The A*Teens (pronounced [A-Teens] were a pop music group from Stockholm, Sweden, formed in 1998 as an ABBA tribute called ABBA Teens and later renamed to A*Teens. The band's debut album became a success around the world and success continued with their original songs, in 2001 it was reported that the band had sold 5 million albums worldwide.[1]
After six years together, the band announced they would take a break in 2004 after the release of their "Greatest Hits" album. Each song from that album became a top twenty-hit in at least one country around the world.[2] The split of the band was officially announced on 15 April 2006 and the band members have all started to pursue solo careers.
In 1998, Marie, Amit, Dhani, and Sara were musically united as the ABBA Teens. However, upon the request of Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson of the legendary Swedish group ABBA, the group's name was changed to the A*Teens to avoid confusion. This choice allowed the band more freedom in creating their own style of music and not be solely based around ABBA.
In early 1999 the band started the recording process of what would be their debut album, The ABBA Generation, consisting purely of ABBA covers reinterpreted with a modern pop and techno flair to appeal to a new generation of young pop fans. Their first single, Mamma Mia, topped the charts in over ten countries including their home country Sweden where it stayed at number one for eight consecutive weeks. The album hit the pole position in Sweden & Chile and became a top ten hit throughout the world. Further singles enjoyed similar success ensuring top ten placings across the globe.
The band's music video for Dancing Queen features a plot very similar to the 1985 John Hughes film The Breakfast Club. In addition, the principal seen in the music video was played by Paul Gleason, the same actor who was the principal in the movie. The single reached ninety-five on the Billboard Hot 100 and sold over 500,000 copies in the U.S. alone, being certified Gold.[3]
The album sold over 3 million copies worldwide. It was certified Gold or Platinum in over 22 different countries.[4] It also reached number three on the World Album charts.[5]
In early 2000, the band embarked on a U.S. promotional tour, and on the verge of the release of their album in America, the band was invited to tour with Britney Spears that summer in her U.S. Tour. The band's debut became a hit in North America, where the album reached seventy-one on the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart being certified Gold in September 2000,[6] but its sales reached the million mark in 2001.[7]
That month, the A*Teens won a Viva Music Award for Best International Newcomer, competing with the likes of Christina Aguilera and Blink-182,[8] and also the band announced what would be the lead single from their second album and their first to be an original song, "Upside Down", the song was released to Swedish radios on October 23 2000,[9] and was later unleashed worldwide, when the single was commercially released, it reached number-two in Sweden and was later certified 2x Platinum.[10] The song became the band's biggest hit, when it reached the top ten in several countries and when the single was released in the United States, the physical single reached number-six on the Billboard Hot 100 Single Sales Chart,[11] selling over 500,000 copies in three weeks and being certified Gold.[12] In January 2001, the band was nominated for "Best Swedish Group" at the NRJ Awards,[13]
+ Teen Spirit
The band's second album, entitled "Teen Spirit", featured a compilation of tracks that were not ABBA covers and when it was finally released in February 26, 2001, it debuted at number-two in the Swedish Charts and reached the top ten in other countries and entered at number eighty-three on the World Charts,[14]number-thirteen on the European Albums Chart,[15] number-fourteen on CNN'S WorldBeat Album Charts[16] and peaked at number-fifty in the United States selling over 60,000 copies in its first two weeks,[17] ensuring Gold Status for sales exceeding the 500,000 copies in the United States alone.[18] Prior to the release of the album, the A*Teens became one of the first bands to broadcast one of their shows on MSN's Websites[19]
The U.K. releases were delayed due to A*Teens' failure with their previous album in that country,[20] when "Upside Down" was released there in May 2001,[21] it became their biggest hit ever in the country,[22] the single peaked at number-ten in the United Kingdom becoming their only top ten hit in that country,[23] the album was delayed and released after the second single, "Halfway Around The World" in late October 2001, the single barely made the top thirty and the album did not chart in the top 75.
Before they started their concert tour in the U.S. the band went to promote their album to Asia, with stops in Japan,[24] Singapore,[25] Malaysia where they did show for MTV Asia[26] and Thailand, with great success, especially in the former where Coca-Cola signed the band to become the face of the brand there and promote, "We were the first international artists ever to appear on a soda can there. They printed 15 million of them; we went home with ten!" Remembers Sara,[27] The cans were distributed around the country that year.[28]
The group promoted their album with a forty-three-date tour with Aaron Carter around the U.S.,[29] back in Europe, the band toured with No Angels in Germany.[30][31] By the end of 2001, "Teen Spirit" went on to sell over 1 million copies worldwide and were invited by Walt Disney/Buena Vista to record the European soundtrack for the movie "The Princess Diaries", as the movie had already been released in North and South America, the movie was set to be released in Europe in the winter 2001, "Heartbreak Lullaby" a song written by Cathy Dennis (famous for writing Kylie Minogue's number-one hit, "Can't Get You Out Of My Head") and Kasmanaut, the video was shot in Germany in late October, in the middle of their tour,[32] the single was released in December 2001 and it became another top ten hit for the band in their home country spending four months inside the charts.[33]
+ New Arrival
By the end of 2002 the A*Teens were in Europe, on the verge of what would be the international release of their third album, the band performed their hit single, "Floorfiller" at the 2002 Swedish Hit Music Awards as part of the promotion for their new album.[56]
In January 2003 the band announced the release dates of their third album for the international market[57] The band promoted in Germany and The Netherlands prior to the album's release.[58][59] On January 27 the album, entitled New Arrival (a throwback to the ABBA album entitled Arrival), was released. It combined tracks from the last effort "Pop 'Til You Drop" and new tracks, making a whole new album, or a "half-new album," as they described it. Some of the material on these two albums was co-written by the members of the A*Teens. The majority of tracks, while recorded in Sweden, were the work of producers from the United States, Norway, Denmark and Sweden.[60] The album debuted at number-four in Sweden and was certified Gold a few weeks after its release.[61] The second single taken from the album (first in some countries), was "A Perfect Match", the band shot the video for the song in Cuba,[62] the video was premiered on February 26 on ZTV.[63] When the single was released, it reached number-two in Sweden and ensured top forty placings all over the world.[64] Worldwide releases of the album followed, including a release in Mexico, on March 24, the band promoted in the country for almost a month,[65] their album reached number-seven on the international album charts and number-fifteen on the main album charts in late April that year.[66][67]
Back in their homeland, the band embarked in their New Arrival Tour across Europe doing shows all over Sweden, Denmark, Russia and Slovakia.[68][69][70]
The band signed a promotional deal to promote Popdrinks in Sweden, with the song "Bounce With Me",[71] Amit graduated from High School and Marie Serneholt was named the third sexiest woman in Sweden.[72]
The third single from the album (second in some countries), "Let Your Heart Do All The Talking" was meant to be commercially released, but after the lack of sales of the A*Teens album in a worldwide scale, the record label canceled the release, and just unleashed the song to radios.[73] Sales for "New Arrival" were lower than expected, selling less than 350,000 copies worldwide. The band still got a nomination in the Swedish Hit Music Awards for "Swedish artist/group of the year".[74]
+ Greatest Hits
By the beginning of 2004 the band announced their first Greatest Hits compilation was going to be released, a cover of Nick Kamen's "I Promised Myself" became the last single from the band.[75]
The band shot the video for the song in March 2004,[76] and was premiered on ZTV in early April, the song went to international radios on late April/May becoming a the last hit of the band.[77] The album was a compilation of thirteen singles, which each one of them made the top twenty in at least one country[78] and three new tracks, two of them were written by the band members.
Promotion for the album was slow, the band did a few shows in Sweden and international interviews to magazines.[79][80] Many were reporting the band was splitting up after six years in the pop world.[81] The band quickly denied the rumours on their official website.[82]
The single became another top-two hit for the band in Sweden, it became one of the band's biggest hits in South America and the album became the band's first to not make the top ten in their homeland while it brought back the attention to them in other countries in Latin America and Eastern Europe.[83]
The album was just released in selected European countries, Asia and Latin America. It did not receive a U.S. release, although, when MCA Records went to bankrupt and was absorbed by both Geffen and Interscope, the former had plans to release it in November, ready for the Christmas sales, but plans were scrapped when the band finished their tour and Dhani released his first solo single.[84]
+ For more informations:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A-Teens
Music 4 World - A-Teens (POP) - Biography - The A*Teens (pronounced [A-Teens] were a pop music group from Stockholm, Sweden, formed in 1998 as an ABBA tribute called ABBA Teens and later renamed
