Where Are The Members Of Ace Of Base Now?
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The popularity of Swedish pop group Ace of Base exploded in the United States in the early 1990s, sending the group's debut album up the Billboard charts. "The Sign" had three singles reach the top spot on the Billboard Top 40, vaulting the album to the second best-selling record of 1993 behind Mariah Carey's "Music Box" (via Best Selling Albums). Its eventual sales of more than 25 million copies make it fall in the top 50 best sellers of all time.
For several years, it seemed like you couldn't turn on a pop radio station for long without hearing "All That She Wants" or "Don't Turn Around." The title track for the album was ranked number one by Billboard on their Hot 100 list in 1994 (per Billboard), helping them rank among ABBA and Roxette as the most successful bands to come out of Sweden.
Ace of Base was founded by four core members, siblings Jonas, Malin and Jenny Berggren, and Ulf Ekberg (per the band's official website). The three Berggrens were already in a band, the techno group Tech Noir. Tech Noir rehearsed their music in the same building as the band Ekberg was playing in, and the four core members of what would eventually become Ace of Base began to write music together. After recording with Mega Records in Copenhagen, it wouldn't be long before the newly formed group's music was being played on radio stations around the world. Though no studio albums have been released since 2010's "The Golden Ratio," the band members have remained quite active in music.
Ulf Ekberg works with tech startups
Ulf Ekberg has stayed a dominant force in the music industry since Ace of Base faded into the sounds of retro radio. Ekberg, along with fellow bandmate Jonas Berggren, has worked in music production and songwriting. Monsters and Critics report that the two music veterans have a production catalog of music that has yielded thousands of songs.
Ekberg has stayed busy outside of the music industry as well. He told ABC News in 2015 that he was keeping busy assisting several tech startups in Sweden, and was working to help create sectors that blend his passions of music and technology. He also dipped his fingers into marketing. The International Business Times cites Ekberg's website, reporting that among Ekberg's clients are BMW, IBM, and Fiat. His website also states that he is currently the Senior Partner and Executive Vice-President at Applied Transactions, a company that focuses in part on "domain expertise in the Natural Resources, Media, and Tech sectors."
Ekberg was the subject of controversy a decade ago when the lyrics of his 1980s band Commit Suicide were scrutinized. The band recorded songs with lyrics that were filled with racial epithets and calls for violence against immigrants (via The Huffington Post). Ekberg had addressed the controversy in a 1997 documentary in which the musician stated that he "told everyone I really regret what I did," and that he had "closed that book" on that part of his life.
Jenny Berggren performs as a solo artist
Jenny Berggren might not have the commercial success as a solo artist that she experienced with Ace of Base, but she's still in the industry. And those wanting to hear the melodic voice of Jenny Berggren needn't wait for an Ace of Base reunion concert. The musician is still recording songs and touring as a solo artist, with singles released as recently as 2022 (per the musician's website). She recorded and released her first single in 2010, the song "Here I Am." This track was featured on her debut solo album and peaked at number 14 on the Swedish music charts (via Swedish Charts).
Jenny also tried her hand at writing. In 2009, the musician released her autobiography, "Vinna hela världen" (per her website). As of today, the book is only available in Swedish and there aren't any confirmations of it being released in any other language (per Amazon).
Malin Berggren is enjoying a life out of the public eye
Of all the past and present members of Ace of Base, none have been more elusive than vocalist Malin Berggren. In a 2015 interview with ABC News, former bandmate Ulf Ekberg revealed that fans shouldn't ever anticipate her returning to the group if they were to ever reunite. Of her departure from Ace of Base, he stated that Malin asked the other members of the band to never even ask her to return, knowing full well that life in the spotlight wasn't something that she was fond of. He added that Malin was "done with [the] entertainment industry. It's understandable. It's brutal from the inside — it was not for her. She has no craving to be famous, she loved her fans, but the fame factor was not for her."
Malin's brother and former bandmate Jonas spoke to Billboard in 2015, giving mention to his sister's reluctance to ever perform publicly again. He told the outlet that he sees his sister often and that the two of them don't talk about music. Despite that, Jonas shared his desire to have his sibling sing on one of the many tracks that he records. "My dream would have been if just Linn wanted to sing them, without promotion, just sing the tracks. That would be perfect."
Jonas Berggren is still writing music
Founding Ace of Base member Jonas Berggren is also still active in the music industry. In a 2015 interview with Billboard, he revealed that he was still making music, "writing a song a week." When asked about whether or not his former band will ever reunite and record again, he was doubtful. Berggren maintained that the fans of the group would most likely prefer the original lineup that included himself, his two sisters, and Ulf Ekberg. With Malin not being interested in being a part of it, that would make it an impossibility.
In his personal life, Berggren has been married for some time, a union that has produced four children. In the years since Ace of Base was dominating the airwaves, Berggren also lent his photography skills to the production of the Swedish television show "Skeppsholmen" in the early 2000s. He is credited as a still photographer for more than 20 of the show's episodes (per IMDb).
Clara Mae was a replacement vocalist that now has a career as a solo artist
Clara Hagman was a member of Ace of Base when the group released their final studio album "The Golden Ratio" in 2010. She and vocalist Julia Williamson joined the band after the departure of both Malin and Jenny Berggren, but their stays in Ace of Base were short-lived (per L.A. Music Blog). Williamson would claim that Ace of Base never actually broke up, but that the two remaining founding members just faded out of contact with her and Hagman. Williamson stated, "One day I just didn't hear anything from them and it's the same with Clara. Like it went up in smoke; really strange."
Hagman went on to record a handful of solo singles after she departed from the band. Since 2014, Hagman has been billed under her stage name Clara Mae. She released her first solo EP in 2014, "Changing Faces" (per Scandipop). Since then, she's worked with KREAM, co-writing and singing their hit track "Taped Up Heart" in 2016 (via Billboard). The artist is still actively recording music.