If you’re a ’90s kid, chances are, you grew up listening to the music of A*Teens. A*Teens is a Swedish pop group made up of Marie Serneholt, Amit Paul, Dhani Lennevald, and Sara Lumholdt. They started as an ABBA tribute band called the ABBA Teens, where they had great covers of hits such as “Mamma Mia,” “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!,” “Dancing Queen,” and “Take a Chance on Me” on their first album.
In 2001, they released their second album, their first featuring original music. This one had “Sugar Rush,” “Halfway Around the World,” and our personal favorite “Upside Down.” “Upside Down” is their biggest hit and has become their signature song and we totally get it. It’s a bop. Listen to the song below:
A*Teens released two more albums in quick succession. Another favorite is their cover of Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” which was included in the Lilo & Stitch soundtrack.
In 2004, the band released a greatest hits album and took a two-year break. They never got back together. In a magazine, Serneholt said, “The A-Teens are nothing but a memory now, we have all started our own projects.”
It’s been 15 years since they broke up but we still listen to “Upside Down” today 🙁
In case you’re wondering what they look like now and what they’re up to today, we searched for them online:
Marie Serneholt
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Two years after the announcement of their break, Serneholt released her solo album Enjoy the Ride. This has the singles “That’s the Way My Heart Goes,” “I Need a House,” and “Oxygen.” She also joined the Melodifestivalen, a Swedish song contest, in 2009. Serneholt also became active in reality TV, becoming a judge of the Swedish version of The X Factor, joining the celebrity dancing show Let’s Dance, the baking show Det stora tårtslaget, and several editions of Melodifestivalen. She has a podcast called Lyckojägarna. Serneholt is a mom to twins.
Amit Paul
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In 2008, Paul released the solo album Songs In A Key Of Mine, with the single “Judge You.” He seems to have quit singing, though. A year after the release of his solo album, he finished his master’s in accounting and economic control from the Stockholm School of Economics. According to his LinkedIn profile, “I joined the family business as the CEO of Paxymer shortly thereafter focusing the flame retardant industry for plastics to adopt more sustainable solutions. I have also been involved in the industry’s challenges and been advocating for more sustainable use of plastics and materials in general. I have had a strong focus on start-ups and entrepreneurship within diverse industries.”
Of his experience with A*Teens, Paul said, “having been on the world stage at the early age of 15 deeply changed my understanding of the world and how we interact with it.” He married Unnur Ýrr Helgadóttir, an Icelandic graphic designer, in 2012. They have two daughters.
Dhani Lennevald
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Lennevald started recording songs right after the announcement of A*Teen’s hiatus in 2004. He approached a record company with five new songs, including his first single “Girl Talk.” His music career was cut short the following year and he kept busy working as a model. He is credited as a songwriter in Avicii’s 2015 song “Sunset Jesus.” Today, he is a producer and songwriter, and one half of the duo Dharcmusic.
Sara Lumholdt
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Lumholdt took a short break after the hiatus, and booked a voice-over part for the Swedish release of the game Burnout: Revenge. In 2007, under the stage name Sara Love, she released a cover of Olivia Newton-John’s “Physical.” She released more songs the following year. In 2012, she hosted Xtra Factor, the aftershow of X Factor. Lumholdt also became a pole dancer and instructor, and has even won national championships. Based on her Instagram, it seems that she is busy taking care of her beautiful family. Also, I just found out today that her mother has Filipino heritage.
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