Composer Reacts to Abba - Chiquitita (REACTION & ANALYSIS)

[@alexioverdo5225]

Abba wrote and produced their own songs.They weren't just performers or depended or any other external songwritting teams.This privilidge and talent also gave them artistic freedom that matched their inventive music creation.A very tight and fruitful musicianship.There's so much going on in an Abba song,far more from what it may seem.Abba 'made complicated seem simple' a a fellow fan once said.I've been a fan for decades and still dig out and discover wonderful details from songs i had heard thousands of times.But stillsurprised and get chills from all their neverending amazing treasure.They are that special.

[@tuijakarttunen9164]

Agree 100%.

[@alexioverdo5225]

A music specialist once kinda said that once you break an Abba song into lil pieces you won't be able to reconstruct the puzzle unless you let them do it on their own.Really, You'll simply get lost in their magical flowery labyrinth.

[@jimpalus]

With nearly 400 million albums sold worldwide, 17 No. 1 hits and over 16 million weekly global streams, ABBA is one of the world's most successful music acts of all time. Ever since their breakthrough with “Waterloo” back in 1974, ABBA's music has captured the hearts of people all over the world.

[@ganazby]

Masterful songwriting, elevated by superb singing.

[@geordieboy8945]

ABBA did what they wanted to do, and thank goodness for millions of us, they did.😀

[@thebops4180]

Billions . .. .

[@christianoazzuro6711]

Yes indeed.We're so lucky and i feel so grateful being part of this experience.I cherish them.

[@sirterence1]

To understand this song better, you need to understand ABBA. They must be doing something right because they have sold almost 400 million records globally. Many of their songs have this happy/sad relationship and sound. Look no further c than the huge dance club whomp of "Lay All Your Love On Me." Listen8ng to the lyrics - you can dance AND cry, simultaneously. It is part of what gave them their unique sound. Why be bewildered? Just simply enjoy the pristine production, soaring harmonies, storytelling and instantly memorable melody. This is one of their best classics. The lyrics are actually quite inspiring and uplifting - "Try once more, like you did before. Sing a new song Chiquitita." The song deals with a little girl who is grieving. Listen to the lyrics.. it all does add-up to yet another ABBA pop masterpiece.

[@joewhite6421]

The blonde is Agnetha Falskog with an acclaimed Pitch perfect ,Perfect Pitch and astounding B2 - F7 range.

[@rdwulf6289]

Abba, a Swedish band, is not from the British/US popular music tradition, though inspired by it. Their music is more from a Germanic shlagar and folk tradition, steeped in Nordic bittersweet melancholy. These are Swedes writing and performing in English. This band is much loved in Europe, UK and Australia. 9 number 1 singles and 10 number 1 albums in the UK. The title of the song is Spanish for little child/girl. The song is being sung to a child. The song is beautiful, sung wonderfully by Agnetha and Anni-Frid. All decisions taken in the creation of this recording were the right ones.

[@alexioverdo5225]

Yes sir.And let's not forget that their final 'comeback/goodbeye' VOYAGE blasted at the N01 topspot of 18 countrie's charts in... 2021!.This is really significant and proves Abba's longlasting power, regarding their 4 decades gap of absence from the recording studio. Just phenomenal.!

[@mauertal]

One member is half german!

[@chelseacharger]

@@mauertal All four are Swedish.

[@mauertal]

@@chelseacharger Anni-Fried had a german father and a norwegian mother AND was born in Norway!

[@chelseacharger]

@@mauertal I know of all that. But Anni-Frid was taken to Sweden when she was still a baby. She had no contact with her father growing up and believed him to be dead. She has always identified herself as Swedish as that is the land and culture she grew up in and the language she primarily speaks. Her first passport was Swedish as were subsequent ones. I'm sure she is proud of her Norwegian heritage but her official nationality is Swedish.

[@alexioverdo5225]

Nowadays the general sense in both the music press and many music listeners is that Benny Anderson and Bjorn Ulveaous are same class songwriiting genius next to of Lennon/Mac Cartney.Except that Abba also did the full production of their songs with exceptional contribution of their legendary sound engineer Michael Tretow.That's also why their sound is always so sparkling and crispy.

[@zoftigbeatnik]

Abba is known for using Multitracking to give there songs and vocals a deeper and fuller sound. Frida and Agnetha both hated doing this because they would have to do take after take. Benny and Bjorn didn't go with the normal recording of music. They would meticulously take each song and make sure it was done right. That's why they took longer than normal to record and album. Young and old are now recognizing the masterpieces that they created.

[@Scary__fun]

"mundane pop song"? Hardly... it's a powerful emotional song about a young girl sad and depressed and her friends trying to uplift her back to a happy person once more. I'm guessing you only concentrated on the music without actually listening to what it was saying. ABBA, even in their slower sad songs, always have a powerful poppy chorus that's memorable.

[@DiegoMartinezDP]

I feel you need a lot more context about ABBA, their sound, and their place in pop music in the 70s and 80s to really talk about ABBA with authority from a composer standpoint. The “oddity” in the chorus’ vibrato is simply the mixing of Agnetha’s soprano and Frida’s mezzo-soprano in unison. That is an unique element to ABBA’s music which makes the sound wider. Another unique element to their music is their keen and almost signature ability to transform some of the darkest, deepest feelings into something anthemic. Think “Super Trouper,” where the lyrics are about the boredom of touring but they’re brought up by the uplifting rhythm of the song. All of the choices Björn and Benny made are all very intentional. Also, not mundane. If anything, they are the only ones that can take something “common” and turn it to something otherworldly. That’s their magic.

[@christianoazzuro6711]

'can take something 'common' and turn it to something otherworldly'great commentary.Just to add that two soloists that could possibly obtain such thing were Whitney Houston and Karen Carpenter.and maybe Olivia too.They could even handle a mediorce song and make it sound big.But of course that's a different category cause Abba was a team not solo artists.One completed the other.

[@andrewjenkinson7052]

You could hardly get more common than a City. A city singing about itself adds the magic😃

[@birchleaf]

The bittersweet vibe is very typical of Swedish folk songs, and if you listen to more ABBA you’ll notice that many of their songs can be described as happy sad. In Anglo-Saxon or continental European music you tend to separate major and minor keys, but in Scandinavian music you often mix them . This song, where they try to emulate a more Hispanic vibe was a huge hit all over Latin America. I even had a Brazilian try to explain to me that this is an old Brazilian song… Anyway, ABBA’s songs are full of surprises. They didn’t follow the basic rules of how a song is constructed. And the two girls alternating between singing harmonies and singing the exact same melody is part of their trade mark. All four came from different musical backgrounds. Agnetha was a singer/songwriter who wrote her own songs and had several hits in Sweden. Frida started out as a jazz singer, but won some talent show that gave her a record deal and a chance to perform on TV. She then toured with several popular Swedish singers. Benny’s first instrument was the accordion, and he was playing folk music before becoming the keyboards player in Sweden’s most popular rock band of the 60’s, the Hep Stars. Björn was the lead singer and played guitar in a skiffle band, the Hootenanny Singers, with a series of Swedish hits. Björn and Benny were often playing the same venues and became friends. They then happened to hook up with the girls, so when ABBA was formed, they were two couples that just liked to hang out, and since all four were in the music business they decided to start doing music together. The rest is history.

[@christianoazzuro6711]

Hats off,all so well said!

[@carlawiberg6282]

This song, in the Spanish version, became the no. 1 "balcony song" during covid lockdown in Spanish-speaking countries everywhere. All income fro Chiquitita has been donated to Unicef in perpetuity

[@mattias5157]

Those lines: "patch it together" and "sing a new song chiquita" go directly to my heart. The tenderness, the empathy...

[@Mingus8]

Oboy, this was the most advanced reaction I have ever heard. If you gonna continue this way with more Abba-material you surely have alot of job in front of you.. There are allways tons of things going on in their songs. Hooks, everywhere.

[@CriticalReactions]

I've been doing in depth reactions like this for 3 years now and I don't plan on changing that. If you like the format, feel free to stick around :)

[@Mingus8]

@@CriticalReactions Thanks.. Im allready an subscriber. Greetings from Stockholm!

[@dimismirn]

massive chorus, hits like a supernova

[@alexioverdo5225]

Bjork,Brian Eno,David Grohl,Bil Corgan(Smashing Pumpkins,Corey Taylor(Slipknot).J.Davies(Korn),K.Cobain(Nirvana)John Frusciente(RHCP),Gene Simmons(KISS) are just some weirdly unexpected self confessed Abba fans coming out from an absolutely different kind of music field.

[@Ramoono]

It would not surprise me that all the "strange" choices were absolutely made on purpose, Björn Ulvaeus is known for being a very careful and detailed oriented producer, and the music of ABBA has tons of weird details like that (In one song there's a woman screaming buried in the mix). There's also a bit more to it instrumentally, a brassy sounding synth at the start, timpani, several layers of voices for the back vocals, the bass does have some movement, but it's all so delicately put together that those things don't stand out individually, but as a whole it sounds unique, like an anomaly disguised as common and mundane, and I'm convinced they wanted it to be that way. I've heard this song since before I was born, my dad used to play this often, love the melody and their voices. The ending I like to think it's like telling her: "Chiquitita, the way you feel today is not the end of your story".

[@articircle]

very cool, ABBA always surprises me in the details. btw do you remember the name of the track with screaming woman?

[@Ramoono]

@@articircle Dancing Queen, around 2:57 is difficult to hear

[@CriticalReactions]

I vaguely remember the synth but I don't remember hearing anything else you mentioned. Gave it another listen and yup, hidden in plain sight. And I agree it's an intentional sound. It's too purposefully mixed to not have been.

[@christianoazzuro6711]

@@articircle Gimme Gimme Gimme Also feature some buried screaming female vocals in the chorus.

[@christianoazzuro6711]

@@articircle GimmeGimmeGimme also feature some female kind of 'demonic' screaming vocals in the chorus but you have to listen and observe very carefully,unless you listen to some demo backing vocals in utube of this song or you have a special pc programme to 'demolish' and analyze the ingredients of their complicated majestic backing harmonies.

[@JayDvrn]

My favorite thing about this song is the 5/4 time signature on the second bar of the chorus. It makes the return to the tonic on the 3rd bar feel delayed after holding the IV chord on the first two bars plus a bit more, and i belive thats why it hits with such power.

[@christianoazzuro6711]

Yes indeed, that specific part of its construction and peculiarity was sometime noted and got analyzed by a critic specialist in a utube posted video i had seen a couple of years ago.Something i also liked but hadn't noticed.

[@praisegirljael5611]

yessss!! absolute favorite

[@kristianmapage9742]

Thx, From abba listen to "SOS", "The winner takes it all", "Summer Night City, full version", for example, there are so many very good ones like, "the name of the game", "knowing me knowing you"....

[@christianoazzuro6711]

In Max Martin's studio songwritting and recording mega 'hit factory' ,The Name of the Game' was examined and got refered as an exceptional example of a song to be studied in whatever had got to do with phonectics,arrangements and songwritting style.Saw this stated in a recent music documentary.Both Frida and Agnetha were also mentioned and got praised in their comments for their skillful vocal abilities and being so technically great.

[@paulecrosby2006]

Masters of their trade ❤️ This is why they have sold over 400 million albums and have a musical that has taken over 4 billion dollars worldwide . Abba have their own wall of sound that's why the music lives on.

[@mcdus78]

Every big airlines have ABBA songs in their flight entertainments. A testament to ABBA's popularity and legacy to music.

[@Rockelund]

...and since I love abba I appreciate when young people enter their magnificent body of work and dissect it like you do. Nice take on Chiquitita. By the way it's a grower. If you hear it more than once it never leaves your system.

[@christianoazzuro6711]

True!A grower and then a permanent addiction.

[@christianoazzuro6711]

This one has a Spanish recorded version that's already an 'hymn of consolation' or even a traditional piece of music in many Latin American countries same way their 1980 track 'Happy New Year' is in Vietnam.

[@MrRage11111ro]

Shocked you have not heard this before

[@sagebooker]

Abba was inevitable in Europe in the 70's and beginning of the 80's so that every child grown up at that time knows inevitably this one and all the hits. As for the teenagers in the 80's, Abba seemed "kitsch" but we discovered lately that was very well written, produced and sung.

[@Rockelund]

I also think that you have to consider that English isn't Abbas first language. Often they just use words and voices as an instrument to paint a sonic picture. Which sometimes make their lyrics not really make sense to a native English speaker. Yet two of abbas biggest markets were the UK and Australia. Quite amazing! To me they make perfectly sense though... Since I'm Swedish/European.

[@Muckylittleme]

"Mundane pop track" lol No1 in 6 European nations and in the top 10 in many others as well as being among ABBA's biggest selling hits as a group who are in the top 3 of the best selling artists of all time.

[@CriticalReactions]

TBF a lot of mundane pop tracks are massive hits, that's not necessarily a jab at the song as much as an observation about the music. It's a great track -- beautiful harmonies, catchy hooks, memorable ideas -- but it's still a simple song that fits in the pop category.

[@alexioverdo5225]

Let's not forget this song became a phenomenal hit in Latin America and Spanish markets and still regarded as an Anthem there after 4 + decades.ABBA =Genius/ Respect.

[@christianoazzuro6711]

@@CriticalReactions 'seemingly simple'.As some famous female vocal coach once sort of stated in 2021 in her channel, 'if you think it's simple/easy to sing then try to write something like that and then sing this the way they did'.Artists that did ABBA covers never really beat the greatness of the original recordings.No one can do Abba better than them.They are Utopic.

[@eduardooscar309]

@@CriticalReactions I would use the word 'popular' the dominant musical genre in ABBA is 'pop', and more precisely 'europop' (although they are very versatile) and "Chiquitita" was an unexpected mass phenomenon in the entire Latin American market, since its world premiere at the Concert for UNICEF at the United Nations in January 1979. which led ABBA to record it in Spanish, and it dominated all the Latin American markets and even today Chiquitita is synonymous with ABBA and UNICEF, being like a popular anthem here in Latin America

[@Muckylittleme]

@@CriticalReactions I disagree. You are not using mundane in its proper context if that is what you believe. Mundane essentially means routine, everyday.. Something popular and catchy is not "mundane" even if you believe it is quintessential pop. Work routine and walking the dog are mundane, hit singles not so much. Generic would have been a better word to describe your feelings.

[@Rockelund]

Last comment... 😁 For a composer other abba songs should be interesting to you like "The Name of the Game"... Many interesting strange choices made there. "Knowing Me, Knowing You" Fantastic composition and pop/rocksong. Also the mysterious "the Visitors" it's bout Soviet dissidents. These are really interesting songs/compositions to check out. Abba has so many facets and were inspired by all genres.

[@alexioverdo5225]

TNOTG is 5 hooks in one song!Todays acts can sample 10 times its parts and make 10 different singles.

[@CriticalReactions]

The name was familiar so I looked up their top hits and it seems I've only heard Dancing Queen -- which is frequently listed as their greatest song ever. I'll have to check out some of their other works.

[@you123ST]

wich composer?

[@TWFydGlu]

@@CriticalReactions The album The Visitors was the first fully digitally recorded CD released and is their most experimental record.

[@alexandraSarnik]

When the girls sing together it is called the "third voice" of ABBA. They do it so expertly that it sounds like one voice.

[@jonathanhenderson9422]

I know Abba from their major hits and I've always admired their craftsmanship. Wasn't familiar with this song, but it's very typical of the other tracks I know from them: extremely catchy, beautifully performed and produced, deceptively "simple" given its poppy nature but with a lot of interesting choices you don't find in most typical pop music; probably due to Abba being Swedish and coming from a very different musical tradition. I don't know what it is with Sweden producing such amazing pop (and metal!) songwriters, but they seem to have more than their fair share!

[@QuintEssential-sz2wn]

ABBA's composers Benny and Bjorn have said that they felt an essential element making a pop song catchy is an element of surprise, that something is in there that you don't just expect. That they recognized this was a huge part of their success. It's interesting that a composer evaluating the songs seems confused by this. The piano outro is one of those surprises. It's one of the most beloved outros of all times (among ABBA fans, which comprises a heck of a lot of people!) Even if you watch many of the Chiquitita reaction videos, you see over and over people reacting with utter surprise and delight with the piano outro, many saying it's their favourite part of the song! And the analysis of Agnetha and Frida's singing together seems, again, fairly confused and off. The combination of their voice, making the "third voice" that is so recognizable with ABBA, is often regarded as one of the most complimentary vocal combinations in all of pop. And yet this composer seems to think otherwise? Just a bit of a strange reaction all around, IMO.

[@christianoazzuro6711]

So very well discribed.And as some other one once kinda stated, Abba's vocals and especially the unique blending of Frida's and Agnetha's voices, is a 'Universal treasure" in the history of recorded music.'Utopic", i would add.

[@andrewmcdonald6987]

My Abba are gods.

[@Rockelund]

I've seen Abba Voyage in London. It's absolutely mindblowingly fantastic by the way. Anyway, people go completely crazy when they perform Chiquitita. It has such a massive appeal to people. It obviously does the same thing every night.... Especially the last part, after the first end. It's also interesting that that last instrumental part has been huge on tiktok in the last year.

[@alexioverdo5225]

That trendy outro has vibes of Greek syrtaki music.Benny.Bjorn(MM story) and Frida(Ensam album) have reasons to be familiar with it.

[@alexioverdo5225]

I haven't seen it yet but intend to.Twice..I sadly missed the premier and got teary while watching them arriving there and then getting out to come close with the fans waving and get photographed.I cried a lot that night,lol.I read that the reaction inside the Arena when they stepped out wasexplosive!The cheering from crying fans was discribed as 'defeaning' by the press.Over 650,000 tickets sold is really big deal.

[@praapje]

Abba to me is one of the instances that I´m not ashamed of the general taste in music.

[@rachaelrogers3909]

Try singing it, and remember this was written for UNICEF. They wrote this so could people sing it together.

[@andreeablack8676]

This is the perfect example, of how the new generation of musicians creating today's shallow, commercial, autotuned music have no clue and don't understand the genius of real musicians of the 60's, 70's, 80's. That's really unfortunate. Don't try to analyze real music, my guy.....it won't work for you, you will never understand why those masterpieces had the huge success they did and why they still do, to this day. Most of the new generation doesn't have the tools to understand the process of making masterpieces...they didn't have whom to learn from and they didn't need to. Today's music industry requires only two notes, some autotuned vocals and that's it, that's "music" they say. Everything beyond that is "old school" and "outdated". Like the King of France told Mozart when he presented his new Symphony to the court: " It's very nice, but there are to many notes...I don't understand. " Something like that comes out from your analysis here. Sorry, but I have to be honest, like you say you are in your critical reactions. Only that you should stick to criticizing the things you understand.....maybe the hits of the summer of 2022.

[@juttapopp1869]

Spot on. Ignorant Wannabes posing as experts, lol.

[@Davey7358]

agree 100% I can only imagine how he'd analyze Beethoven, Bach or Tchaikovsky. Eye rolling abound.

[@RoverBoy1899]

The fact that the dance begins again at the end and fades out is representative that the dance will go on forever and be joyous forever as opposed to just stopping. It's just more storytelling but through the music.

[@mattias5157]

About the outro: it leads optimistically and with a lot of energy into the future, doesn't it? "Chiquitita" seems to have decided to give it a try and now walks away towards a new adventure. It might be the most epic outro ever i believe.

[@christianoazzuro6711]

'epic outro"....Totally.Fairly enough new Gens made it a favourable tik tok trend a couple of years ago plus their 'discovery" also boosted the official video's i views in a faster pace.

[@davidlionheart2438]

No, no, no.......we don't refer to ANY ABBA song as "a rather mundane pop track".

[@eduardooscar309]

I'm so glad to see you for first time with reaction and analyze to ABBA songs several things to say about "Chiquitita" (1979) Chiquitita" means 'little girl' (with affection) in spanish And the melody have a spanish tune, specialy by the acustic guitar But the center is the wonderful piano, like akmost all ABBA songs "Chiquitita" is a beautiful song, it has hopeful lyrics, a melody that starts very soft with the blonde Agnetha's solo, then grows and explodes in a powerful chorus; Agnetha & Frida's vocal harmonies are of excellence It allows us to check how excellent singers Agnetha & Frida are and what harmonies of excellence they achieve. It stands out especially when they stretch the monosyllables with great quality and beauty (Agnetha is soprano voice, Frida is mezzo soprano voice, and blending together made the famous "Third Voice" of ABBA) "Chiquitita" was premiered especially for the UNICEF Concert (January 9, 1979) and its royalties are eternal for UNICEF "Chiquitita" was ABBA's greatest success in Latin America, that prompted ABBA to record it in Spanish, and its success was so extraordinary that in the following year ABBA recorded a full album with their best songs entirely in Spanish ("Chiquitita" in Spanish is the biggest ABBA hit in My country Argentina) Chiquitita" is in the Top 3 of all ABBA worldwide biggest hits, with 'Dancing Queen" and "Fernando", and it's a fantastic Masterpiece These official video was filmed in Swizterland 1979 (ABBA goes for a TV Special) It's the only promotional video that ABBA made without Sweden ABBA begin your worlwide fame when They conquers the classic Eurovision Song Contest at UK in April 1974 with their iconic song "Waterloo", after these their first worldwide hit I hope to see you soon in another ABBA song GOD bless you and stay safe My best regards from Buenos Aires, Argentina 🇦🇷 South América

[@radman8321]

Your analysis highlights what's wrong with modern composition/production. Great music is not "perfect", but organic. Click tracks, pitch correction etc have totally ruined music as has always making the "normal" choice. Variety is the spice of life!

[@Goddybag4Lee]

The music of ABBA is very heavily rooted in Swedish folk music. More than people think.

[@progperljungman8218]

Those dual vocals together with the often piano driven big sound is the signature sound of ABBA. I grew up om ABBA until I became a premature prog nerd at 11 and started to despise that "simple music". As an adult, I started to recognise their great pop achievements again. Great analysis and glad they evoked some positive response with you as well.

[@alexioverdo5225]

Thank you for saying this.Proved that growing up you had less prejudice, good taste and open minded justice.

[@alexioverdo5225]

ps.i guess EAGLE might be one of your fave tracks or so?

[@progperljungman8218]

@@alexioverdo5225 Well, prog is the musical love of my life. But others despised it so you kinda had to take a stand in the adolescent world... Now I don't 🙂 Don't think I know the track Eagle very well. Probably heard it sometime though. I can tell you I was very confused when Mike Oldfield did a cover of Arrival on his then new album QE2...

[@alexioverdo5225]

@@progperljungman8218 Good morning there....Yes i do understand you.Some kinds of music isn't always for me too.But i can clear out at once a great artist or a live performance no matter if it's an act of different music genre that is away from my personal tastes i.e Led Zep's live performance in Kasmirthat i re-watched recently,or even Floyd's 'Animal' album.As for Eagle...well this is the closest they went to prog-rock.It's from their 1977 peculiar album ABBA THE ALBUM' where the sound went less Euro-pop and went American California coast oriented.The epic opner prog Floydish 'Eagle'/'Name of the Game'/operatic-rockage 'Hole in your soul' and the exceptional 'I am a marrionette' that David Grohl covered with Ghost are some highly valued material.Another great expiremental album is regarded their dark and haunting THE VISITORS 1981.

[@alexioverdo5225]

@@progperljungman8218 ps Eagle's ultimate version is almost 6 min. long and isn't featured in the official video but in the audio album's version.Other versions are 'chopped' and destroy the greatness of this track due to radio play demands.But ommit the fab guitar solos and diminish its magic.As for ARRIVAL...i do like it as well as Maggie reilly's contribution(ssen her live too),original is unique.Love M.Oldfiels vocal albums.Got 4 albums by him.

[@jamesleogue3938]

MUNDANE.... MUNDANE... Never have I heard such a "MUNDANE" critique of such a beautiful song.... You make me so angry, I would really like to see you write, compose, and produce and then get two beautiful voices to better this song. Numpty😤

[@eduardooscar309]

Sometimes, in addition to analyzing the song, you have to place it in its contexts. The world music context was the dominance of disco, fueled by the massive success of the previous year's film "Saturday night fever" with the BeeGees soundtrack. and ABBA themself had started recording some songs with those influences: they had released the single "Summer Night City" and were promoting "If it wasn't for the nights" as a potential new single. It was at that moment that ABBA received the invitation to participate in the Concert for UNICEF, in the 'International Year of the Child' at first they were going to go with "If it wasn't for the nights" but they just entered the recording studio with the track "Chiquitita", and They saw that its lyrics were the most appropriate song for UNICEF's spirit and They premiered it that night of January 9, 1979, and it was a colossal success but also ABBA had its own context After their successful albums "Arrival" & "The Album" (with the film "ABBA The Movie"), They had not been able to finish the new album for a year (it would be "Voulez Vous"). Frida and Benny had been married for two months, after 9 years of relationship but at the same time Agnetha and Björn separated as a couple after 7 years of marriage (with two small children). In this double context, with massive disco music and ABBA suffering the separation of one of its partners, ABBA's performance at the United Nations premiering a pop ballad "Chiquitita" was outstanding. and ABBA was able to continue this separation for 4 more years, due to their greatest professionalism this generated additional context "Chiquitita" was an extraordinary success in Spanish-speaking countries the manager of the Argentine recording company visited Them in Sweden and convinced ABBA to record in spanish "Chiquitita" (and brings Them an adapted lyrics) ABBA did it phonetically, with the help of a Spanish journalist, and "Chiquitita" was the best-selling song in Latin America from there ABBA included two versions of their songs in Spanish in their last three albums In addition to editing a complete album in Spanish in 1980: "Gracias por la música" (Thank for the music) and make official videos in Spanish too That is why "Chiquitita" is such an important song in ABBA's career, because it went against the mainstream of music and in the middle of the separation of one of their partners, managing to open a new market for ABBA: the Spanish-speaking market.

[@supastah68]

Best Band Ever

[@merlinregion2875]

It ends like this on purpose...quite obvious from the lyrics. "try once more"..."you'll be dancing once again"...then the song ends and the music starts back where the little girl (chiquitita) has cheered up and is dancing...and then it deserves a fade as her happiness is drifting into infinity. PS Have a shave and turn your baseball cap the right way 'round!

[@visitor1982]

The ending was originally the bridge when the song was called In The Arms Of Rosalita.

[@carlkirschbaum9208]

To me the ending piano is very upbeat and makes the songs ending even more upbeat

[@ewajohansson8398]

...and for me; ABBA GAVE CHIQITITA a beginning of the new song...in the end !!!

[@RickDanner]

how can you not notice how beautiful Agnetha is

[@jenn288]

English was ABBA’s second language.

[@jerrycote659]

Based on what I heard from you on the ELO Out Of The Blue album and on this beautiful song from ABBA, I’d really be interested to see you listen to, analyze and break down another ABBA song which was one of their nine #1 UK hits called “The Name Of The Game”.

[@ronjones2266]

Can’t think of more wholesome pop song.

[@thankyouforthemusic4881]

ABBA = Bittersweet songs master class

[@theresenydahl9531]

This was made for UNICEF and their fight against child poverty in the world, ABBA was elected UNICEF Ambassadors. All proceeds from this song goes to UNICEF, I believe it still does. It's about a hungry and poor girl in Latin America. Both guys are excellent musicians and composers, can play about every instrument that there is. Benny (piano) is a great composer, Björn compose too but his absolute wheelhouse are the lyrics. Add Agnetha's (blond) magnificent storytelling quality (like in "The winner takes it all") and her's and Frida's voices together are just something else. If you are into composing, ABBA is the way to go, there are always so many layers.

[@Steffe]

Mundane pop track, good one.

[@rodney9409]

It's going to be a mission to analyze their songs, I was 9 when this was released, here in South Africa they are the most successful act with 8 no1 (including this one) and 19 songs charted in total, they have other more commercial sounding songs and then other songs like this and also the album tracks are very interesting. They also switches lead vocals by the twoladies on different songs depending on the song. Also 7 no1 albums.

[@stevebrown661]

Mundane pop track - one of the most misplaced comments I've ever read

[@SheiroQ]

I grew up with ABBA and Chiquitita was never one of my favorites, they've done so many better songs. If you want to give them another try and you want something more interesting I would recommend "I'm a Marionette" or "I Let The Music Speak" (the two songwriters went on to do musicals after ABBA "took a break" - they never officially broke up - and you can hear those aspirations in those two songs) or even "Money, Money, Money" (one of their biggest hits) - I don't think you'll think any of those are mundane. Their best song IMO is "The Winner Takes It All".

[@christianoazzuro6711]

MMM is a fine piece of 'baroque pop',and rather 'theatrical' piece of music though pretty 'daring' to release for a mainstream pop band for its time but did it fine..Still a classic.

[@you123ST]

why give pearls to hogs?

[@popdefender460]

I've not heard any other reactions from you, but I can, with confidence, say you need to change the name of the channel to Too Critical Reactions. Lol. Good Lord

[@crichtonjohn3393]

No kidding. "their vibrato wasn't synchronized". LOL Who can even hear that. This song makes you feel something. Why focus on such small oddities.

[@juttapopp1869]

Wannabe experts abound on KZbin, lol. Those Who can, do. Those Who can't open a criticism channel.

[@DukeEnlil]

My fave song from ABBA! The outro part is blowing my mind! Brilliant! Also please react to King Diamond - At The Graves, Satyricon - Tied In Bronze Chains, Dimmu Borgir- Arcane Lifeforce Mysteria!))) All the best to You Sir!

[@josefinelagerstrom2643]

MORE ABBA!!!!

[@RoverBoy1899]

The fact that you don't realize that the chorus is akin to a Spanish polka.and a celebratory dance really makes me question your credentials as a "composer."

[@birgittalagerstrom6264]

What a reaction! I hope you will listen to more Abba. Why not look at the documentary The joy of Abba.

[@christianoazzuro6711]

Great sugestion.

[@mikemcdonald8002]

ABBA The Visitors. Very different for them and is about the Russian KGB knocking on a dissident's door. Haunting and futuristic. A masterpiece.

[@nielsulriksrensen9818]

Yes, so different, another ABBA world, and what amazing world.

[@UnderhillKoufax]

Nice attempt to analyze the song, but you are obviously not a parent. This is a song about an adult cheering up a young person…probably a child. “Chiquitita” literally means little one. The adult first comforts the sad child, and then cheers them up again.

[@coffeindrinker2581]

Funny to hear you talk about the world's biggest pop group ever.

[@reggriffiths5769]

It always amazes me how one can listen to a piece of music whilst talking over it all the time. I think you made your mind up not to like it from the start - a self-styled composer basically making an early comparison with his own works.... his "Critical Reactions" title is well-named. A pity you didn't put one of your own compositions up so we could have reasoned why you chose to be so downbeat. Personallly (also a composer) I thought that this was probably one of ABBA's best songs and beautifully produced - melodic, superb harmonies, smooth interchange between the sad and joyful - and all of it so easy on the ear. Methinks you don't know or appreciate enough about music - you're out on your own on this one.

[@francismedina4547]

You really have to listen to the lyrics of this song to understand the arrangement. At first listen, I didn't like this song and I usually skip it when listening to the album. I listened to it again paying attention to the lyrics and I got teary. The singer/s is trying to cheer up a little girl who used to be happy and now sad due to probably loss of a loved one. This is really a sad song tricky you it's a happy song because of that bouncy part.

[@sionadamson1842]

Hey Bryan your "Huh!" at the end shows you are surprised & taken aback priding yourself on being a "proper rock fan" & expecting this "rather mundane pop track" to be easily digestible & simplistic then finding it way more sophisticated & unpredictable: clearly shaken & unnerved by the unexpected complexity & flair in fact your assessment is "all over the place" just as you describe aspects of this song Try reviewing one of Abba's American-inspired songs of 1977, "The Name Of The Game" - one of their most complex recordings maybe you'll approach it not expecting it to be just a "rather mundane pop track" & be not quite so smug & inflexible ...."proper rock fan" that you are *"the two dudes" are Björn Ulvaeus & Benny Andersson the songwriters Agnetha, Björn, Benny, Anni-frid A-B-B-A Your assessment ends as an incoherent meaningless ramble, my friend; your palpable confusion is priceless, your waffle to disguise it hilarious ...."Proper Rock Fan" that you are x

[@you123ST]

now waiting for your next great worldwide hit

[@you123ST]

pearls to hogs.

[@riddhimanmedhi99]

A 33 minute critical review of ABBA. Yes this is what I was missing in my life

[@TheSloopyJoe]

If you want to see Björn Ulveus before ABBA, watch Hootenanny singers.

[@dennislindqvist8443]

Don't try to analyze iconic music. You will fail before you even start. It's just something that happens without an intellectual explanation.

[@mattias5157]

I don't think it's fair to do this kind of analysis after just one listening. I think you are reacting more to your own impression than to the actual song. I dont here anything in the song that speaks about a bar gathering or a football game for example. If you go back listening i doubt you are going to hear it neither. I think there is a little lack of respect trying to make so much of it without having given it at least a second listening.

[@juttapopp1869]

Please, stick to shyte you understand and don't even THINK about going near any of the Greats of Rock or Pop.

[@moresnare]

'rather mundane pop track...' Are you serious right now?

[@voxsupreme]

Phew ... What are You talking about?! The girls vibrato are Natural vibrato's that they don't control - so there's No Planned syncronization of their Vibrato's. Why would any Singer even try to Syncronize their Vibrato with another singer? All in all Your Reactions are Bizarre. Also - You call Yourself a Composer. I'd really like to know Why?

[@andrewjenkinson7052]

I thoroughly enjoyed your analysis. I do not necessarily agree with it. I would just say that it is a pop song. The "anomalies" you found are what makes ABBA so popular. You are probably correct in your disections but we do not usually listen to individual parts of a song or instruments or voices, we listen to the overall effect of all those and the magic of ABBA is that 99% of the time IT WORKS. Take any ABBA song and replace the girls' harmonies with a single voice or perfect harmonies and you have a flop. Todays music fails because it has been doctored to be perfect. We do not want perfect. We would not go to concerts or watch live DVDs if we did. '

[@Davey7358]

Rather mundane pop track?? I've heard some very odd reviews and reactions about ABBA, but this one takes the cake. Word salad beyond belief.

[@jasonweston1273]

Impossible to be critical about one of the most successful pop groups in history!🤷‍♂

[@CriticalReactions]

Success doesn't mean free from criticism. No art is perfect, being made by imperfect creatures after all.

[@jasonweston1273]

A bit like match angling another art form but I concede to other anglers which are far more skillfully advanced than myself they judge my talents rather than someone with a lower rated judgment attempting to be the judge!...400 million sales worldwide I brought some of this groups 747 cassette recordings while in Saudi Arabia in 1982 which shows the demand for their musical talent.

[@nielsulriksrensen9818]

Somehow I really like this reaction, but it's also an example of musical conventions and technical analysis getting in the way for understanding artistic creativity. Not to diminish the knowledge and skills put into the reaction, I liked it, but somehow this song is a piece of art that goes far beyond that. It's disrespectfuld to conventional pop and rock, it doesn't care. In stead it sets its own standards, something new is created. Which, in my opinion, ought to be praised rather than cut into conventional slices.

[@alexioverdo5225]

For me the name Abba is in many cases synonym to perfection."Nothing to change or even dare to touch" as another one observed.

[@autumnsphere7581]

Loving the new thumbnails, you did them?

[@CriticalReactions]

Thanks. All the work is my own except the fonts -- the description font is an open source one and the song title font is a commissioned font called "Critical Thoughts."

[@minnihapy2722]

"I thinik I hear a bass as well"...what the hell are you listening to??? Of course there is a bass, as clear as anything, I'd like to see you as a "composer" write anything as successful as this "mundane pop track".

[@alexioverdo5225]

No 'mundane' at all for me.(Just my personal imperfect estimation).A masterpiece of real non-autotuned music that is a untversal treasure to music culture and has gloriously survived through time.Already a traditional anthem accepted ny a pan-generational audience.HNY.

[@larsyxa]

There is a version live AT Wembley that is actually better then the studio version. 'ABBA - Chiquitita (from ABBA In Concert)' (at @Abba)

[@rossmarino2776]

It's not a "rather mundane pop track". You should apologize.

[@CriticalReactions]

Sorry

[@Bjorn9284]

oh yea, they did plenty of odd things, like Abba's trademark, 3rd voice sound. And have you ever listned to select tracks by Abba on the internet played backwards!!!?? Just as etherial, and odd.

[@JR-fi8uu]

Hi there! I just discovered you and your brilliant reactions! Must be one of KZbin’s best!!!

[@alexioverdo5225]

Btw since i'm a new comer here( and not the only one i guess) i 've noticed the indication 'Composer reacts to...' Would you mind letting me know some more?Are you a songwritter?If yes, where can someone listen some samples of your work?Are there somewhere available or you do it just for private fun/hobby or smth?thanx.

[@CriticalReactions]

I have plenty of commissioned pieces that probably ended up in powerpoint presentation over the years but aside from that everything I write is mostly for myself. Like most artforms, a vast majority of artists will never be able to live off of their passion and craft. If you're interested in hearing my works though, I stated in the video that you can find my works in the Linktree link in the description of every video.

[@alexioverdo5225]

@@CriticalReactions oh ok thanx.

[@alexioverdo5225]

@@Blue_Amy oH yes 'course i have!This is a must seen.Thanks for mentioning.

[@donny1960]

Only mundane thing I saw did not come from ABBA.

[@CriticalReactions]

Hey-o! Nice burn.

[@listonheinz9103]

Dude comparing ABBA to a bunch of drunk guys at a bar singing out of tune… That might be the worst analysis I’ve ever heard in my life, couldn’t watch a minute more after that piece of lunacy. 😂 Breaking down music might not be your greatest talent.

[@JR-fi8uu]

Chiquitita means Little one

[@ambient6668]

Anyone else think "Thomas the Tank Engine" during that outro?

[@musashimiyamoto586]

A rather mundane pop track? Well, unfortunately for you, you didn't grow up with them. Abba is cult, nuff said.

[@ewonnestrand7298]

Little girl

[@articircle]

sick new thumbnail style 🤘

[@CriticalReactions]

Thanks!

[@you123ST]

thumbs down