely unsurprising. They are not going to ask Agnetha about the music,” Germaine Greer, the author of The Female Enuch said in the documentary.
Ingmarie Halling, who did ABBA’s costume and makeup, added: “I think it was unworthy for any person to be talked about as a body part.”
Elsewhere in the documentary, Fältskog was vulnerable about her struggle with fame after she became a mother. Fältskog shares daughter Linda Elin, now 51, and son Peter Christian, now 47, with fellow ABBA member Björn Ulvaeus.
“That happens a lot – you start your career at the same time you want to be a mother,” Fältskog said of facing “major, major” problems with not wanting to leave her behind while on tour. “It’s hard work and you always get back to bed conscious that she wants me and ABBA wants me and it’s very hard to do it all.”
Ulvaeus, now 79, added, “When we got back [from touring] our daughter didn’t recognize us. That was a tough experience.”
Fältskog and Ulvaeus divorced after seven years together, but managed to stick with the band and keep things professional until ABBA officially parted ways in 1982. At the time, Fältskog admitted it was too hard to keep the band going.
Then, in 2022, the band made a rare red carpet appearance together for the premiere of their virtual concert series, which was in support of the band’s studio album Voyage, their first release in 40 years.
ABBA: AGAINST THE ODDS, directed by James Rogan, is out now on the The CW.
