Steps set for 20th anniversary comeback with help from ABBA

Steps are ready to make their musical comeback thanks to Abba’s Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus.
The British five-piece, who formed back in 1997, released hits including Better Best Forgotten and Deeper Shade of Blue during their heyday before splitting in 2001.
They’ve reunited several times since then, but it was on 1 January 2017 that the group officially confirmed it was getting back together to release new music for its 20th anniversary. One song, Story of a Heart, was penned for them by music icons Benny and Bjorn.
“We’ve always had that comparison with ABBA so it’s amazing to work with Benny and Bjorn,” Steps’ Lisa Scott-Lee told The Sun newspaper, referring to comments from industry experts such as Pete Waterman, who described the group as “ABBA on speed” during their early days.
“When we heard the special album track they gave to us we said, ‘That’s perfect.’ It’s a bridge to where we were and it moves on nicely to where we’re taking the new music.”
Singer Claire Richards added that Benny was extremely impressed by the band’s take on his and Bjorn’s tune, and felt it topped their version. Steps have paid tribute to ABBA several times over the years, including being a part of the ensemble of Thank ABBA for the Music performed during the BRIT Awards in 1999.
The track features on Steps’ upcoming album Tears on the Dancefloor, the first single from which, Scared of the Dark, comes out on Friday (10Mar17).
The pop act, also featuring Ian ‘H’ Watkins, Faye Tozer, and Lee Latchford-Evans, will be touring at 15 arenas, accompanied by group the Vengaboys.
“Well we’re marking our twentieth anniversary, but also a lot’s happened within the world in those 20 years, hasn’t it? It’s a tough place out there,” Lisa commented to Popjustice. “We’re not here to get into the politics of the world but what we can offer is escapism and a bit of positivity in people’s lives.”