Agnetha Fältskog - A (2013)

One-quarter of the '70s Swedish-pop powerhouse ABBA, Agnetha Faltskog has a voice that defined the group and—no matter what style she sings—still evokes a world of easy-listening fun. This is her first fully realized return to pop music in years. Producer and songwriter Jorgen Elofsson, who composed hits for Britney Spears and Kelly Clarkson, carefully guides her into the modern age without losing what was special in the first place. "Back on Your Radio" is an obvious touchstone for her fans, while the Auto-Tune effect on "Perfume in the Breeze" is only necessary in terms of making the record sound "modern" and not for actual pitch correction. Europop has become mainstream U.S. pop over the years, so Faltskog simply continues doing what she's always done: singing comforting love songs ("The One Who Loves You Now") and songs of shared pain ("Dance Your Pain Away," "When You Really Loved Someone"). After all these years, she can still make well-crafted mainstream pop.