Katy Perry’s follow-up to 2008’s One Of The Boys is coming this summer, though no date is set. Back in September she told MTV she wanted her next studio set to be a “mesh between ‘Lovefool’ by the Cardigans and [‘The Sign’] by Ace of Base,” with “songs that people want to hold hands and roller-skate to.” Attending the Kids’ Choice Awards last Saturday, Perry confirmed the LP’s retro direction: “We nailed it: It’s roller-skating! It’s ’90s! It’s Ace of Base! It’s Cyndi Lauper! It’s like all these colors and more.”

As the saying goes, what’s old is new again, and though the synthesizer sounds of ’80s pop remain prevalent as ever (and fantastically so), why shouldn’t we make a little room for ’90s nostalgia? One could do worse than turn to Ace of Base. I mean, c’mon, everyone and their sister had The Sign in their CD collection, right?

First single “All That She Wants” didn’t do much for me, but the bubbly, bouncy “The Sign” opened up my mind. I wasn’t the only who was powerless to resist the charm of the Swedes, either. On this date in 1994, Ace of Base was in the middle of a six-week run at #1 with “The Sign.” Hear here:

I’m looking forward to hearing how Katy Perry references what’s come before on her new LP, but we’re also getting some new tunes from three-quarters of Ace of Base.

Vocalist Jenny Berggren has released a solo track for free download on her site (“Free Me”) while brother Jonas (“Joker”) and Ulf “Buddah” Ekberg are reportedly auditioning singers for a new project. The fourth original member, Linn Berggren, who always shied away from the spotlight even in the band’s heyday, enjoys a reclusive (but hopefully beautiful) life.

Purchase Ace of Base – “The Sign” via iTunes, Amazon MP3.