Aqua on ‘Barbie Girl’ Resurgence, Grammy Nods and US Tour: ‘It’s Been Out-of-This-World Fantastic!’ (Exclusive)

After nearly three decades in business, Aqua’s party is still going strong.

Danish group Eurodance had a huge 2023 thanks to their signature hit “Barbie Girl” covered by Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice for Barbie film, which brought the band a new wave of success in the country in the form of a top-10 hit, two Grammy nominations, a US tour and a place in the lineup of this year’s Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest in 2024

“It’s been unbelievably fantastic,” keyboardist Søren Rasted tells PEOPLE of Aqua’s whirlwind year while backstage at the concert venue.

Aqua performs rare American shows — and poses with Paris Hilton — as ‘Barbie Girl’ celebrates 25th anniversary

“We didn’t know we had so many fans in America,” says singer Lene Nystrøm. – We are really delighted.

“It’s been many, many, many years since we played a concert where we could actually pick up the mic, put it down, and everybody was singing all the lyrics, all the songs — like, really freaking loud,” adds lead singer René Dif. “And that’s very impressive.”

Prior to this year, Aqua hadn’t done a proper US tour since “Barbie Girl” first became a hit on the band’s 1997 debut album. Aquarium. Back then, Søren, Lene and René (as well as former member Claus Norreen) were more focused on launching their careers than making the most of every moment — something they can do now.

‘Barbie Girl’ hitmakers Aqua are still planning for more success in the United States

Søren Rasted, Lene Nystrom, René Dif and Claus Norreen from Aqua.

Tim Roney/Getty

“This time you can actually understand what the fans are telling you, and they all have a beautiful story to tell [of] what music has done for them,” says Lene, 50. “It’s very, very moving.”

“Barbie Girl” is still prominent in pop culture today, but there was no guarantee that in 2023, Barbie it would have a big impact on the song. Last year, said Lene’s former manager Ulrich Møller-Jørgensen Diversity there was no plan for the song to be featured in a hit movie.

At the time, the band realized that the team behind the Greta Gerwig-directed film might want to focus on current music rather than nostalgia. But lead actress Margot Robbie later said Rolling stone she and Gerwig wanted to include “Barbie Girl” — and they did, as soundtrack producer Mark Ronson made “Barbie World,” which samples Aqua’s original song, with Minaj and Ice Spice.

Ice Spice and Nicki Minaj Debut New ‘Barbie World’ Music Video: ‘I’m a Doll, But I Still Wanna Party’

Not only is the inclusion of “Barbie Girl” in the Barbie appropriate for the film, but also marks a shift in the classic novelty look from Mattel’s parent company of the brand. In 2000, the corporation sued Aqua’s label at the time, MCA Records, claiming that the song infringed on the Barbie trademark and sexualized the child’s toy with its sassy lyrics. (“I’m a blonde bimbo girl in a fantasy world,” Lene sings on the song.)

The lawsuit was dismissed in 2002, with a court ruling protecting “Barbie Girl” as a work of parody under the First Amendment. Less than a decade later, Mattel used the song in a promotional video for Barbie dolls.

“It’s all about getting attention, right? And they got attention,” reflects Lene, while Søren adds, “I think they’re cool in everything.”

Lene Nystrøm and René Dif.

Andrew Chin/Getty

The brand probably doesn’t regret repairing its relationship with Aqua. Since its release, “Barbie World” has become a huge hit, reaching number 7 on the charts Board Hot 100 — coincidentally the same top spot that “Barbie Girl” achieved in 1997. Although the group hasn’t spoken to any rappers about the collaboration, Lene says she “absolutely” loves the new track: “Absolutely. I love Nicki. I mean she’s amazing. ”

The cherry on top? “Barbie World” is now nominated in two categories (Best Rap Song and Best Song Written for Visual Media) at the upcoming 2024 Grammy Awards, marking Aqua’s first appearances at the annual show. (The group did, however, win seven trophies at the 1998 Danish Music Awards, the country’s equivalent of the Grammys.)

Søren recalls learning of the nominations shortly after Aqua landed in the US for their tour, which ended earlier this month. “It really couldn’t have been a better time,” he says. “What better way to start it?”

“We are now waiting for our call [to the ceremony]”, jokes Lene. “We’ll get there.”

Year of Barbie may be coming to an end, but if Aqua’s many sold-out shows in the US are any indication, the band’s fandom has been reignited. The trio will see off 2023 with performances of “Barbie Girl” and “Doctor Jones,” another one Aquarium single. “It’s a great honor just to be there,” says Lene.

Although Aqua has no concrete plans to release new music in the foreseeable future — “Our legacy is hard to beat,” jokes Lene — the band wants to continue touring the world and is open to the idea of ​​remixing more of their early hits with other artists.

René, 56, would revisit “Lollipop” because he’s seen “people go crazy” when they play the song live, while Lene wants to breathe new life into “Back from Mars.”

Søren has a more left-of-center song he’d like to address from their mostly high-energy discography: “For some reason, I’d like to see one of the ballads work here [in the U.S.]”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Aqua.

Sergione Infuso/Corbis via Getty

Whatever comes next for Aqua, the band members are ready. This year has taught them how passionate their American fans are. “We should have done this 10 years ago,” Søren jokes about returning to America.

“We actually didn’t know we could,” Lene admits.

“It’s so fantastic to be a part of something that people loved and now love so much,” adds Rene. “We are very grateful to our fans.”

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education