New podcast aims to unlock the joy of ABBA, one song at a time

This week sees the launch of Like a Magic Spell, a new podcast which aims to unlock and share the joy of ABBA.

Using the popular song-by-song format, host Adrian Stirrup (he/him) and guests deep-dive into how ABBA’s songs were created and what the music means to them.

His guests for the first season include ABBA superfans, journalists and the host of the Official Eurovision Song Contest Podcast, Steve Holden. As well as discussing the emotional heft of ABBA’s music, they have fun dissecting the visuals of the promo videos and the sometimes-hilarious YouTube comments under the videos.

The podcast has been deliberately timed to coincide with a big year for ABBA fans. 2024 sees the 50th anniversary of WATERLOO winning the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest – the start of their domination of popular music that lasted well into the 1980s.

Arguably, their cultural influence has never been stronger, especially since the MAMMA MIA movies and stage shows and the hugely popular ABBA VOYAGE show in London.

Adrian says: “The idea of this podcast has existed in my head for several years and I’m delighted to finally share it with the world. 2024 is such an important year in the ABBA fandom so the time felt right to embrace my love of the music and launch the podcast. I always tell people that I want to unlock the joy of ABBA with the podcast – and so far, these fun conversations have done just that.

“One of the most interesting things for me is that all my guests have a different story to tell about how ABBA came into their lives. For some, the music was just part of their childhood, but as we hear in one episode, some discovered all their songs in one big audio binge! It’s been a real joy to chat – and belly-laugh – with my guests about such a positive and uplifting subject.”