Don't Shut Me Down
"Don't Shut Me Down" is a song by Swedish pop music group ABBA. It was released as a single on 2 September 2021 as a dual single alongside "I Still Have Faith in You". Both songs are from the band's ninth studio album and its first in 40 years, Voyage.[3] Agnetha Fältskog performs lead vocals. It became the first ABBA release to top the Swedish singles chart since "Summer Night City" in 1978.[4] The song incorporates three key changes.
| "Don't Shut Me Down" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
CD single cover | ||||
| Single by ABBA | ||||
| from the album Voyage | ||||
| A-side | "I Still Have Faith in You" (double A-side) | |||
| Released | 2 September 2021 | |||
| Recorded | 2017–2021[1] | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:56 | |||
| Label | Polar | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) |
| |||
| ABBA singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Lyric video | ||||
| "Don't Shut Me Down" on YouTube | ||||
Lyric video edit
ABBA released a lyric video on YouTube of "Don't Shut Me Down" to accompany the release. It was directed by Mike Anderson of the production company Able.
The lyric video gained 1.4 million views in 24 hours following its release, placing in the top three of YouTube's trending rankings in 12 countries, including the UK.[5]
Reception edit
"Don't Shut Me Down" became a comeback single for ABBA, charting in the top ten in eleven countries and reaching number one in Sweden and Switzerland, as well as the Euro Digital Songs chart.[6]
The song received widely positive reviews from music critics. Kate Mossman of the New Statesman wrote: "Its opening has a West End feel, like Evita's tentative address to the masses, but then it whizzes with a 'Dancing Queen' mirrorball glissando into squelchy 1980s disco, giving the impression it's going to be straightforward. But then it mutates, and mutates into something wonderful and strange."[2] Jon Pareles of The New York Times was similarly positive, calling the song "a strutting march with gleaming orchestration and scrubbing disco guitars, stolid and earnestly tuneful."[7] The song was featured in Billboard magazine's list of the 100 best songs of 2021.[8]
Charts edit
| Chart (2021) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[9] | 27 |
| Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[10] | 14 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[11] | 9 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[12] | 44 |
| Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[13] | 87 |
| CIS (TopHit)[14] | 237 |
| Croatia (ARC 100)[15] | 10 |
| Denmark (Tracklisten)[16] | 7 |
| Euro Digital Song Sales (Billboard)[17] | 1 |
| Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[18] | 3 |
| Finland Airplay (Radiosoittolista)[19] | 18 |
| Germany (Official German Charts)[20] | 5 |
| Global 200 (Billboard)[21] | 54 |
| Hungary (Single Top 40)[22] | 4 |
| Iceland (Plötutíðindi)[23] | 3 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[24] | 12 |
| Japan (Japan Hot 100)[25] | 96 |
| Latvia (EHR)[26] | 26 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[27] | 18 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[28] | 31 |
| Norway (VG-lista)[29] | 7 |
| Portugal (AFP)[30] | 177 |
| Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[31] | 1 |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[32] | 1 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[33] | 9 |
| US Digital Song Sales (Billboard)[34] | 32 |
Certifications edit
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Sweden (GLF)[35] | Platinum | 8,000,000† |
| † Streaming-only figures based on certification alone. | ||
References edit
- ^ Don't Shut Me Down (Liner notes in printed album cover). ABBA. Universal International Music B.V. 00602438745692.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ a b Mossman, Kate (3 September 2021). "Abba are back – with the old magic intact". New Statesman. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
- ^ White, Jack (2 September 2021). "ABBA announce their first studio album of new material in 39 years Voyage and hologram concert series". Official Charts Company. from the original on 2 September 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
- ^ "Sverigetopplistan ABBA". IFPI Sweden. 11 September 2021. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
- ^ The Guardian Abba singles race to top of streaming charts in comeback triumph
- ^ "ABBA Chart History (Euro Digital Song Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
- ^ Pareles, Jon (3 September 2021). "Abba Previews First Album in 40 Years, and 11 More New Songs". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
- ^ Pareles, Jon (7 December 2021). "The 100 Best Songs of 2021: Staff List". Billboard. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
- ^ "ABBA – Don't Shut Me Down". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
- ^ "ABBA – Don't Shut Me Down" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
- ^ "ABBA – Don't Shut Me Down" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
- ^ "ABBA – Don't Shut Me Down" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
- ^ "ABBA Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
- ^ ABBA — Don't Shut Me Down. TopHit. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
- ^ (in Croatian). Hrvatska Radiotelevizija. Archived from the original on 21 September 2021. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
- ^ "ABBA – Don't Shut Me Down". Tracklisten. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
- ^ "ABBA Chart History (Euro Digital Song Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
- ^ "Singlet 36/2021" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
- ^ "ABBA: Don\'t Shut Me Down" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
- ^ "ABBA – Don't Shut Me Down" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
- ^ "ABBA Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
- ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
- ^ (in Icelandic). Plötutíðindi. Archived from the original on 13 September 2021. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
- ^ "Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
- ^ "ABBA Chart History (Japan Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
- ^ "EHR TOP 40 - 2021.09.17". European Hit Radio. Retrieved 17 September 2021.
- ^ "ABBA – Don't Shut Me Down" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
- ^ "ABBA – Don't Shut Me Down". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
- ^ "ABBA – Don't Shut Me Down". VG-lista. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
- ^ "ABBA – Don't Shut Me Down". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved 21 September 2021.
- ^ "ABBA – Don't Shut Me Down". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
- ^ "ABBA – Don't Shut Me Down". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
- ^ "ABBA Chart History (Digital Song Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
- ^ "Sverigetopplistan – ABBA" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 2 June 2022.