After almost three decades in the music business, Aqua will no longer stay together.
Famous for their 1997 ‘Barbie Girl’ hit, on Monday (5.18,) the Danish Eurodance group took to Instagram with a post confirming the act’s demise, with:
“After many incredible years, we have decided to close the chapter of Aqua as a live band.” “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.” “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.”
Featured the single, ‘Barbie Girl,’ with its lyric, “I’m a blonde bimbo girl in a fantasy world,” in 1997, the band’s three core members – Soren Rasted, Rene Dif and Lene Nystrom – enjoyed massive chart success with their debut LP, Aquarium.
In 2000, Barbie’s parent company, Mattel, sued Aqua’s then-label, MCA Records, claiming the song violated Barbie’s trademark and sexualized the doll with its suggestive lyrics. The lawsuit was subsequently dismissed in 2002 after a court ruled it was protected as a work of parody under the First Amendment.
In an interview with Variety during the legal battle, Nystrom stated that “sometimes our words were twisted” and that the band members “weren’t prepared for all the negative reactions” to the song’s anti-feminist lyrics, adding “You know in your heart what your intentions were, and reading all that was a little bit tough to swallow.”
Keep up with the latest trending music news by following us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
Author: Saul Goode
Photo: BulsaraAndDeacon – Public Domain