If the recent news cycle’s got you feeling down, rest assured: Cher is here to comfort you.
In a Monday interview with the “Today” show, the legendary singer-actress revealed plans to release a new album of ABBA covers. The album, she said, would be a companion of sorts to her role in the all-ABBA movie musical, “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again,” which hits theaters Friday.
“After I did ‘Fernando’ [in the film], I thought it would really be fun to do an album of ABBA songs,” Cher told “Today” host Kathie Lee Gifford. “So I did!”
While ABBA hits like “Take a Chance on Me” and “Dancing Queen” have previously been covered by Erasure, by A-Teens and on “Glee,” Cher said her renditions would break away a bit from the tried-and-true, 1970s Europop sound.
“It’s not what you think of when you think ABBA, because I did it in a different way,” she explained.
No official word on when the album will be released. Last month, however, Cher hinted that fans could expect to hear the new music by September.
Turns out, the 72-year-old Oscar and Grammy winner has a long history with ABBA. In 2004, she appeared alongside all four members of the Swedish pop group ― Benny Andersson, Agnetha Fältskog, Anni-Frid Lyngstad and Björn Ulvaeus ― in a TV short called “The Last Video,” produced for that year’s Eurovision contest.
And Cher has plenty of reasons to celebrate these days. “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again” marks her first onscreen role since 2010’s “Burlesque.” The sequel to the 2008 smash “Mamma Mia!” sees Cher playing Ruby Sheridan, mother to Donna (Meryl Streep) and grandmother to Sophie (Amanda Seyfried). As revealed in early teasers and on the film’s soundtrack, she sings the 1976 hit, “Fernando,” with actor Andy Garcia and joins her castmates for an ensemble version of 1980’s “Super Trouper.”
“The Cher Show,” a new musical based on the diva’s life, will premiere on Broadway in December. Featuring 35 hits like “Believe” and “If I Could Turn Back Time,” the show will undoubtedly help introduce Cher to a new generation of fans ― much like “Mamma Mia!” did for ABBA.