Ace of Base’s music was undeniably popular thirty years ago. The Swedish pop quartet, comprising siblings Jonas, Linn, and Jenny Berggren, as well as close friend Ulf Ekberg, was already a worldwide success when their catchy track “All That She Wants” entered the U.S. charts in 1993. The song achieved platinum status that November, and a reimagined version of their first album, Happy Nation, known as The Sign in the US, followed, bringing with it more hits, increased pressure, and a level of celebrity that would forever change Ekberg and the Berggrens’ lives.

Three decades later, Ulf and Jenny are releasing a three-part documentary detailing the band’s crazy heyday. Ace of Base: All That She Wants, available exclusively on Viaplay beginning December 5, chronicles the band’s rise and fall from humble beginnings in their hometown of Gothenburg, Sweden, in 1989 to global prominence and its repercussions.

“I think when you’ve been through so much and in such an intense way, you need quite some time to digest everything,” Ulf, who is 54, tells PEOPLE. “It has taken many years to assimilate many things. Of course, with age and maturity comes a certain amount of distance. It was fascinating to review all of our memories, each of which held unique experiences. There are some aspects of our memories that we simply cannot recall.

A trailer from the series’ first episode, shared exclusively with PEOPLE, depicts the group’s strong familial ties formed as kids in Sweden, as well as Ulf and Jenny’s brief high school romance.

Ulf explains that he was looking for a way to commemorate two Ace of Base milestones—”All That She Wants” topping the U.K. charts in 1993 and the band’s breakthrough in the U.S. that same year—when director and former music journalist Jens von Reis approached him about making a documentary about the group.

“I felt, first of all, that it would be significant for the heritage—something for my kids, something for my grandkids,” Ulf elaborates. Additionally, Ulf believes that this would serve as an excellent occasion to commemorate the 30th anniversary.

Ulf handed up more than 200 hours of never-before-seen film he’d taken over the years to von Reis, who informed him they had a “goldmine” of content for the project.

Jenny, 52, tells me that Ulf sent all the tapes we made, essentially presenting me with the fact that a documentary was coming out. “I said, ‘Okay, so what did we film? I can’t recall.’ I felt compelled to participate in the documentary, regardless of its subject matter, as I desired to understand its essence and preferred to take charge of its content rather than remain absent. I believed I could offer both my feminine and musical sides.”

Ulf asserts that his sole stipulation was that no band member would contribute to the final product, thereby granting von Reis complete creative control. “I thought if we came in and cut this and had opinions, there would be nothing interesting,” he tells me. “We had to expel all the good and bad dirt and get his and the realistic perspective. His perspective may not precisely align with ours, yet he accurately interpreted the current events.

The end product is a refreshingly open look at Ace of Base that doesn’t shy away from more difficult issues, such as Linn and Jenny’s uncertainty about popularity or the reality that, at least in the early days of their success, the two women in the band received less from album sales than Ulf and Jonas. In the series, Ulf and Jenny open up about their difficulties with Linn’s increasing unwillingness to be in the spotlight as Ace of Base’s reputation rose in the mid-1990s, forcing Jenny to become the band’s lone frontwoman.

Jenny also discusses the terrifying incident in which a fan broke into her family’s home and held a knife to her throat in the early 1990s. “I think that’s when the star was born in me,” she says to PEOPLE. “I wanted to sing.” I had to weigh the risks, and I suddenly concluded, “No, I want to sing.” “This is what I want.”

The documentary also addresses Ulf’s membership with a violent Swedish right-wing extremist gang as a youngster in Gothenburg, something he has often expressed sorrow for over the years.

“I believe it is an essential issue to discuss, as we live in a very hostile society right now. “I’m much more frustrated than I was as a teenager,” he tells PEOPLE. “I believe that part of this video demonstrates that even if you are utterly lost, you can always find your path, and it is never too late—as I was gifted with a second opportunity in life. You can always change. However, there are many lost children in the world, and while it can be easy to stray, it is always possible to turn around and get back on track. You only need to recognize that you are on the incorrect road. That’s the important thing.”

Jonas and Linn, on the other hand, declined to feature in the series, with Jonas only making a quick appearance at an event alongside Ulf and Jenny on the penultimate day of production.

“I think for both of them, maybe they would do the documentary that they would like to do, not what anyone else would like to do,” adds Jenny.

Both she and Ulf think that Jonas, the major author of the band’s biggest songs, would have chosen to devote more time to the creation of Ace of Base music. “His view was that he wanted to do a music documentary about the music, not about the story,” according to Ulf.

Lynn has remained out of the public spotlight since the early 2000s. She did, however, break her silence for the project by penning a short letter, which Jenny reads in the documentary’s final episode.

“I was just happy, because she’s good with words,” Jenny murmurs.

Ulf, on the other hand, is less convinced by Linn’s contribution. “I found it very weird that she had time to speak to the fans for the first time in so many years, and the only thing she spoke about was her siblings,” adds the author. “Why talk about them in the documentary when she could interact with fans? She rarely acknowledged the fans, which surprised me. She could’ve talked more about the travel, the music, the fans, and the experience. But I am glad she did something.

Even after all these years, Ulf believes he has a fresh respect for Linn’s position in Ace of Base. “In hindsight, I must say she was probably the strongest person in the band for the simple reason that she wanted to leave already in 1993,” he jokes. When we arrived in America, the situation worsened as they attempted to push her further to the front, despite her genuine preference to remain at the back. That was tough for both her and us to deal with. However, we managed the situation together, and in hindsight, I must say that I hold her in high regard for her handling of it.

Despite the difficulties, Jenny admits, “One big truth is that we had a lot of fun.” I will be eternally thankful for being able to explore the world, extend my perspectives, and enjoy it so much.”

In actuality, Jenny continues to record and perform as a solo artist, performing Ace of Base’s hits live. Next year, the United States will see the first release of her 2009 autobiography, and she recently dropped her latest single, “Lion’s Den.”

Ulf continues to work on Ace of Base. “There are many things we have not done. “We haven’t done a movie or a musical,” he says. “We have a few potential projects, and I anticipate that my creative spark will compel me to revisit the studio soon. So, let us see. Perhaps Jonas and I will revisit some of these projects. I don’t really know yet.

On December 5, Ace of Base: All That She Wants will be available on Viaplay and as an add-on subscription on Prime Video and Roku Channel.