The long-awaited day is finally here, as ABBA have released a new album for the first time 1981. Voyage dropped worldwide on Friday, but one thing we certainly weren't expecting from the first new ABBA music in 40 years was a namedrop for Kilkenny.
Sure enough, though, that's what we were treated to on the album's second track 'When You Danced With Me'.
ABBA reference Kilkenny on first new album in 40 years
It's a huge day in the history of music, with one of the most loved groups of the 20th century returning with new music for the first time in decades.
Despite the mixed reviews it has received, Voyage is sure to prove immensely popular, given the draw of the ABBA name. ABBA Gold was the second-best-selling album in Ireland between 1992 and 2012, so one can only imagine that a return with new music will draw listeners in again.
ABBA can rely on one of their songs going down particularly well in one Irish city. The album's second track 'When You Danced With Me' has strong Celtic pipe vibes and opens with the line, "I can remember when you left Kilkenny."
The song later goes on to say "So you left for the city," suggesting a level of confusion over Kilkenny's city status from the Swedish pop group. There's no doubting, though, that it is Kilkenny that they're referencing in the song - take a look at the song's lyric video if you don't believe us.
Kilkenny joins Glasgow (from the iconic 'Super Trouper') on the list of cities surprisingly referenced by ABBA. However, there are so many questions raised by the mention of Kilkenny on Voyage.
The mention of the city suggests that at least some of the band's members have been to Kilkenny previously - does that mean they are aware of the existence of Brian Cody?
How do they feel about Henry Shefflin agreeing to take the Galway job?
Has Björn Ulvaeus ever had a pint of Smithwicks?
Is the love for Kilkenny the reasoning for the album art's black and amber colour scheme?
We reached out to ABBA and the city of Kilkenny for answers, but both declined to comment.
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