The Eurodance band Aqua says they are quitting.
The group performing in 2023. PDO
The Danish-Norwegian eurodance band Aqua is calling it quits.
The band tells about it in the Instagram update they shared.
– After many incredible years, we have decided to close the chapter of the Aqua group as a live band, the publication reads.
The band, which has been active for more than 30 years, does not reveal the reason for its decision to stop, but states that the time is now right.
– When you have been together for such a long time, you also learn to recognize the moment when it is time to protect what you have created together. For us, this feels like the right moment to say goodbye, while the memories are still strong and the love for the music, the story and each other remains intact.
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Aqua is especially known for their 1997 hit Barbie Girl. In total, it sold 30 million records and is the most successful Danish band of all time.
The band was founded in 1994 under the name Joyspeed, although the band’s story begins as early as 1989, when René Dif, Søren Rasted and Claus Norréen made the soundtrack for the film Freak Frida. Lene Nystrøm joined in 1994.
Aqua disbanded in 2001, but made a comeback in 2008.
Barbie Girl was the band’s breakthrough hit, which was particularly successful in Europe. Unlike many other Eurodance songs, it also received extensive radio play outside of Europe and topped the charts in Brazil, Chile, Australia and New Zealand, among others.
In the United States, Mattel, which owns the Barbie brand, filed a lawsuit claiming that the song infringes on its trademark and objected to its ambiguous lyrics. The record company MCA Records, on the other hand, sued Mattel for defamation based on the statements of the company’s representatives.
The legal process continued until 2002, when the United States Supreme Court ruled that the song was a parody protected by the First Amendment of the Constitution and dismissed the defamation charges.
Aqua and Mattel later came to an agreement, and the song has since been used in Barbie’s official music video in 2009.
In addition to Barbie Girl, the band’s well-known hits include Candyman, Around The World, My Oh My, Turn Back Time and Cartoon Heroes.
