| "Barbie Girl" | ||||||||
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| Single by Aqua | ||||||||
| from the album Aquarium | ||||||||
| Released | August 19, 1997 | |||||||
| Format | 12" vinyl, CD single, CD maxi, cassette | |||||||
| Recorded | 1997 | |||||||
| Genre | Bubblegum dance | |||||||
| Length | 3:16 | |||||||
| Label | Universal Music Denmark, MCA (US) | |||||||
| Writer(s) | Claus Norreen, Søren Nystrøm Rasted | |||||||
| Producer | Søren Rasted, Claus Norreen, Johnny Jam, Delgado | |||||||
| Aqua singles chronology | ||||||||
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"Barbie Girl" is a song by the Danish-Norwegian dance-pop group Aqua, who released the song in 1997 as their third single overall, and the first United Kingdom release. The song is included on the album Aquarium and was written by Claus Norreen and Søren Nystrøm Rasted after the group saw an exhibit on kitsch culture.
The song topped the charts worldwide, particularly in European countries such as the UK, where it was a number-one hit for three weeks. It was also on top of the charts in Australia for the same length of time, and debuted and peaked at No. 7 on the US Billboard Hot 100 on 6 September 1997 and It remains Aqua's biggest hit single in the US to date, and their only one to reach the Top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100.
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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.
The song was voted the fourth "Best Number One of All Time" in a VH1 poll, and was featured in spot #32 on VH1's "Most Awesomely Bad Songs... Ever" countdown. In an unrelated VH1 countdown, VH1's 100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders, it was featured at #88. In 2007, Rolling Stone named "Barbie Girl" as one of the 20 Most Annoying Songs.[1] Also in 2007, MuchMoreMusic featured the song at #27 on the list of the 50 Guilty Pleasures. In 2009, Same Difference voted it #2 in their Ultimate Cheese-Fest Top 20 on 4Music. Five years before, Blender magazine voted it at #33, as one of the 50 Worst Songs Ever.[2] Most recently, in September 2010, Matthew Wilkening of AOL Radio ranked the song at #5 on the list of the 100 Worst Songs Ever, stating that "Paris Hilton was 16 years old when this [song] came out. We're not blaming Aqua Girls entirely. We're just saying..."[3] Despite the criticism, "Barbie Girl" has sold more than 8 million copies worldwide.
The music video, which was played repeatedly on MTV, was directed by Peder Pedersen and Peter Stenbæk.
Mattel sued the band, saying they violated the Barbie trademark and turned Barbie into a sex object, referring to her as a "Blonde Bimbo."[4] They alleged the song had violated their copyrights and trademarks of Barbie, and that its lyrics had tarnished the reputation of their trademark and impinged on their marketing plan. Aqua claimed that Mattel injected their own meanings into the song's lyrics and MCA Records was not about to let their hit single be suppressed without a fight. They contested Mattel's claims and countersued for defamation after Mattel had likened MCA to a bank robber.[5]
The lawsuit filed by Mattel was dismissed by the lower courts, and this dismissal was upheld, though Mattel took their case up to the Supreme Court of the United States (Mattel's appeal was later rejected). 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: "The parties are advised to chill."[6] The case was dismissed, and in the process, it garnered lots of media attention for the song and the band. In 2009, Mattel released a series of advertisements and a promotional music video of the song,[7] with modified lyrics, as part of a new marketing strategy brought in to revive sales.[8]
The song has been covered by several artists throughout years, including U.S. electric duo Velva Blu,[9] Brazilian singer Kelly Key (in Portuguese, titled "Sou a Barbie Girl" ["I'm the Barbie Girl"] as her tenth single on 15 April 2005 ; the CD maxi contains four version of the song : radio edit, extended version, DJ Malboro mix and club remix), Samanda (2007, peaked at #26 in the UK singles Chart), Rob Mayth (2006, released as single ;[10] in summer 2006, German Euro house project Bangbros played live the remix of this version in an DJ set), Andrea featuring Sergio (Eurobeat cover for Super Eurobeat Vol. 199 ~Collaboration of Eurobeat~), Electric Chairs (2001, melancholy and down-tempo version). Other covers have been performed by bands Home Grown, My Favorite Band (MFB) and Mars Moles. The song has also been covered by Jessica Jung, a Korean-American singer from the popular girl group Girls' Generation in their first Asia Tour. An Easy listening version also exists by Axel Boys Quartet (1999) which was featured in a Dior television ad.
There are also many parodies of the song, notable made by The Dog House (a "gay" version in which Barbie is insulted behind her back by Garrett and Raoul with gratuitous words because they pine for Ken, however the conclusion of the song sees Barbie approach the pair who proceed to assault her and run off. This song is featured on their 2000 album, How Many People Must Get Dissed?), German duo Lynne & Tessa (a lip-synched internet video of the song, May 2006), British Indian comedy sketch show Goodness Gracious Me (titled "Punjabi Girl" both in the radio series and later on television), Ome Henk (Dutch song "Neem Een Ander in de Maling (Barbie Girl)", WPLJ (entitled "Jersey Girl", using stereotypes of Jersey girls as the basis for the whole song).
Mattel in 2009-2010 used an edit of the song as the 'theme song' of Barbie.
In the Family Guy episode "Bill and Peter's Bogus Journey," president Bill Clinton is seen singing and dancing to "Barbie Girl" while playing Dance Dance Revolution.
HBO comedy series Mr. Show with Bob and David did a parody of the song called "Party Girl" in the episode "Life is Precious and God and the Bible".
The swedish artist Loke Nyberg (See Swedish Wikipedia article) did a new version of this song for the swedish radio show Morgonpasset (See Swedish Wikipedia article). He interprets the song as criticism of todays beauty ideals.[11]
These are the formats and track listings of major single releases of "Barbie Girl".[12]
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United Kingdom/U.S.[13]
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Europe
Australia and Canada
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| Country | Release Date |
|---|---|
| Europe | June 1997 |
| United Kingdom | September 1997 |
| United States |
Peak positions
|
End of year charts
Certifications
|
| Order of precedence | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by "When Susannah Cries" by Espen Lind |
Norwegian VG-lista number-one single 30 May 1997 – 6 June 1997 |
Succeeded by "Bailando" by Paradisio |
| Preceded by "I'll Be Missing You" by Puff Daddy featuring Faith Evans and 112 |
Swedish number-one single 5 September 1997 – 19 September 1997 |
Succeeded by "Candle in the Wind 1997" by Elton John |
| Preceded by "Leven na de dood" by Freek de Jonge and Robert Jan Stips |
Dutch Top 40 number-one single 20 September 1997 |
|
| Preceded by "Men in Black" by Will Smith |
New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart number-one single 14 September 1997 – 21 September 1997 |
Succeeded by "Tubthumping" by Chumbawamba |
| Preceded by "I'll Be Missing You" by Puff Daddy featuring Faith Evans and 112 |
Italian FIMI number-one single 11 October 1997 – 15 November 1997 |
Succeeded by "Breathe" by Midge Ure |
| Preceded by "Spice up Your Life" by Spice Girls |
UK Singles Chart number-one single 26 October 1997 – 17 November 1997 |
Succeeded by "Perfect Day" by Various Artists |
| Preceded by "Savoir aimer" by Florent Pagny |
French SNEP number-one single 1 November 1997 |
Succeeded by "Savoir aimer" by Florent Pagny |
| Preceded by "Candle in the Wind 1997" by Elton John |
Irish IRMA number-one single 25 October 1997 – 15 November 1997 |
Succeeded by "Good Lookin' Woman" by Dustin and Joe Dolan |
| Belgian (Flanders) number-one single 8 November 1997 – 10 January 1998 |
Succeeded by "Torn" by Natalie Imbruglia |
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| German Singles Chart number-one single 10 November 1997 – 15 December 1997 |
Succeeded by "It's Like That" by Run DMC vs. Jason Nevins |
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| Euro Hot 100 number-one single 16 November 1997 – 25 January 1998 |
Succeeded by "Together Again" by Janet Jackson |
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| Australia ARIA number-one single 16 November 1997 – 7 December 1997 |
Succeeded by "Tubthumping" by Chumbawamba |
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| Swiss number-one single 30 November 1997 – 10 January 1998 |
Succeeded by "Candle in the Wind 1997" by Elton John |
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