Little Things (ABBA song)
| "Little Things" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by ABBA | ||||
| from the album Voyage | ||||
| Released | 3 December 2021 | |||
| Studio | Riksmixningsverket, Stockholm[1] | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:08 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Composer(s) | Benny Andersson | |||
| Lyricist(s) | Björn Ulvaeus | |||
| Producer(s) |
| |||
| ABBA singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Little Things" on YouTube | ||||
"Little Things" is a song by ABBA, released on their 2021 album Voyage. It is the third track on the album. It was released as a single on 3 December 2021.
Background and synopsis
[edit]The song was written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, who contributed music and lyrics respectively.[3] The song is partly based on "Godnattvisa" ("lullaby" or "cradle song"), an instrumental by Benny Anderssons Orkester, released on the album BAO 3 in 2007.[citation needed]
It was announced in December 2021 that all of the band's royalties earned from the song in the next five years would be donated to UNICEF, the United Nations agency responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to children worldwide. In 1979, the band similarly donated their royalties from the single "Chiquitita" to UNICEF, in recognition of that year's designation as "International Year of the Child".[4]
Described as a "gentle reflection on the joy of Christmas morning and family time around this special time of year", "Little Things" is about a woman who wakes up on Christmas morning and reflects on the joy that the season brings her and her family, and all the 'little things' that make Christmas special.[5] The outro features the Children's Choir of the Stockholm International School.[3]
Music video
[edit]A lyric video for the song was published to ABBA's official YouTube channel on 5 November 2021. It was directed by Mike Anderson, and produced by Nick Barratt, of the Able production company.[6]
On 3 December 2021, the official music video for the song was published to the band's YouTube channel. The video features schoolchildren getting together at Christmastime and producing their own ABBA Voyage-inspired concert. The video features an extended version of the song (additional parts before and after the choir), not available on the CD single. The band members themselves do not make a direct appearance in the video, showing only on screen as part of the depicted production effort. The music video was directed by Sophie Muller.[7][8]
Personnel
[edit]ABBA
[edit]- Agnetha Fältskog - Vocals
- Anni-Frid Lyngstad - Vocals
- Benny Andersson - Keyboards
- Björn Ulvaeus - Guitar
Other personnel and production staff
[edit]- Jan Bengtson - flute
- Per Grebacken - flute, clarinet
- Per Lindvall - percussion
- Children's Choir of the Stockholm International School - vocals
- Stockholm Concert Orchestra, conducted by Göran Arnberg - orchestration
Charts
[edit]| Chart (2021) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Finland Airplay (Radiosoittolista)[9] | 56 |
| Germany (GfK)[10] | 42 |
| New Zealand Hot Singles (Recorded Music NZ)[11] | 37 |
| Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[12] | 20 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[13] | 61 |
Release history
[edit]| Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Italy | 10 December 2021 | Contemporary hit radio | Universal | [14] |
References
[edit]- ^ "ABBA Debut New Songs, Announce 'Voyage' Album". 2 September 2021. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
- ^ Owoseje, Toyin (5 November 2021). "ABBA are back with their first album in 40 years, but is it a Super Trouper or an SOS?". CNN. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
- ^ a b Rogers, Jude (5 November 2021). "Abba: Voyage review - no thank you for the music". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
- ^ "ABBA to donate all royalties from new Little Things single to UNICEF". UNICEF. 3 December 2021. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
- ^ Kaufman, Gil (16 November 2021). "ABBA Releasing First-Ever Christmas Single, 'Little Things'". Billboard. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
- ^ "ABBA - Little Things (Lyric Video)". YouTube. 5 November 2021. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
- ^ "ABBA - Little Things". YouTube. 3 December 2021. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
- ^ Benitez-Eves, Tina (3 December 2021). "ABBA Release New Holiday Song "Little Things"". American Songwriter. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
- ^ "ABBA: Little Things" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
- ^ "ABBA – Little Things" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
- ^ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 15 November 2021. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
- ^ "ABBA – Little Things". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
- ^ "ABBA "Little Things" | (Radio Date: 10/12/2021)". radiodate.it (in Italian). Retrieved 10 December 2021.
