Barbie Girl

Barbie Girl
"Barbie Girl" is a song by Danish-Norwegian dance-pop group Aqua. It was released in April 1997 by Universal and MCA as the third single from the group's debut studio album, Aquarium (1997). The song was written by band members Søren Rasted, Claus Norreen, René Dif, and Lene Nystrøm, and was produced by the former two alongside Johnny Jam and Delgado. It was written after Rasted saw an exhibit on kitsch culture in Denmark that featured Barbie dolls. The accompanying music video was directed by Danish directors Peder Pedersen and Peter Stenbæk.
The song topped the charts worldwide, particularly in European countries such as the United Kingdom, where it was a number-one hit for four weeks and remains one of the best-selling singles of all time. It also reached number two in the group's homeland and peaked at number seven on the US Billboard Hot 100. It is Aqua's most popular work and was also performed as the interval act in the Eurovision Song Contest 2001. Mattel accused Aqua's label of diluting the image of Barbie, leading to the controversial lawsuit Mattel, Inc. v. MCA Records, Inc.. Twenty-five years later, Mattel licensed the song in the 2023 film Barbie and additionally sampled it for a new song, "Barbie World". And Billboard magazine ranked it among the "500 Best Pop Songs of All Time".
Background and composition
The lyrics of the song are about Barbie and Ken, the dolls made by Mattel. Both the song and its music video feature Lene Nystrøm as Barbie and René Dif as Ken. As such, the lyrics drew the ire of Barbie's corporate owners, and a lawsuit was filed by Mattel.
A footnote on the back of the Aquarium CD case precisely stated that "The song 'Barbie Girl' is a social comment and was not created or approved by the makers of the doll." "Barbie Girl" is written in the key of C-sharp minor, using major chords and an upbeat tempo to create an effect Rasted calls "the plus and minus". The song has a tempo of 130 beats per minute.
Reception
Critical reception
"Barbie Girl" received critical acclaim. Larry Flick from Billboard wrote that "with her squeaky, high-pitched delivery, Lene Grawford Nystrøm fronts this giddy pop/dance ditty as if she were Barbie, gleefully verbalizing many of the twisted things people secretly do with the doll." He noted that "at the same time, she effectively rants about the inherent misogyny of Barbie with a subversive hand", adding that René Dif is an "equally playful and biting presence, as he embodies male counterpart Ken with an amusing leer." Scottish Daily Record stated, "Love them or hate them, you have to admit Aqua's silly doll song is pure pop and the video is great, too". David Browne from Entertainment Weekly described it as a "dance-floor novelty that alludes to the secret, less-than-wholesome life of every little girl's fave doll." Another editor, Jeremy Helligar, commented, "There must be something in that Northern European water. Like recent tunes by their Swedish-pop counterparts Ace of Base and the Cardigans, these Danish newcomers' frothy debut is fun, fun, fun—but oh so disposable."
Kevin Courtney from Irish Times named it Single of the Week, calling it "a supreme slice of cheese which out-hums even the mighty Whigfield" and saying that Aqua had "hit the perfect wally beat, and this awful tune is set to dominate the dance-floor and do kinky things to it." British magazine Music Week gave the song five out of five and also named it Single of the Week, concluding, "Bleached and blonde this bouncy Europop tune may be, but dumb it isn't. Its mix of perky vocals, barbed lyrics and infectious energy has already brought it success in Scandinavia and the US. The video is irresistible." A reviewer from People Magazine called it "the year's best novelty record, a cartoonish anthem you'll need surgery to remove from your head." James Hyman from the RM Dance Update gave the song top score, declaring it as "a Balearic-tinged Euro pop smash hit". He added, "My niece refuses to go to bed unless the video is played several times over; I think that speaks for itself with regard to ongoing single success."
Retrospective response
Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic called "Barbie Girl" "one of those inexplicable pop culture phenomena" and "insanely catchy", describing it as a "bouncy, slightly warped Euro-dance song that simultaneously sends up femininity and Barbie dolls." Insider stated that the song is "sugary sweet" and "totally catchy", viewing it as one of the best songs of the '90s. In an retrospective review, Pop Rescue wrote that "this song is fun, undoubtedly catchy, and bouncy, with the personas of Barbie and Ken fitting perfectly with the vocal contrast." The song ranked number 88 in a VH1 countdown, "VH1's 100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders". In 2017, BuzzFeed listed it at number 76 in their list of "The 101 Greatest Dance Songs of the '90s". In October 2023, Billboard ranked "Barbie Girl" number 220 in their "500 Best Pop Songs of All Time". They praised its "magic moment"; "Put on your best Ken voice — René Dif, not Ryan Gosling — for every "Come on Barbie, let's go party!" shout-along."
Commercial performance
"Barbie Girl" has sold more than eight million copies worldwide. It went on becoming a huge hit on several continents, remaining the most successful song by the band. It reached number one in more than 10 countries. In Europe, the single peaked at the top position in Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Scotland, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, as well as on the Eurochart Hot 100. In the band's native Denmark, the song debuted and peaked at number two. In the United Kingdom, it debuted on the UK Singles Chart at number two and reached number one the next week, on 26 October 1997. It stayed at that position for four weeks and has sold and streamed 2.4 million units in the United Kingdom as of September 2023. Outside Europe, "Barbie Girl" peaked at number-one in Australia and New Zealand, number four in Canada and number seven on the US Billboard Hot 100. On the latter, it debuted at that position. It sold 82,000 copies in its first week and debuted at number five on the Billboard Hot Singles Sales chart.
Music video
The accompanying music video for "Barbie Girl" was directed by Danish directors Peder Pedersen and Peter Stenbæk, and depicts the band members in different scenes that a Barbie doll would be in. It has Nystrøm dressed as various Barbie dolls skulking around her swimming pool at home after Dif, dressed as Barbie's love interest Ken, accidentally pulls her arm off. The video was also the number one most requested video in the US, having shot from 30 to number one on The Box. Uploaded to YouTube in August 2010, as of February 2022, the video has more than 1 billion views.
Controversies
Mattel lawsuit
In September 1997, six months after the release of the song by Aqua, Mattel, the manufacturer of the Barbie doll, sued MCA Records, Aqua's North American record label. Mattel claimed that "Barbie Girl" violated their trademark and turned her into a sex object, referring to her as a "blonde bimbo". It alleged that the song infringed its copyrights and trademarks on the Barbie doll and that the song's lyrics had ruined the longtime popularity and reputation of their trademark and impinged on their marketing plan. Aqua and MCA Records claimed that Mattel injected their own meanings into the song's lyrics. They contested Mattel's claims and countersued for defamation after Mattel had likened MCA to a bank robber. The lawsuit filed by Mattel was dismissed by the lower courts, and this dismissal was upheld, with a certiorari petition denied by the Supreme Court of the United States.
In 2002, a Court of Appeals ruled the song was protected as a parody under the trademark doctrine of nominative use and the First Amendment to the United States Constitution; the judge Alex Kozinski also threw out the defamation lawsuit that Aqua's record company filed against Mattel, concluding his ruling thus: "The parties are advised to chill." The case was dismissed.
In 2009, Mattel released a series of advertisements and a promotional music video of the song, with modified lyrics, as part of a new marketing strategy brought in to revive sales. Despite this, the Mattel-produced film Barbie released in 2023 does not feature the original song, as stated by Ulrich Møller-Jørgensen, who manages lead singer Lene Nystrøm. "Barbie World", a remake of the song by Nicki Minaj, Ice Spice and Aqua, was later announced to be featured in the film and on the film's soundtrack.
Eurovision Song Contest 2001
As the interval act during the Eurovision Song Contest 2001, Aqua performed a medley of their singles along with percussion ensemble Safri Duo. There were several complaints due to the profanity used during the performance, both at the beginning and end of "Barbie Girl".
Track listings
Danish and European CD and cassette single
"Barbie Girl" (radio edit) – 3:16
"Barbie Girl" (extended version) – 5:14
UK CD1
"Barbie Girl" (radio edit) – 3:16
"Barbie Girl" (extended version) – 5:14
"Barbie Girl" (Perky Park club mix) – 6:13
"Barbie Girl" (Spikes Anatomically Correct dub) – 7:55
UK CD2
"Barbie Girl" (CD-ROM video)
"Barbie Girl" (radio edit)
"Barbie Girl" (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels 12-inch G-String mix)
"Barbie Girl" (Dirty Rotten Peroxide radio mix)
US CD and cassette single
"Barbie Girl" (radio edit) – 3:16
US, Canadian, and Australian maxi-CD single
"Barbie Girl" (radio edit) – 3:16
"Barbie Girl" (Spike's Plastic mix) – 8:44
"Barbie Girl" (Spike's Anatomically Correct dub) – 7:55
"Barbie Girl" (extended version) – 5:14
US 12-inch single
A1. "Barbie Girl" (Spike's Plastic mix) – 8:44
A2. "Barbie Girl" (radio edit) – 3:16
B1. "Barbie Girl" (Spike's Anatomically Correct dub) – 7:55
B2. "Barbie Girl" (extended version) – 5:14
Remix digital download
"Barbie Girl" (Tiësto remix) – 2:35
"Barbie Girl" – 3:17
Credits
Credits are adapted from liner notes of the "Barbie Girl" CD single and Aquarium.
Written by Claus Norreen, Lene Nystrøm, René Dif, and Søren Rasted
Performed by Norreen, Rasted
Vocals by Nystrøm, Dif
Hair and make-up by Fjodor Øxenhave
Styling by Aqua, Bjarne Lindgreen
Artwork by Peter Stenbæk
Photo by Robin Skoldborg
Produced, arranged, and mixed by Norreen, Jam, Delgado, Rasted
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Decade-end charts
All-time charts
Certifications and sales
Release history
Cover versions and parodies
The song has been covered by several artists over the years. Alternative metal band Faith No More covered the song live in 1997 during their Album of the Year tour. Identical twin sisters Amanda and Samantha Marchant, better known as Samanda, released their cover of the song on 8 October 2007, and it entered the UK Singles Chart at number 26. Girls' Generation's Jessica Jung covered this song as her solo performance during the first Asian concert tour Girls' Generation 1st Asia Tour: Into the New World. The Swedish artist Loke Nyberg did a new version of this song for the Swedish radio show Morgonpasset. He interprets the song as criticism of today's beauty ideals. In 2013, Ludacris sampled the song in his single "Party Girls" featuring Wiz Khalifa, Jeremih and Cashmere Cat. In 2016, Caramella Girls released a version called "Candy Girl" on iTunes, as well as a YouTube music video. The most recent rendition of the song was recorded by Ice Spice and Nicki Minaj, accompanied by Aqua, titled "Barbie World". The track was released as the fourth single on the official Barbie soundtrack Barbie: The Album in June 2023, ahead of the film's release on 21 July 2023.
There are also many parodies of the song, including a parody called "Ugly Girl", with an unverified author (often wrongly credited to "Weird Al" Yankovic, Adam Henderson, or Jack Off Jill). German duo Lynne & Tessa made a lip-synched Internet video of the song in 2006, and on British Indian sketch comedy show Goodness Gracious Me, where a version titled "Punjabi Girl" was featured in the radio series and later on television. In 2012, the song was parodied in an Australian lamb advertising campaign, relying on the Australian use of the term "barbie" to refer to the outdoor barbecue popularly held in Australia. The advertisement starred Melissa Tkautz and Sam Kekovich. In 2014, the song was used in the South Park episode "Cock Magic". Ava Max recorded a version with new lyrics, titled "Not Your Barbie Girl", in 2018.
Kelly Key version
In 2005, Brazilian recording artist Kelly Key recorded a version in Portuguese for her third studio album Kelly Key. The version was released as second single on 15 August 2005. Key said she loved the song and wanted to do a version for honor: "I really like this song since I heard. I wanted to record without thinking about whether my fans will like it or not".
The song received generally negative reviews from music critics. Vinícius Versiani Durães of IMHO said that that version was funny and a future success. Marcos Paulo Bin of Universo Musical commented that the song was really different from previous releases – known for explicit lyrics – but was positive and said the version was good. Rodrigo Ortega of Pilula Pop said "Barbie Girl" was sensational, funny, and chose it as the best song of the album. He also said that Key was wrong to have released "Escuta Aqui Rapaz" as her first single, because "the song was boring", but "Barbie Girl" saved the era. Carlos Eduardo Lima of Scream & Yell was negative and said the song was "childish, silly, boring" and killed Kelly Key as a sex-symbol.
The music video for "Barbie Girl" was recorded on 17 and 18 August 2005. It was directed by Ricardo Vereza, Bidu Madio, Rentz and Mauricio Eça. In the video, released on 30 August, Kelly plays a determined and feminist woman.
This song is internationally notable to be wrongly attributed to Czech model Dominika Myslivcová as she uploaded a video on YouTube lip-synching to this song and later it became a viral video.
Track listing
"Barbie Girl" – 3:20
"Barbie Girl" (Cuca Mix) – 5:12
"Barbie Girl" (Music video) – 3:23
Release history
References in media
Environmental movements, like Fridays for Future, when trying to bring attention to the heavy amounts of plastic thrown by humans into the seas, have referred the song lyrics in their slogans with the words "Life in plastic is not fantastic".
In 2022, British singer Tom Aspaul named his album Life in Plastic after a line from the song.
References
External links
Text of Mattel, Inc. v. MCA Records, Inc., the verdict that favored MCA (PDF file)
1997 songs
1997 singles
Aqua (band) songs
Girl
Bubblegum pop songs
Dutch Top 40 number-one singles
Eurodance songs
European Hot 100 Singles number-one singles
Irish Singles Chart number-one singles
Kelly Key songs
Male–female vocal duets
Music controversies
Novelty songs
Number-one singles in Australia
Number-one singles in Germany
Number-one singles in Italy
Number-one singles in New Zealand
Number-one singles in Norway
Number-one singles in Scotland
Number-one singles in Sweden
Number-one singles in Switzerland
SNEP Top Singles number-one singles
Songs about fictional female characters
Songs written by Claus Norreen
Songs written by Søren Rasted
Songs written by Lene Nystrøm
Songs written by René Dif
Viral videos
Techno songs
UK Singles Chart number-one singles
MCA Records singles
Universal Music Group singles
Warner Music Group singles