Aqua: Barbie Girl (1997 Music Video) User Reviews

Very Weird Yet Weirdly Catchy

[cte18 · 7/10 · 1 April 2021]

Barbie Girl was a song by a Danish band called Aqua in the 90s that many children may remember as being "that annoying song about girls playing with their barbie dolls" but actually no, it's a song that really wasn't for kids if you were to listen closely to the lyrics. Knowing the meaning of the song being one we thought was a kids' tune is definitely weird, but nowadays it's actually pretty catchy and upbeat. My only complaint is the fact the singers don't really look like Barbie and Ken since they don't have the best job done on their make up. But other than that it's a catchy song even if the lyrics are just realized to be weird.

The best within its genre, but a bad genre

[santifersan · 7/10 · 25 June 2023]

The music video is tacky, just like the decade it comes from. It must be understood that one has to look at this through the eyes of an elder to understand what happened to music at a certain point to become bad. I, who am accustomed to listening to forgotten classics from the pre-Beatles era when classical orchestra instruments were played for many songs or more modern ones in bands that still maintained a more traditional sound, can only imagine what my grandparents must have thought when the world turned towards the sound of Barbie Girl, when music had previously laid its foundations with examples of great gems like Jimmy Fontana's "Il Mondo". My grandparents have witnessed so many changes... But this song is good because despite destroying all those delicate music foundations, not just this song itself but also the pioneers who started making this type of music, together they achieve a very pleasant, intoxicating, and superior sound within its genre. The musical arrangement and the girl's voice are especially well done, which is the best part.

A classic in pop culture

[Horst_In_Translation · 8/10 · 13 September 2015]

Lets be honest here. There is nothing about Aqua's "Barbie Girl" which has big significance or depth in terms of story, no matter if we are talking about the song or the music video. However, these 3.5 minutes are the epitome of a catchy feel-good song and as such they were a massive success. I remember how everybody back almost 20 years ago was grooving to this song. I think the song is slightly superior to the video, but what we see fits perfectly what we hear. Equally over-the top fun and hands down Lene Nyland looked absolutely stunning in her outfits in this video. I honestly wish there were music videos like this one tonight. Instead of picking harmless joyful fun, most artists these days go for depth and significance and fail gloriously. A bit of a pity to see that none of the two directors managed a great career in film in the last 20 years. This may very well be their finest work to this date. Highly recommended.

a portrait

[Kirpianuscus · 24 July 2021]

At its time, I saw it as a very useful social critic. Fair irony, a lot of kitsch, good slices of cliches, very easy lyrics and the not bad portrait of people becoming tools of others. After decades, its realism seems eat the humor. So, just a portrait of easy way to a sort of happiness.

Aqua's signature tune

[safenoe · 8/10 · 5 March 2024]

I must admit, I haven't seen the Barbie movie, and maybe I will, maybe I won't, but I do definitely remember the sensation that surrounded Aqua's Barbie Girl which was released in 1997, so that's 27 years ago, and yet it's timeless and speaks to female empowerment in a way. Anyway, Aqua is a Danish-Norwegian dance-pop group, and Barbie Girl was written by The song was written by band members Soren Rasted, Claus Norreen, Rene Dif, and Lene Nystrom, and you can imagine they could retire based on the songwriter royalties alone due to the massive hit that Barbie Girl became then and over 27 years and no doubt beyond.