‘Barbie Girl’ band Aqua break up 30 years after iconic 90s hit
Danish pop group Aqua have officially announced they’re hanging up their plastic heels, almost 30 years after propelling to global stardom with the tongue-in-cheek track ‘Barbie Girl.’
The band confirmed the end of an era spanning three decades, as they took to Instagram on Monday to announce the news.
“After many incredible years, we have decided to close the chapter of AQUA as a live band,” they wrote. “AQUA has been such a huge part of our lives, and together we’ve had the chance to experience more than we ever dared to dream of.”
“When you’ve been together for this long, you also learn when it’s time to protect what you’ve created together. For us, this feels like the right moment to say goodbye, while the memories are still strong, and while the love for the music, the story, and each other remains intact.”
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The band then concluded the message by thanking their fans for the support over the years and ending with “nothing but love and gratitude.”
When the band first formed back in 1994, it originally consisted of four members Søren Rasted, Lene Nystrøm, René Dif and Claus Norreen.
This was the same lineup for the next twenty two years, before Norreen decided to part ways with the group in 2016.
Best known for their hit single ‘Barbie Girl’ released in 1997, the group also produced a number of other memorable ear worms, including ‘Doctor Jones’, ‘Turn Back Time’ and ‘Cartoon Heroes.’
While their songs were often accompanied by light hearted videos and a huge hit with fans, not everyone was so thrilled with the comedic tone of some of their contributions - with Barbie’s parent company Mattel in particular, taking legal action against the band in 2000.
The toy making giant took issue with some of ‘Barbie Girl’s’ lyrics, as they claimed it damaged the reputation of the brand. These lyrics included lines such as “I’m a blonde bimbo girl in a fantasy world / Dress me up, make it tight, I’m your dolly.”
The lawsuit was later dismissed in 2002, with Aqua even later going on to work with Mattel to promote the Barbie toy line in a commercial, however it used modified, family-friendly lyrics to promote the doll.
Mattel also went on to officially permit the song to be used in Greta Gerwig's live-action Barbie movie in 2023. They also collaborated with Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice to sample and remix the original track for the movie's official soundtrack, releasing "Barbie World”
While the news of Aqua’s breakup will no doubt come as a blow to die-hard europop fans, this isn’t the first time the band have parted ways, having previously broken up in 2001 before reforming in 2007.
Phoebe Tonks