‘He used the girls like instruments’: Cher slams ABBA’s Benny Andersson

She smashed out their hits and delighted fans with her incredible covers in the latest ABBA film, but pop sensation Cher has revealed she didn’t actually like the Swedish pop group at the height of their fame in the 1970s.

Speaking to The New York Times, the 72-year-old blamed lead member Benny Andersson for using the women as “instruments” and claimed she went through a similar experience herself with Sonny.

“Benny took the girls and used them like instruments,” she told the news outlet. “Sonny used to do that to me. He would carve out a place for them in the songs, and they would fit in that little place. But he didn’t give them space to sing the way they might have wanted to.”

The musical superstar sent fans wild with her rendition of hit song ‘Fernando’ in the second Mamma Mia movie. But unlike the girls of ABBA, Cher said she was able to have fun with the songs while recording.

Asked how her versions differ, she added: “Mine are a lot freer. And it was great time to do it. I’m a news junkie and these are rough times. But when I was recording, I got swept up in the fun of it. The songs are silly and crazy, and for the album, I chose the ones that are saddest and the most fun.”

Read more: Cher sends fans wild with cover of ABBA’s Fernando for new Mamma Mia movie

Cher was one of the biggest stars to join Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again and she certainly didn’t disappoint as she took on the role of Ruby Sheridan, the mother of Donna, played by Meryl Streep in the first movie.

Even before the movie hit the big screen, fans had fallen in love with the film after hearing the music legend’s full cover of ‘Fernando’.

Cher’s song proved a huge hit online, as one fan tweeted: “I never would have imagined hearing Cher sing Fernando could bring me so much joy”.

While another added: “I can’t believe I saying this out loud so to speak…I think I like @cher version of #Fernando better than the Abba version. I’m going to get hit by a lightning bolt aren’t I? #MammaMia2”.

Are you a fan of ABBA? What did you think of Cher’s role in the second Mamma Mia movie?