Meaning of “Barbie Girl” by Aqua

Aqua, a pop act which traces its origins back to mid-1990s’ Copenhagen, was a multi-platinum machine during its earlier goings.

It was circa that era and more specifically on 14 May 1997 that  “Barbie Girl” was dropped, the track which stands as the band’s biggest hit.

Aqua is still around to this day. However, they haven’t really come out with an album since they released 2011’s “Megalomania”. But that said, the membership of this group has been pretty consistent throughout the decades, with three of its four founders still being down for the cause as of this writing. 

But at the time this track was dropped, Aqua was still a quartet, with its membership consisting of the following:

• René Dif
• Lene Nystrøm
• Søren Rasted
• Claus Norren

Success of “Barbie Girl”

Aqua is not a one-hit wonder. Their debut album, “Aquarium”, actually produced two big international hits of 1997, “Barbie Girl” and “Doctor Jones”. However, the former was noticeably more successful than the latter.

For instance, “Barbie Girl” not only topped the UK Singles Chart but did the same in over a dozen other nations, including on the Eurochart Hot 100. Additionally, unlike “Doctor Jones”, it appeared on the Billboard Hot 100 and proceeded to make it onto the top 10 of that list. In fact this song appeared on five different Billboard charts stateside, including peaking at number 2 on US Dance Singles Sales.

Moreover, this is the only Aqua track has ever dropped which has been certified by the RIAA, and it performed very impressively in that regard, going triple-platinum in the United States. It also achieved multi-platinum status in quite a few other countries including, as of this writing, having gone quadruple-platinum in Belgium and diamond in France.

Aqua Vs. Mattel

The “Barbie” referred to in this song is of course a reference to the main character of the long-standing doll-based franchise of the same name. Its owner/manufacturer, Mattel, is one of the biggest toy companies in the world. And they deemed that the adult-oriented lyrics of this song were damaging to the brand’s reputation – so much so that Mattel proceeded to sue MCA Records (though, to note, the primary label behind this track is its parent company, UMG) as a result.

That was in September of 1997, just a few months Barbie Girl was dropped. The case went on for a few years until, in 2002, the song was legally ruled a parody, i.e. a form of free speech which is therefore protected by the US Constitution’s First Amendment.

So even into more recent times, the relationship between Mattel and Aqua has been a shaky one. 

For example, earlier reports indicated that “Barbie Girl” was not going to be featured in the 2023 Barbie movie, which is undoubtedly one of the biggest releases of 2023. 

Even Aqua themselves were under the impression that this track was not going to make the film’s playlist.  And what fans were treated to in its stead was “Barbie World“, a rap single from the movie’s soundtrack which samples “Barbie Girl”.

But since this is by far the most-popular song ever associated with the “Barbie” franchise, many people simply could not imagine how the movie could omit it. So later down the line it was announced that Mattel did opt to feature it, with the film’s star, Margot Robbie, stating that was the intent all along (though some sources rather posited that she begged the movie’s director to include it which, based on the other reports, sounds more accurate).

The Composers of “Barbie Girl”

This song was written by the four individual members of Aqua mentioned above – René, Lene, Søren and Claus – alongside Jay & Delgado, i.e. the Danish musical duo consisting of Johnny Jam and Delgado. Jay & Delgado best known for their work with Aqua. And they also co-produced this track with Rasted and Norreen.

The Lyrics of “Barbie Girl”

According to Søren Rasted, the initial inspiration behind this song came from an art exhibit he visited in Copenhagen which featured, in his own words, “a bunch of Barbie dolls… made [into] planet… like a big, round ball”. 

It was viewing that work of art which made him think of the lines “life in plastic, it’s fantastic” as well as “come on Barbie, let’s go party”, with the former ultimately making its way onto the song’s chorus and the latter, its post-chorus.

It’s understandable why Mattel became pissed off over these lyrics of this track. “Barbie” is more or less considered to be a child’s toy. And whereas the character is what may be deemed a materialistic lifestyle, the franchise is generally considered to be one of the more-wholesome pieces of Americana that has actually remained relevant throughout the decades. 

But presumably, whoever took those Barbie dolls and fashioned them into a globe was trying to make some type of a statement. And again, the way Søren seemingly interpreted it was along the lines of pointing to artificiality, and particularly, it would seem, that of a sexual or partying variety.

So what we are met with is the likes of the main vocalist, taking on the role of or likening herself to “Barbie”, referring to herself as “a blonde bimbo girl in a fantasy world”. And whom she appears to be primarily addressing is “Ken”, i.e. Barbie’s boyfriend and male counterpart as far as the franchise is concerned. 

It gets interesting

As dolls, both “Barbie” and “Ken” are infamously known for not having any genitalia. But in this case that non-sexual standard, if you will, is thrown out the window, as the lyrics feature “Barbie” basically offering her body to “Ken”.

For instance, the way girls especially tend to play with Barbies is by doing their hair and dressing them in the approximately one billion different outfits that have been created for the doll. But in the chorus, she’s rather telling Ken to ‘brush her hair’ and ‘undress her everywhere’. And so it is with the overall lyrical motif of this track, i.e. the vocalist offering herself as a living “doll”, if you will, to the addressee.  And to note, she likewise refers to him as her “doll”.

But ultimately, when the vocalist refers to “life in plastic”, such is not meant to be taken as a criticism of consumerism, materialism or anything like that, contrary to what some analysts may believe, since those topics aren’t expressed in the lyrics. 

Instead, that phrase seemingly alludes to a carefree outlook of the world especially, in lyrics context, when it comes to the likes of partying and romantic relationships.

“I’m a Barbie girl in the Barbie world
Life in plastic, it’s fantastic
You can brush my hair, undress me everywhere
Imagination, life is your creation
Come on, Barbie, let’s go party
I’m a Barbie girl in the Barbie world
Life in plastic, it’s fantastic
You can brush my hair, undress me everywhere
Imagination, life is your creation”

Indeed, both “Barbie” and “Ken”, as far as the franchise is concerned, are almost unwaveringly depicted as chillin’, as if life is perfect. That observation is meant to serve as the premise behind this track. 

Or as René Dif has clarified, this is actually supposed to be a song of self-appreciation. In other words, Aqua set out to take the “perfect girl” image away from the image of Barbie and rather espouse an ideology of it being “okay to be who you are, love yourself and be yourself”. 

In other words, they are indirectly speaking to the fact that, as generally understood, the likes of “Barbie” and “Ken” exemplify mainstream beauty standards or what have you. 

So according to that explanation, this track which revolves around “a blonde bimbo girl”, her boyfriend and their partying lifestyle is actually intended to be akin to self-help song, i.e. a shoutout to those who do not conform to the conventional standards of perfection.