ABBA's Björn Ulvaeus shares Kilkenny inspiration behind 'When You Danced With Me'

ABBA's Björn Ulvaeus has shared details about the inspiration for 'When You Danced With Me,' a track from the group's recent release Voyage.

"I drove around the coast from Limerick to Dublin with my family in the 90s and we stopped in Kilkenny," shared Ulvaeus. "It was beautiful and very romantic, I thought. Castle, churches and the surroundings, County Kilkenny with its little charming villages. It has stayed with me."

"We drove through Cork as well and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that city, but try to replace Kilkenny with Cork in 'When You Danced With Me'!" the musician added.

'When You Danced With Me' appears on the group's latest release, Voyage. Released on November 5, the record is ABBA's first album in nearly 40 years.

"We took a break in the spring of 1982 and now we've decided it's time to end it," the band said of Voyage. "They say it's foolhardy to wait more than 40 years between albums, so we've recorded a follow-up to The Visitors."

"To tell the truth, the main inspiration to record again comes from our involvement in creating the strangest and most spectacular concert you could ever dream of," they added. "We're going to be able to sit back in an audience and watch our digital selves perform out songs on a stage in a custom-built arena in London next spring. Weird and wonderful!"

In May 2022, ABBA will perform at the purpose- built ABBA Arena at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London. They will perform digitally alongside a live 10-piece band. Tickets are available now on their website.

In a recent review of the record, Hot Press' Lucy O'Toole wrote: "While Voyage doesn't quite rival the hits of ABBA's past, there's no doubt that, after 40 years, the Swedish icons' unique brand of unapologetic pop is still as strangely captivating as ever."

Listen to 'When You Danced With Me,' and the rest of Voyage, below: