ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus in Tokyo to discuss the future of music
ABBA icon Björn Ulvaeus came to Tokyo to talk about ABBA, KISS and the future of the music industry.
On 21st February, Swedish pop icon and ABBA member Björn Ulvaeus swung by Tokyo to promote Pophouse, a music-industry-focused investment fund he has co-founded. With ABBA and KISS among the artists Pophouse are already working with, the firm is at the forefront of developing brands in the music and entertainment industries. With ABBA Voyage, a virtual concert residency based in London, already a resounding success, Pophouse is currently developing an avatar stage show for KISS.
Roppongi Rocks boss Stefan Nilsson, someone who is also combining finance and music, met with Björn and Pophouse Entertainment’s CEO Per Sundin (formerly President of Universal Music Nordic) as well as other members of the Pophouse team, such as Head of Investments Johan Lagerlöf (ex-Spotify, X5 Music Group), during their Japan visit. As much as we love the music scene of yesteryear (tape trading, photocopied fanzines, LPs…), the music industry is constantly evolving. Pophouse is a leader and innovator in creating, acquiring and developing entertainment brands. Streaming is of course a key source of revenue, but so are live events, brand extensions and merchandising.
They are already building a rather vibrant catalogue of entertainment intellectual property rights. Their key focus is to breathe new life into beloved artists, songs and concepts. Through their investment philosophy, they build the brand and value of music rights for iconic artists. They put storytelling and concept development at the heart of the process. The duality between the creative and the financial is their way of working.
