If you lived through the 1990s and had a radio, you may remember how Ace of Base exploded on the scene. The Swedish pop band took the world by storm with chart-topping hits such as “Don’t Turn Around” and “The Sign.” Siblings Jonas “Joker,” Jenny, Malin “Linn” Berggren, and Ulf “Buddha” Ekberg experienced a meteoric rise as a result of their album “Happy Nation”/”The Sign,” which has now sold collectively 25 million copies worldwide.
Fame came at a price in many ways for the foursome as told in a new docuseries Ace of Base: All That She Wants. Premiering on Viaplay U.S. streaming service, the three episodes capture the story of their rollercoaster career that landed them as the third biggest pop export from the country behind ABBA and Roxette. From Ekberg weathering through his controversial teenage past belonging to a neo-Nazi skinhead gang to the difficulties that come with siblings mixing family with business, it’s a fascinating look into the popular group.
The docuseries features new interviews with members of Ace of Base, Hall of Fame music executive Clive Davis, Wyclef Jean, and more. Each installment also brings behind-the-scenes clips of video shoots, recording sessions, touring videos, television appearances, concerts, and iconic music videos.
For Jenny, the journey wasn’t easy. When sister Linn moved on from Ace of Base, she felt the weight on her shoulders to step up to fulfill contractual obligations and the group afloat. This was also after sharing the stage with Ekberg, who received death threats by right-wing extremists and was forced to perform in a bulletproof vest. A bodyguard presence was felt during the world tours. Then an even bigger trauma arose when she was attacked with a knife to the throat by a crazed German fan in her home.
Here Jenny gets candid about opening old wounds and if we’ll ever see a full-on Ace of Base reunion.
Ace of Base/Viaplay
What were your initial thoughts when you were approached about the docuseries?
Jenny Berggren: Help! [laughs]… I had to be in it and control the content more or less. I always want to tell the story that we had so much fun in Ace of Base. It wasn’t only trials and commotion. It was fun as well. That is what I wanted to get across. I think I did.
You were so young when Ace of Base really took off. You speak about not even thinking about being a pop star. Do you find recounting those times has given you a new perspective?
I’ve been writing a book. I have been working with this material. I’ve been holding lectures. Writing the book, tears down my face, brought joy and agony and anger and pain because it was memory lane. This time what I was presented and hearing Ulf talk about things. He said really nice things about me. That is the Ulf I know. He is really nice. He is fun. He was so full of energy and still that fun. It was just amazing to see that and reliving and seeing pictures and audio. Listening to the radio spots. We did a lot of radio in this one. It’s also based on my diary. I was looking back on my diary. I’m also still working with Ace of Base music. All these years, I’ve been out since 2011. It’s Jenny from Ace of Base. I’m doing shows. I’m living Ace of Base all the time. I’m living the music when it hits the live audience. Ace of Base didn’t do too many live shows. We didn’t tour that way. Now I’m doing the live scene, and that is fantastic.
How difficult was it to relive the trauma of the attack you endured in your home?
I do these lectures and it comes up how God can be good but the world brings evil things and lets them. That has been my topic. I’ve always been talking about that. Not to be afraid of what is difficult because God is there. I’ve been reliving this over and over again. For me in the docuseries here, it wasn’t anything different to talk about in that sense. It was awful. It happened, but for me, it was important we told the true story about that. The story wasn’t just that I got hurt, but that I got whole again. That’s the whole story. It wasn’t always the bad things, but the cure. When I wrote the book, I also relived it in another way.
Sometimes to be able to talk about it, I just read from the book because I’ve been talking about it so much. For me, it was an important story to have in the documentary because it needed to be presented as it was. That I got hurt, and I got whole…I know that I forgave her. The wholeness for me was to vie her up. It was like we were having this bond of debt. I didn’t want that between us, so I gave it up as well.
Jenny Berggren and Malin “Linn” Berggren (Viaplay)
Ulf being haunted by his past is also a topic tackled in the doc. Who knows if Ace of Base would have survived the backlash if it came up in this day and time?
The thing is I do believe in forgiveness. That is the most important thing I take from this documentary today. On social media, people are horrible. Really horrible. If you do something wrong, you’re forever that person. It isn’t true. One thing I’ve been thinking about more and more is when you do something wrong on social media, you are judged. We have to keep in mind there are real people behind this. There are going to be people who look at this documentary and have to understand whatever you did in the past doesn’t define you. You are free to do whatever you want that is good.
Ulf was doing a lot of good things already when I grew to know him. That was another person. He was very young when this happened. There are going to be people who watch this, mothers concerned about their children and what they are up to. They might end up with the wrong people. There is a huge problem in the world, but there is forgiveness. There is love and joy that is much bigger. I call God and ask for help with the forgiveness I need to give to people. I do believe forgiveness is one of the strongest messages in this documentary.
The last episode leads to a reunion of sorts. What was that experience like for you and Ulf specifically?
This is my family. Linn and Jonas I see, so that is no big deal. It was fun to see Ulf for sure. It was magical in that way to be together again. That you find this great friendship that is deep down inside and will never go away. The memories we share. Today I spend time with my family, not much with Ulf. So, it was great to work with him on this series. An absolute joy.
Linn moved on from the spotlight, but you read a letter from her at the end. What has been her reaction to the project?
I don’t really know. I’m not going to speak on her behalf because she wants to be kept out of the limelight. It is still not up to me to talk about what she thinks. Honestly, I don’t really know. I think she has seen it and said, “You’ve done a good job, Jenny.”
The group has been disbanded for a number of years. In any world, do you see an Ace of Base reunion tour? I know there will be renewed interest and appreciation for you all after people watch this.
I think Jenny from Ace of Base is the only way you’ll hear Ace of Base in the future because there will be no reunion. That was very important for myself, my sister , and Jonas to underline. There will be no reunion. I personally have been saying for a long time if they knock on my door. All three of them. My sister, brother and Ulf. If they knock on my door, I will say, “I know how to do this, come on in.”
It was fun seeing Wyclef and Clive sit down for the doc. How was it for you to hear their feedback?
That was a big honor. I just think this humbles you. As you grow older, you humble yourself…What I’ve been doing now is doing a song “Lion’s Den,” which came out November 29. It’s a song that was in line with the song I did called “Ravine,” which I did about the attack. I would love to know what Wyclef and Clive would think of that. I think they would like it.
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Is there any music artist who has come up to you saying they were touched by your music?
There have been many stories like that. I don’t want to name-drop. More interesting is who has touched my heart when they said it or have done a version of a song. A person I’ve always been praying for when I heard her and they told me this girl is only 16. They told me she would be big everywhere. I thought, “I’m going to make a big prayer for her.” That was Britney Spears. I had [record producer and songwriter’ Max Martin, who was rolling her out and was all over the studio. I’ve been there for others. I’ve got some stories in my book about that topic.
What do you think the legacy will be for Ace of Base when it’s all said and done?
Maybe that it was good melodies that some people built good memories and a good life on.
Ace of Base: All That She Wants premiere, December 5, Viaplay U.S. streaming service (add-on subscription on Prime Video Channels).
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