"I Still Have Faith in You"
Double A-side single cover
Single by ABBA
from the album Voyage
A-side"Don't Shut Me Down" (double A-side)
Released2 September 2021 (2021-09-02)
RecordedJune 2017[1]
StudioRMV Studios, Stockholm
Length5:10
LabelPolar
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Benny Andersson
ABBA singles chronology
"Under Attack"
(1982) 		"I Still Have Faith in You" / "Don't Shut Me Down"
(2021) 		"Just a Notion"
(2021)
Music video
"I Still Have Faith in You" on YouTube

"I Still Have Faith in You" is a song by Swedish pop music group ABBA. It was released on 2 September 2021 as a dual single alongside "Don't Shut Me Down" from the band's ninth studio album and first in 40 years, Voyage.[2] Anni-Frid Lyngstad performs lead vocals.

The track has been described as "an ode to their friendship and to the bonds that have matured and survived despite divorce and heartbreak".[3] It was also described as a power ballad,[4] a "stately and epic ballad",[5] and "an affectionate piano ballad portraying the bond the four band members share".[3] The song received a nomination for Record of the Year at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards, marking ABBA's first-ever Grammy nomination.[6][7]

Background

"I Still Have Faith in You" is a power ballad with rock elements. In 2018, it was announced that the song had been recorded in June 2017 as one of two new songs.[1] Key parts of the melody was based on a 2015 Benny Andersson instrumental, "Kyssen" (The Kiss), from the soundtrack to the Swedish film The Circle.[8]

Music video

The music video for the song features various pieces of archival footage of ABBA's 1977 and 1979 tours, outtakes from past music videos, and meet and greets. It also has the first appearance of the ABBAtars – digital avatars of the four members of ABBA looking like how they looked in the 1970s.

The video gained 4.4 million views in the first 24 hours following its release, placing in the top three of YouTube's trending rankings in 12 countries, including the UK.[9]

Critical reception

Mark Savage of the BBC complimented the track, writing that "[s]lowly, majestically, it builds to an astronomical climax, full of power chords and dazzling harmonies" and that "[i]f it feels like a victory lap, that's only fair".[10] Helen Brown from The Independent stated "that this was precisely the stuff that would move fans the most".[11] Kate Mossman of the New Statesman felt that the chorus has the ghost of "The Winner Takes It All" and that its "prettiest bits" go into low registers, which she noted is unusual for contemporary music.[12] In the context of the album, Stephan Rehm Rozanes of Musikexpress opined that the track represented Voyage's "most emotional and courageous moment".[13]

Charts

Chart performance for "I Still Have Faith in You"
Chart (2021) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[14] 39
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[15] 19
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[16] 24
Canada Digital Song Sales (Billboard)[17] 9
Croatia (HRT)[18] 17
Denmark (Tracklisten)[19] 17
Euro Digital Song Sales (Billboard)[20] 2
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[21] 7
Germany (Official German Charts)[22] 3
Global 200 (Billboard)[23] 62
Hungary (Single Top 40)[24] 11
Iceland (Plötutíðindi)[25] 38
Ireland (IRMA)[26] 18
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[27] 21
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[28] 6
Norway (VG-lista)[29] 13
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[30] 2
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[31] 6
UK Singles (OCC)[32] 14

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Sweden (GLF)[33] Platinum 8,000,000†

† Streaming-only figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ a b "Abba reunites to record new music after 35 years". 27 April 2018.
  2. ^ White, Jack (2 September 2021). "ABBA announce their first studio album of new material in 39 years Voyage and hologram concert series". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 2 September 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  3. ^ a b "Abba delight fans with new 10-song album and virtual concert". BBC. 2 September 2021. Archived from the original on 2 September 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  4. ^ McCormick, Neil (2 September 2021). "Abba, I Still Have Faith in You, review: comeback single is a bit of a damp squib". Telegraph.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2 September 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  5. ^ Beaumont-Thomas, Beau; Brown, Mark (3 September 2021). "Abba reunite for Voyage, first new album in 40 years". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 2 September 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  6. ^ "2022 GRAMMYs Awards Show: Complete Nominations List". Grammys.com. 23 November 2021. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  7. ^ Griffin, Louise (24 November 2021). "Abba nominated for first ever Grammy in 48 years and how did this happen". Metro. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  8. ^ Rehm Rozanes, Stephan (5 November 2021). "Review: ABBA und "Voyage" – ein würdevolles Schlusskapitel". Musikexpress. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  9. ^ Hall, Rachel (4 September 2021). "Abba singles race to top of streaming charts in comeback triumph". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  10. ^ Savage, Mark (2 September 2021). "Do Abba's new songs live up to their hits?". BBC. Archived from the original on 2 September 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  11. ^ Brown, Helen (3 September 2021). "Super troupers: ABBA should never have worked – but they became the goofy, glorious gift that keeps on giving". The Independent. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  12. ^ Mossman, Kate (3 September 2021). "Abba are back – with the old magic intact". New Statesman. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  13. ^ Rehm Rozanes, Stephan (5 November 2021). "Review: ABBA und "Voyage" – ein würdevolles Schlusskapitel". Musikexpress. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  14. ^ "ABBA – I Still Have Faith in You". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  15. ^ "ABBA – I Still Have Faith in You" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
  16. ^ "ABBA – I Still Have Faith in You" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  17. ^ "ABBA Chart History (Canadian Digital Song Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  18. ^ "ARC 100 - datum: 20. rujna 2021". Hrvatska Radiotelevizija. Archived from the original on 21 September 2021. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
  19. ^ "ABBA – I Still Have Faith in You". Tracklisten. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
  20. ^ "ABBA Chart History (Euro Digital Song Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  21. ^ "ABBA: I Still Have Faith in You" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  22. ^ "ABBA – I Still Have Faith in You" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  23. ^ "ABBA Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  24. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  25. ^ "Singlet 36/2021" (in Icelandic). Plötutíðindi. Archived from the original on 13 September 2021. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  26. ^ "Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  27. ^ "ABBA – I Still Have Faith in You" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  28. ^ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 13 September 2021. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
  29. ^ "ABBA – I Still Have Faith in You". VG-lista. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  30. ^ "ABBA – I Still Have Faith in You". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  31. ^ "ABBA – I Still Have Faith in You". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  32. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
  33. ^ "Sverigetopplistan – ABBA" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
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