'Mamma mia, they go again': ABBA announces new music after 35 years

"We may have come of age, but the song is new. And it feels good," says the band statement

Iconic pop band ABBA have announced they will be releasing new music for the first time in 35 years.

In a statement posted on their official Twitter account, the Swedish quartet, comprising Agnetha Faltskog, Bjorn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad, said the new material was an "unexpected consequence" of their decision to put together a "virtual reality" tour.

"The decision to go ahead with the exciting ABBA avatar tour project had an unexpected consequence. We all four felt that, after some 35 years, it could be fun to join forces again and go into the recording studio. So we did. And it was like time had stood still and that we had only been away on a short holiday. An extremely joyful experience!" the post read.

One of the new songs to be released is titled "I Still Have Faith In You" and will be out in December on a TV special broadcast by the BBC and NBC.

"We may have come of age, but the song is new. And it feels good," they added.

The pop band, formed in Sweden in 1972, have sold over 400 million albums in their career with includes all-time hits such as "Mamma Mia", "Dancing Queen", "Chiquitita" and "Super Trooper" among others.

ABBA have not performed since 1982, other than a brief appearance at a private party in 2016.