The Swedish Europop group Ace of Base was once one of the biggest names in music, but their story is full of triumphs, failures, and regrets.
Ace of Base, the creators of some of the most iconic Europop tunes of the 90s, have had a rollercoaster journey. Their story is filled with everything from humble beginnings in Sweden to gangland threats and even an unsuccessful Eurovision attempt…
Ulf Ekberg completes the quartet, joining Jonas, Linn, and Jenny Berggren, who were the original members of the Scandinavian electro-pop band in 1987 in Gothenberg.
They began performing in various clubs in the Swedish city before finding it difficult to gain popularity because the Swedes’ preferred genre was heavy metal, which was very different from their techno sound. However, their subsequent release, All that She Wants, earned platinum certification and topped the UK charts for three straight weeks in 1993 after their single Wheel of Fortune debuted on the charts.
In the early 1990s, their success continued with hits like The Sign, which became club favorites everywhere. However, they vanished into obscurity just as quickly as they rose to stardom.
The band was last seen performing in a series of concerts between 2007 and 2009 as a trio without Linn. Since then, the original members of the band have all embarked on very different journeys:, reports the Daily Record.
Jenny Berggren
Jenny also started writing as the only former band member to leave for a solo career after leaving in the late 1990s. Vinna hela världen, her autobiography, was released in 2009. However, a slated English translation, titled To Win the World, was never made available.
Her solo musical journey began with Here I Am in 2010, which peaked at number 14 in the Swedish charts, followed by Gotta Go, which was the year she released her debut album, My Story.
Jenny made another attempt to win the spotlight in 2010 with Let Your Heart B Mine, but she was unable to win the nomination.
In the same year, Jenny and Ulf starred in the 2024 documentary Ace of Base: All That She Wants.
She recalled a terrifying incident from the early 1990s when a fan threatened her life by sticking a knife in her throat.
She continued, “I believe that was when the star was born in me,” recalling the agonizing incident with People. I desired to sing. I had to make calculations because of all the dangers, but I finally realized, “No, I want to sing.” I want this, exactly.
Ulf Ekberg
Ulf Ekberg, the band’s founder, has since switched melodies to tech ventures in the homeland. Ekberg expressed his excitement over the tech boom in an interview with ABC: “Sweden has a lot of tech companies, especially Stockholm.
“I’m interested in creating a sector in technology and music. I’m building companies, and it’s been a fantastic last five years. It feels like everything is exploding here. We are in a lot of different sectors, but we try to keep it to the creative sectors as much as possible; movies, TV, music and entertainment, which are obviously very close to my heart.”
The documentary last year also saw Ulf candidly discuss his past affiliations with a far-right extremist group during his teens in Sweden, expressing profound remorse for his actions. Speaking to People, he continued: “I think it’s a very important topic to talk about because it is a very angry world we live in right now. It’s much more angry than when I was a teenager.
“I hope that this documentary can demonstrate that even when you’re completely lost, you can always find your way and it’s never too late, which is why I had the honor of having had my life given me.”
Linn Berggren and Jonas
Post-band life has seen Linn Berggren and Jonas shying away from the limelight, especially Linn who has kept her distance from the glare of fame. Jonas briefly emerged to attend an event highlighted at the end of the documentary, while Linn decided to contribute through a letter read by Jenny in the concluding episode.
Source: Mirror
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