BITTERSWEET REVEAL: Benny Andersson Reflects on the Joys and Sorrows of Leaving Music Behind
Stockholm, Sweden — At 79, ABBA legend Benny Andersson has offered one of his most moving reflections yet — a candid look at the joys, sorrows, and quiet reckonings that come with stepping away from the stage. Known to millions as the creative force behind some of pop’s most timeless melodies, Benny now speaks with humility about the silence that followed after decades defined by music.
With a voice touched by nostalgia, he recalled the thunderous applause that once shook arenas, the bright lights of Eurovision, and the countless nights when music carried him and his bandmates into the hearts of audiences worldwide. “Music was my whole life… saying goodbye felt like losing a part of myself,” he admitted softly, his words heavy with both the ache of farewell and the gratitude of a life lived in song.
For Benny, leaving the stage was not an ending but a transformation — one that brought both peace and longing. The piano where countless hits were born still sits near his window, and while the crowds are gone, the melodies remain. “Even in silence, I hear music,” he reflected. “It’s just that now, it belongs to me in a different way.”
He spoke, too, of the balance between pride and humility — of knowing that while ABBA’s songs still soar across radios and stages around the world, there is a tender acceptance in letting the younger generation carry the music forward. “We gave our best,” Benny said. “And the songs will go on without us. That is enough.”
Fans around the world have been deeply moved by his words, which capture not only the bittersweet nature of farewell but also the quiet grace of an artist at peace with his legacy. For Benny Andersson, the music may have slowed, but the memories — the laughter in the studio, the shared triumphs, the bonds of friendship and melody — will never fade.