This time, we meet Marie and Per in a hotel room in Oslo. All we do is travel around.

Per Gessle: No, you don’t either. It seems like we have the same job. We’ve been busy since February, March this year. And now we’re touring Europe this fall. It’s a lot of fun.

Are you satisfied with what you’re doing now? You’ve received great reviews.

Marie Fredriksson: Yes, it’s incredibly fun. It’s a huge experience to play in countries other than our own. And just to get out and read and communicate in English. That’s how it is with the songs.

Have you realized that you are world stars?

PG: Are we? Yes, when you visit different countries, you realize that a lot of records are being sold. And people, fans, meet you at airports and places like that. And it’s incredible, of course. But I think it’s incredibly difficult to understand what has happened. We still haven’t gotten over the fact that “The Look” became a hit in America, and that “Listen to Your Heart” is number one on the chart is even harder to understand. Completely unbelievable. Unbelievable.

A year ago, we were on a beach in Halmstad. We were going to record a mini video for “Listen to Your Heart.” At that time, no one could have imagined what would happen at the airport.

MF: No, definitely not. I remember being very upset. I was so afraid of getting sick. But it feels incredible that a year later, it’s been number one in the US. I’m just very proud of that.

But today, it’s not just the music that matters. There’s a whole industry behind you when you make a video today. Our video wasn’t good enough, so you had to make one that was a little bigger. So it’s a huge industry when you make a video. This video, which has been seen all over the world, was made in Borgholm castle on Öland.

PG: We took an American film crew of almost 50 people there. They made a small film at the castle ruins on Öland during our Swedish tour this summer. And it was a little more advanced than what happened in Halmstad.

Is it important to have a good video for the song to be a hit?

PG: Yes, it’s important in the sense that we really wanted to show everyone that we play live. We’ve toured a lot and we want to tour a lot, so it’s important to change the focus of our videos. Both “The Look” and “Dressed for Success” were filmed in the studio. But now it’s time for us to show that we want to play live. That’s why we decided we wanted a live video. So you can use the video as a forum to steer your thing in some way.

You have a special relationship with TV2, Per.

PG: Yes! I’m glad you brought that up.

You like TV2, it’s your channel, really.

PG: TV2 has had a big influence on my career. What do the girls on TV2 have?

What do you think of the new girls on TV2?

PG: I think they’re small but tough.

And the lyrics still apply?

PG: The lyrics apply to young people, right?

When we saw each other last summer, you mentioned that you had plans to go to America, but that didn’t happen.

PG: No, we’ve been in America for many years doing promotion, but we haven’t really toured and played. Right now, it feels like we have to choose between starting a new LP or going there and touring. We’ve chosen to start a new album.

Do you already have ideas in your head about how it should sound?

PG: Yes, I think we both do. It’s been so long since we made the last album that we’re eager to start writing and recording. So we have a few songs that are half finished.

What do they sound like? Can we hear them a cappella now? Can we be the first to hear them? Sing a new hit song.

PG: I’ve always dreamed of singing acapella on TV, but I don’t think I’ll do it today.

Is it difficult to feel the pressure to come up with new hit songs?

MF: Of course, there’s pressure to follow up on a success like the one we’ve had. But you can’t think that way, because then we wouldn’t be able to do anything. We write songs and work in the same way we always have. We’ll be working with the same producer and the same musicians. Part of the reason we’re doing this is because we’ve been given such a boost. That’s what we think about first and foremost.