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‘If you can’t beat them, join them’ goes the old saying which might explain why Aqua, the world famous Danish-Norwegian europop band, are the latest 90’s act to decide to put their colourful life and times on the stage.
Aqua’s Barbie Girl is without a doubt one of the definitive pop anthems of the late 90s and the early 2000s.
And just like plastic, the song was absolutely everywhere. The song’s aesthetic captures the era in all of its colourful ‘kitschness.’
The lyrics, an ode to senseless materialism and sex – “I’m a blond bimbo girl in a fantasy world. Dress me up, make it tight, I’m your dolly,” sings lead singer Lene Nystrom in her Barbie role, with Ken, played by René Dif, replying: “Kiss me here, touch me there, hanky-panky.”
You just had to be barely conscious in 1997, when it was originally released, and probably for a decade later. Double check, the song might as well be etched somewhere on your brain’s frontal lobe, always ready to become your earworm for the day if you catch us as much as a note of the tune.
Aqua’s megahit was both disavowed as an epitome for everything wrong with the culture at the turn of the millennium (Rolling Stone magazine voted it the worst song of the 1990s) and appreciated as one of the first voices that raised the alarm about the reckless overconsumption and commercialism of the noughties.
Love them or loathe them, Nystrom believes their continued popularity across a very wide fan base over the years has earned them a deserved place in pop history.
“It’s not always popular to say, you listen to Aqua. Let me remind you about that. But our fans are so loyal and to our concerts they dress up, they have fun. They don’t give a s*** what people say. And that’s us, you know, so it’s like a mirror of all of us in a sense,” says Nystrom.
Then and now
Earlier this year Aqua sold the rights to Danish company AHA Creations for a theatrical production of which weaves together the band’s musical oeuvre and life stories.
“We’ve had a wild ride, full of experiences that have never really been told before. Now, we’re incredibly excited to relive them as a musical, together with the rest of the world. We’re certain it will be both fun and moving, and at the same time a reminder of everything we’ve been through and how privileged we’ve been,” the band shared in a statement.
Canadian producer Michael Rubinoff, known for multiple Tony-nominated Broadway and West End successes including Come From Away, has called the project “a fantastic concept”.
“The songs create an incredible atmosphere,” Rubinoff says. “And with the chosen director, I believe the story can connect deeply with audiences. Danish musicals have been outstanding in recent years — this could be the one that brings them to the world stage.”
The show’s director, Martin Palme Skriver, has staged several visually stunning and imaginative musicals at Frederecia Theater in Denmark, earning awards and praise for his unique artistic vision. His vibrant style makes him a natural fit for the bold and playful universe of Aqua.
Barbie bounce
Aqua experienced a renaissance of sorts with the release of the Barbie movie in 2023, the song featuring prominently as a sample in Nicky Minaj’s and Ice Spice’s own take on a song about the eponymous doll.
Now Aqua’s tours are routinely sold out, the band seems to revel in their chance to again feature in the spotlight, the musical a chance to tell the stories behind their sound, their 2001 breakup and 2007 reunion.
The world premiere of ‘AQUA The Musical’ is planned for The Royal Opera House in Copenhagen in 2028.