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{{Short description|Danish eurodance group}}
[[Image:Aqua-aquarium.jpg|thumb|200px|Aqua in 1997, from left to right: [[Claus Norreen]], [[Lene Nystrøm Rasted|Lene Grawford Nystrøm]], [[René Dif]] and [[Søren Nystrøm Rasted|Søren Rasted]]]]
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2015}}
'''Aqua''' was a [[Scandinavia|Scandinavian]] [[pop group]], best-known for their 1997 breakthrough single "[[Barbie Girl]]". The group formed in 1994, and achieved huge success across the globe in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Although often criticised by the media, the group managed to top the [[United Kingdom]] singles chart with their first three singles, a feat few artists have achieved. The group released two albums, ''[[Aquarium (album)|Aquarium]]'' in 1997 and ''[[Aquarius (Aqua album)|Aquarius]]'' in 2000, before finally splitting up in July 2001. The group sold an estimated 28 million albums and singles.{{ref|worldwidesales}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Aqua
| image = Aqua Gron Concert 2008.jpg
| caption = Aqua (from left: Rasted, Dif, Nystrøm, Norreen) at the [[Grøn Koncert]] in 2008.
| landscape = yes
| alias = Joyspeed (1989–1995)
| origin = [[Copenhagen]], Denmark
| genre = {{flatlist|
* [[Pop music|Pop]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/megalomania-mw0002241627|title=Aqua - Megalomania|website=[[AllMusic]]|author=Jon O'Brien|access-date=30 September 2019|quote=Danish pop quartet Aqua}}</ref>
* [[dance-pop]]<ref>{{allMusic|artist|mn0000600435/biography|author=Jeremy Ulrey|access-date=30 September 2019}}</ref>
* [[bubblegum pop]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_JaKAwAAQBAJ&q=eurodance+groups&pg=PT94|title=Dance Music|author=Nicolae Sfetcu|date=9 May 2014|access-date=30 September 2019|quote=Some artists like Aqua, Daze or Hit'n'Hide are not usually considered mainstream eurodance, but fall into the bubblegum pop category}}</ref>
* [[Europop]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/aquarius-mw0000042013|title=Aqua - Aquarius|author=Stephen Thomas Erlewine|author-link=Stephen Thomas Erlewine|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=30 September 2019|quote=Aqua never strays from their danceable Europop foundation, but they find remarkable variety within that framework}}</ref>
* [[Eurodance]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://sgmagazine.com/events/news/blast-past-aqua-will-be-bringing-their-bubblegum-pop-music-singapore-after-18-years|title=Blast from the past: Aqua will be bringing their bubblegum pop music to Singapore after 18 years|date=23 June 2017|website=Sgmagazine.com}}</ref>
}}
| years_active = {{flatlist|
* 1995–2001
* 2007–2012
* 2016–present
}}
| label = {{flatlist|
* [[Universal Music Group|Universal Music Denmark]]
* [[MCA Records|MCA]]
* [[Mercury Records|Mercury]]
* [[Geffen Records|Geffen]]
}}
| spinoffs = {{hlist|[[Lazyboy (musical project)|Lazyboy]]|[[Hej Matematik]]}}
| website = {{URL|aquaofficial.com}}
| current_members =
* [[René Dif]]
* [[Lene Nystrøm]]
* [[Søren Rasted]]
| past_members = [[Claus Norreen]]
}}
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'''Aqua''' is a Danish [[Europop]] band,<ref>[https://jyllands-posten.dk/premium/kultur/ECE3603359/M%C3%B8det-med-Aqua/ Mødet med Aqua] (in Danish). [[Jyllands-Posten]]. "Dansk-norske Aqua [...] [English: Danish-Norwegian Aqua [...]]"</ref><ref>[https://www.dr.dk/musik/kunstner/aqua/5002495 Aqua] (in Danish). [[DR (broadcaster)]]. "GRUPPE (POP/EURODANCE) DANSK/NORSK [English: GROUP (POP/EURODANCE) DANISH/NORWEGIAN]"</ref> best known for their 1997 single "[[Barbie Girl]]".<ref>{{Cite web |date=2011-09-04 |title=Aqua : Greatest Hits |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110904061330/http://www.aquaofficial.com/biog.php |access-date=2024-03-12 |website=web.archive.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Aqua on 'Barbie Girl' Resurgence, Grammy Nods and US Tour: 'It's Been Out-of-This-World Fantastic!' (Exclusive) |url=https://people.com/aqua-barbie-girl-resurgence-grammy-nominations-us-tour-exclusive-8419889 |access-date=2024-03-12 |website=Peoplemag |language=en}}</ref> The group formed in 1995 in Copenhagen<ref>{{cite book|title=Dansk rockleksikon|editor=Bille, Torben|publisher=[[JP/Politikens Hus|Politikens Forlag]]|year=2002|isbn=87-567-6525-8|edition=1st|page=58|language=da|quote=Dannet 1995 i København. [English: Formed 1995 in Copenhagen.]}}</ref> and achieved international success around the globe in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The band released three albums: ''[[Aquarium (Aqua album)|Aquarium]]'' in 1997, ''[[Aquarius (Aqua album)|Aquarius]]'' in 2000 and ''[[Megalomania (Aqua album)|Megalomania]]'' in 2011. The group sold an estimated 33 million albums and singles, making them the most profitable Danish band ever.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://metro.co.uk/2016/09/12/aqua-are-reuniting-to-mark-20-years-since-barbie-girl-hit-the-airwaves-6123065/|title=Aqua reunite to mark 20 years since Barbie Girl hit the airwaves|last=Lewis|first=Rebecca|date=12 September 2016|work=[[Metro (British newspaper)|Metro]]|publisher=[[DMG Media]]|access-date=10 August 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Remember the ‘Barbie Girl’ song? Mattel actually sued, but was told ‘to chill.’ |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2023/06/23/barbie-girl-aqua-lawsuit-mattel/ |pages=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref>


In their prime, Aqua managed to make the singles chart top ten in a number of countries where [[Europe|European]] [[pop music|pop]] acts would not normally succeed, including the [[United States of America|United States]], [[Australia]] and [[Japan]]. The group also caused controversy with the [[double entendre|double entendres]] in their "Barbie Girl" single, with the [[Barbie]] doll makers [[Mattel]] filing a [[lawsuit]] against the group. The lawsuit was finally rejected in 2002.
The group managed to top the [[UK Singles Chart]] with three of their singles. The group also caused controversy with the [[double entendre]]s in their "[[Barbie Girl]]" single, with [[Mattel]] [[Mattel, Inc. v. MCA Records, Inc.|filing a lawsuit against the group]]. The lawsuit was finally dismissed by a judge in 2002, who ruled "The parties are advised to chill".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cnn.com/2003/LAW/01/27/scotus.barbie.song/|title=Barbie song appeal strikes an off note for high court|last=Mears|first=Bill|website=[[CNN]]|date=January 27, 2003|access-date=April 18, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210127061721/https://edition.cnn.com/2003/LAW/01/27/scotus.barbie.song/|archive-date=January 27, 2021}}</ref>


The group consisted of [[Lene Nystrøm Rasted|Lene Grawford Nystrøm]], [[René Dif]], [[Søren Nystrøm Rasted|Søren Rasted]] and [[Claus Norreen]]. Since their 2001 split, Lene, René and Søren have all achieved solo chart success, and Claus has continued in the music industry [[remix|remixing]] other artist's material.
The band's members are vocalists [[René Dif]] and [[Lene Nystrøm]], keyboardist [[Søren Rasted]], and guitarist [[Claus Norreen]]. During their split, Nystrøm, Dif and Rasted all achieved solo chart success, while Norreen [[remix]]ed other artists' material. At a press event on October 26, 2007, the group announced a reunion tour, as well as the release of a [[Greatest Hits (Aqua album)|compilation album]] featuring new material. Their third album, ''[[Megalomania (Aqua album)|Megalomania]]'', was released on 3 October 2011.


== History ==
==Career==
===1989–1995: Formation===
[[Image:Itsybitsyspidercover1.jpg|thumb|The cover of the Joyspeed single "[[Itsy Bitsy Spider (song)|Itsy Bitsy]]".
Aqua "set out to do something unique in pop music" in 1989.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110904061330/http://www.aquaofficial.com/biog.php Official website (archived)]. "Aqua formed in 1989 and from the beginning, they set out to do something unique in pop music."</ref> Søren Rasted and Claus Norreen won a contest and were hired to produce a soundtrack for a film titled ''[[Frække Frida og de frygtløse spioner]]''. At that time, René Dif was working as a [[club DJ]]; he was hired for some of the songs. After getting along well, the trio decided that they would work together again on a future project. A few months after the film was released, Dif spotted [[Lene Nystrøm]] singing on the Norway–Denmark ferry, ''M/S Peter Wessel''. He approached her and hired her as the lead singer of '''Joyspeed'''. The formation of Joyspeed was on the basis that both Norreen and Rasted would do the production for the group, with Dif [[rap music|rapping]] and Nystrøm performing the main vocals. A small Swedish record label signed them in 1995, and their first single "[[Itzy Bitzy Spider (Joyspeed song)|Itzy Bitzy Spider]]" was released in Sweden. The single failed to become popular, and after one week at the lower end of the Swedish charts, it disappeared completely. The four canceled their contract with the record label.
The single was a flop, and the CD single is now a collector's item, with only a few known surviving copies]]


===1995–1998: ''Aquarium'' and international breakthrough===
Although Aqua formed as a group called '''Joyspeed''' in 1994, their history together dates back to 1989, and the recording of the [[soundtrack]] for a little-known [[Denmark|Danish]] film called ''[[Frække Frida og de frygtløse spioner]]''. At the time René was working in [[Norway]] as a [[club DJ]], and Søren and Claus were both starting out as [[record producer|producers]]. The three were brought in to make part of the soundtrack for the film, and after getting along well, decided that they wanted to work together again on a future project.
With a new manager and no record deal, the group started over. The four began to produce and write songs in a different style, attracting the attention of major label [[Universal Music Group|Universal Music Denmark]]. They renamed themselves '''Aqua''', choosing the name seen on a poster in their dressing room, and accepted Universal Music Denmark's offer of a recording contract in 1996. The group's first release under their new name was "[[Roses Are Red (Aqua song)|Roses Are Red]]", a dance song with a [[bubblegum pop]] sound. It was released in Denmark in September 1996, and stayed in the charts for over two months, eventually selling enough copies to be certified platinum. The success of the single was further proven when Aqua received a nomination for "Best Danish Dance Act", although the group did not win.


Their follow-up single in February 1997 followed the same style. Titled "[[My Oh My (Aqua song)|My Oh My]]", the single broke all Danish sales records by being certified gold within six days. The single went straight to number one in Denmark, and made Aqua a household name in the country. Aqua released their debut album ''[[Aquarium (Aqua album)|Aquarium]]'' in Denmark on 26 March 1997. The album contained 11 tracks, including their first two singles and their then-upcoming third single "[[Barbie Girl]]". Universal Music Group had by now begun to market the group in other countries, releasing "Roses Are Red" in Japan in February 1997 and in various countries across Europe. The single had proven popular everywhere it was sold, convincing Universal that the group could be an international success.
The future project would not come to fruition for several years, though, with the three pursuing their chosen career paths (production for Søren and Claus, and DJing for René). The three still intended to work together, and had discussed the possibility of forming a group, but lacked a [[vocalist|lead vocalist]] to front them. The project looked like it was never going to happen, but in 1993, René discovered a young Lene Grawford Nystrøm whilst working in Norway on a [[cruise ship]]. Lene had been singing on the cruise ship, and after being sufficiently impressed by her vocal ability, he approached her with the offer of her joining the 'project'. She accepted, and the four decided that they would form as Joyspeed the following year.


Aqua released their third single "Barbie Girl" in May 1997.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Greene |first=Andy |date=2022-04-01 |title='People Probably Want to Kill Us': The Oral History of Aqua's 'Barbie Girl' |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/aqua-barbie-girl-oral-history-1319069/ |access-date=2024-03-10 |website=Rolling Stone |language=en-US}}</ref> The song, at first glance, appears to be about the [[Barbie]] doll. However, at a second glance, the song contains several sexual overtones, such as "You can brush my hair, undress me everywhere", "You can touch, you can play", and "Kiss me here, touch me there, hanky-panky." Despite complaints about the double meanings in "Barbie Girl", Universal Music released the single around the world in 1997. The release was highly successful, making number one in the United Kingdom for four weeks, in Australia for three weeks, and making the top ten of the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]], something rarely achieved at the time by European pop acts.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Yglesias |first=Ana Monroy |date=2023-06-23 |title='Barbie Girl': Aqua's Joyous, Meaningful Anthem Still Resonates |url=https://www.udiscovermusic.com/stories/aqua-barbie-girl-feature/ |access-date=2024-03-10 |website=uDiscover Music |language=en-US}}</ref>
The formation of Joyspeed was that both Claus and Søren would do the production for the group, with René [[rap music|rapping]] and Lene performing the main vocals. A small [[Sweden|Swedish]] [[record label]] signed them in 1994, and their [[dance music|dancy]] first single "[[Itsy Bitsy Spider (song)|Itsy Bitsy]]" released in Sweden. The single failed to become popular, despite its being based around a popular [[nursery rhyme]], and after one week at the lower end of the Swedish charts the single disappeared completely. The four were disappointed and cancelled their contract with the record label (although the label wanted to keep the group on for further releases).


Aqua's follow-up to "Barbie Girl" in Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom was "[[Doctor Jones]]", although another single, "[[Lollipop (Candyman)]]", was released in the United States through [[MCA Records]]. "Doctor Jones" entered at number one in several countries, including the United Kingdom, where it stayed at the top spot for two weeks, and Australia, where it spent seven weeks at #1. "Lollipop (Candyman)" became the group's second Top 40 hit in the US, peaking at #23 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. The song peaked at #3 in Australia. In Japan both songs were released as a double A-side, and achieved reasonable success in the singles chart.
=== The birth of Aqua ===
Following their cancellation of the contract with the label, the four began to change their musical style, having all agreed that it had been the main reason for the failure of "Itsy Bitsy". The four had been managed up until this point by the often controversial Swedish manager [[Michael Brinkenstjärna]], who had got them the record deal in Sweden. Brinkenstjärna had also been very influential in choosing their musical direction, and as a result the group decided to change managers, feeling that he was becoming a burden to their chances of success.


"Doctor Jones" was followed up by "[[Turn Back Time (Aqua song)|Turn Back Time]]". The song was featured on the soundtrack to the film ''[[Sliding Doors]]'', and achieved a large amount of radio and video [[airplay]]. The song became their third single to make it to number one in the United Kingdom. Elsewhere, the song also performed well, including reaching #10 in Australia.
With a new manager and no record deal, the group started from scratch, and began to develop their famous [[bubblegum pop]] sound. The four began to produce and write melodic, catchy European pop songs, attracting the attention of the major [[record company]] [[Universal Music|Universal]]. The four had also renamed themselves to Aqua, choosing the name having seen a [[poster]] for an [[aquarium]] in their dressing room. The four eventually accepted Universal Denmark's offer of a recording contract in [[1996]].


Aqua's second Danish single, "My Oh My", was rereleased in August 1998. The single was also released in several other European countries where it had not been released initially. Following the release of "[[Good Morning Sunshine]]", which achieved limited success, Aqua concentrated on their second album, and on touring around Australia. The group also released a documentary on 1 December 1998 containing several live performances of songs from the ''Aquarium'' album and interviews with the members.
[[Image:Myohmyvideo1.PNG|thumb|The success of "[[Roses Are Red]]" and "[[My Oh My]]" made Aqua a household name across [[Denmark]].]]


[[Lene Nystrøm]] was in 1998 awarded the "Special Price of the Jury" at the Norwegian music award [[Spellemannprisen]] for her contributions to Aqua in the year of 1997. <ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.dagbladet.no/kultur/juryens-spesialpris-til-aqua-lene/65450109 | title=Juryens spesialpris til Aqua-Lene|website=Dagbladet.no}}</ref>
The group's first release under their new name would be "[[Roses Are Red]]", a dancy song with a distinct pop sound. The single was released in Denmark only during September of 1996, and was expected to possibly scrape into the Danish top ten. The single far surpassed all expectations set by the label, though, by staying in the charts for over two months and eventually selling enough copies to be certified platinum. The success of the single was further proven when Aqua received a nomination for "Best Danish Dance Act", although the group wouldn't win.


===1999–2007: ''Aquarius'', lawsuit and split up===
The instant success of "Roses Are Red" had proven to Aqua that their new sound was popular with the public, and a result their follow-up single followed the same formula. Titled "[[My Oh My]]", the single again featured catchy lyrics paired with a soft, melodic beat. "My Oh My" would, upon its release in February 1997, break all Danish sales records by being certified gold within six days. The single went straight to number one in Denmark, and made Aqua a household name in the country. The first two singles had proven to Universal that Aqua was a very marketable group, and as a result the label looked to start marketing their music across the continent.
According to promotional interviews with the group, over 30 songs were recorded for ''Aquarius'', out of which only twelve made it onto the final version. The group released their second album in February 2000. ''Aquarius'' contained several different musical styles. "[[Cartoon Heroes]]" was released as the first single, and sold well across Europe and Australia, reaching #1 in Denmark, #7 in the United Kingdom, and #16 in Australia. The follow-up single "[[Around the World (Aqua song)|Around the World]]" was released in June 2000, and peaked at #26 in the UK and #35 in Australia. It reached the top spot in Denmark. "Around the World" would be Aqua's final UK single release.


In December 2000, Mattel filed a lawsuit against the group's record label ''[[Mattel, Inc. v. MCA Records, Inc.|Mattel v. MCA Records]]'', 296 F.3d 894 9th Cir. 2002, claiming that "Barbie Girl" had damaged the reputation of the Barbie brand. Judge Alex Kozinski, writing for the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, upheld the district court finding the use of Mattel's trademark in "Barbie Girl" fell within the non-commercial use exemption to the [[Federal Trademark Dilution Act]]. Judge Kozinski concluded his opinion by writing, "The parties are advised to chill."<ref>Mattel, Inc. v. MCA Records, Inc., 296 F.3d 894, (9th Cir., 2002)</ref>
=== International breakthrough and debut album ===
Aqua released their debut album ''[[Aquarium (album)|Aquarium]]'' in Denmark on [[March 26]], 1997. The album contained 11 tracks, including their first two singles and their then upcoming third single "[[Barbie Girl]]". Universal Music had by now began to market the group in other countries, releasing "Roses Are Red" in [[Japan]] in February 1997 and in various countries across Europe in late 1996. The single had proven popular everywhere it was sold, convincing Universal that the group should not just focus on the Danish market, but instead on the general European market.


Aqua released "[[Bumble Bees]]" as a single in [[Scandinavia]], Europe and Australia, achieving reasonable success. "[[We Belong to the Sea]]" followed as a fourth single in fewer nations, failing to chart in most countries. Aqua spent the first few months of 2001 touring internationally, and working on material for their third album. The group also performed at the [[Eurovision Song Contest 2001]], collaborating with the [[Safri Duo]] and providing the music during the voting stages of the competition. This performance also caused controversy, as a number of offensive phrases and gestures were added during the performance of "Barbie Girl" (which was involved in a major lawsuit). During a couple of low-key events in Denmark the group performed live versions of songs intended for inclusion on the third album, including "Couch Potato" and "Shakin' Stevens Is a Superstar", the latter a tribute to the 1980s performer [[Shakin' Stevens]]. Aqua split up in 2001, but was restored in 2007.<ref>{{cite book|title=90'er rock: Dansk rock 1990-2000|author=Nielsen, Jens-Emil|publisher=[[Her & Nu]]|year=2015|isbn=978-87-93093-71-3|edition=1st|page=83|language=da|quote=[...] Aqua bliver opløst i 2001 for så at genopstå i 2007 [...] [English: [...] Aqua is dissolved in 2001 to then be restored in 2007 [...]]}}</ref>
Aqua released their third single "Barbie Girl" in May of 1997. The song, at first glance, appears to be about the popular children's [[doll]] [[Barbie]]. However, at second glance, the song contains several sexual overtones, and clear [[double entendre|double meanings]]. This caused some controversy upon its release in Denmark, but despite the controversy it still sold well and easily made number one in the charts.


===2008–2015: Reunion and ''Megalomania''===
[[Image:Renelenebarbiegirl.PNG|thumb|230px|The controversy caused by "[[Barbie Girl]]"'s [[double entendre|double meanings]] and [[music video]] (pictured), which depicted Lene as Barbie and René as Ken, resulted in a [[lawsuit]] from [[Barbie]] doll makers [[Mattel]].]]
In 2008, Aqua reunited and promised a 25-concert tour that was to have commenced in the summer. Offers were received by the record company from locations in Denmark, Canada, United States and United Kingdom. Aqua finally performed 8 concerts around Denmark as part of the "Grøn koncert" festival. They released a [[Greatest Hits (Aqua album)|greatest hits]] album on 15 June 2009, which includes 16 old remastered tracks and three new songs: "[[My Mamma Said]]", "Live Fast, Die Young", and "[[Back to the 80s (song)|Back to the 80s]]".<ref>{{cite web|title=New Aqua ''Greatest Hits'' on the way |url=http://www.the-aquarama.com/new119.htm |publisher=Aquarama.tk |date=21 March 2009 |access-date=12 October 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090527082159/http://www.the-aquarama.com/new119.htm |archive-date=27 May 2009 }}</ref> "Back to the 80s" debuted at number one in Denmark where it stayed for six weeks, becoming the band's fifth number-one single. It has since been certified platinum by the [[International Federation of the Phonographic Industry]] (IFPI) for sales of 30,000 copies in Denmark. Aqua has also toured Scandinavia between May and August 2009 and performed at several gigs in Germany, United Kingdom and France. The greatest hits album was released in North America and many European countries on 22 September 2009 and in the UK on 29 September 2009.


Aqua commenced the recording of ''[[Megalomania (Aqua album)|Megalomania]]'' at the beginning of 2010,<ref>{{cite web |title=Aqua indspiller nyt album |url=http://gaffa.dk/nyhed/34272/ |publisher=GAFFA |date=29 August 2009 |access-date=12 October 2009 |archive-date=5 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151005171115/http://gaffa.dk/nyhed/34272/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> scheduled for a release in the spring of 2011.<ref>{{cite web|title=Aqua's third album is scheduled for Spring 2011 |url=http://www.the-aquarama.com/new176.htm |publisher=Aquarama |date=15 November 2010 |access-date=16 November 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111007122645/http://www.the-aquarama.com/new176.htm |archive-date=7 October 2011 }}</ref> Aqua released the album's lead single, "[[How R U Doin?]]" on 14 March 2011, after a preview of the song was posted onto the band's official Facebook page on 10 March 2011. Co-written by [[Thomas Troelsen]], the song peaked at number four in Denmark, becoming the band's tenth top-ten single. It has since been certified gold by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry for sales of 15,000 copies in Denmark.<ref>{{cite web|title=Certificeringer {{!}} ifpi.dk |url=http://ifpi.dk/?q=certificeringer&page=5 |publisher=[[International Federation of the Phonographic Industry]] |access-date=15 July 2011 |language=da |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120418143750/http://ifpi.dk/?q=certificeringer&page=5 |archive-date=18 April 2012 }}</ref> Aqua were originally set to release their third studio album on 14 July 2011, however the release was pushed back to 5 September 2011 with the record label citing bad timing.<ref>{{cite news|last=Treo|first=Thomas|title=Ekstra Bladet - Aqua udskyder album|url=http://ekstrabladet.dk/musik/dkmusiknyt/article1566458.ece|newspaper=[[Ekstra Bladet]]|access-date=11 July 2011|language=da|date=6 June 2011}}</ref> The album, titled ''[[Megalomania (Aqua album)|Megalomania]]'', was then further rescheduled to be released on 3 October 2011.<ref>{{cite web|title=Releaseplan |url=http://www.universal.dk/releaseplan |publisher=Universal Music |access-date=20 August 2011 |language=da |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719132628/http://www.universal.dk/releaseplan |archive-date=19 July 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> On 7 September 2011, Aqua released a preview of their new single, "[[Playmate to Jesus]]", on their official Facebook page, which was released on 12 September 2011. On 8 September 2011, it was announced that "Like a Robot" would also be released as a single on 12 September, and would battle against "Playmate to Jesus" in the charts. After the moderate chart success of ''Megalomania'' in Denmark, an expanded version of the band featuring all four original members (Lene Nystrøm Rasted, René Dif, Søren Rasted, Claus Norreen), plus new additions Niels Lykke Munksgaard Rasmussen (guitar) Frederik Thaae (bass) and Morten Hellborn (drums), toured Australia in March 2012. They initially announced six concerts but quickly added three additional shows to Melbourne, Sydney and Perth (Fremantle) due to popular demand. Aqua appeared on ''[[Sunrise (Australian TV program)|Sunrise]]'', an Australian morning TV show on the [[Seven Network]]. They performed a slower tempo acoustic version of "[[Barbie Girl]]" and it was revealed that Lene had [[pneumonia]], but the concerts would proceed as the group prided themselves on never having cancelled a show. They then appeared on the Seven Network's ''[[The Morning Show (TV program)|The Morning Show]]'', performing "[[Doctor Jones]]". After the tour, the band split again.
Universal Music decided to ignore complaints about the double meanings in "Barbie Girl", and successfully released the single across the world in September 1997 and October 1997. The release was highly successful, making number one in the [[United Kingdom]] for four weeks, in Australia for three weeks, and even managing to make the top ten of the [[Billboard Hot 100]], something rarely achieved by European pop acts. The song and group became a household name overnight, although to most of the world were instantly written off as a [[one-hit wonder]]. The double meanings in "Barbie Girl" caused the expected controversy, with many complaints aimed at Universal for releasing the track. The makers of the Barbie doll, [[Mattel]], also filed a [[lawsuit]] against the group, claiming that the song had damaged the repututation of the Barbie brand. A court later dismissed the suit on grounds that it was a [[Parody]].
In 2014, the band announced a tour in Australia and New Zealand.


===2016–present: Second reunion and Barbie World===
Aqua released their album ''Aquarium'' across the world in Autumn of 1997. Although the album sold well, many still wrote the group off as a one-hit wonder. Despite this, and much criticism from the media, Aqua had made their international breakthrough, and were now known across the world.
In September 2016, it was announced that Aqua will perform "at least 10 concerts" as part of the Vi Elsker 90'erne ("We Love the '90s") music festival. It was the first time Aqua performed live in Denmark since 2011.<ref>{{cite web|title=Aqua overrasker: Klar til comeback-koncerter|url=http://www.b.dk/kultur/aqua-overrasker-klar-til-comeback-koncerter|publisher=[[Ritzau]]. [[Berlingske]]|access-date=21 September 2016|date=5 September 2016}}</ref> On 20 September 2016, Aqua announced that Claus Norreen would not return to the group. Norreen said in a statement that his "musical focus" has changed and that he no longer desires to tour with Aqua, but still considers the remaining members of Aqua "his family".<ref>{{cite news|last1=Schollert|first1=Peter|title=Aqua-medlem vil ikke være med længere|url=http://jyllands-posten.dk/kultur/musik/ECE9016479/aquamedlem-vil-ikke-vaere-med-laengere/|newspaper=[[Jyllands-Posten]]|access-date=21 September 2016|date=20 September 2016}}</ref>


On 29 May 2018, Aqua announced "The Rewind Tour" in Canada, with fellow 1990s acts [[Prozzäk]] and [[Whigfield]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Aqua, Prozzäk and Whigfield Team Up for Canadian "Rewind Tour"|url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/aqua_prozz_k_and_whigfield_team_up_for_canadian_rewind_tour|website=Exclaim.ca|access-date=29 May 2018}}</ref> In June 2018, Aqua released their single called "Rookie".
=== The "Aquarium Age" ===
[[Image:Sliding Doors film.jpg|thumb|Aqua's third [[United Kingdom|UK]] single "[[Turn Back Time]]" received a large amount of [[airplay|radio airplay]], and featured on the [[soundtrack]] to the film ''[[Sliding Doors]]''.]]


In July 2021, the band released a cover of "[[I Am What I Am (Broadway musical song)|I Am What I Am]]" for [[Copenhagen]] [[Gay pride|Pride]] 2021.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://retropopmagazine.com/aqua-copenhagen-worldpride-i-am-what-i-am-cover/|title=Aqua celebrate Copenhagen WorldPride with "I Am What I Am" cover|website=Retropopmagazine.com|date=16 July 2021|access-date=16 July 2021}}</ref>
Aqua's follow-up to "Barbie Girl" in most countries would be "[[Doctor Jones]]", although in the [[United States of America|United States]] it would be "[[Lollipop (Candyman)]]". "Doctor Jones" entered at number one in several countries, including the United Kingdom, where it stayed at the top spot for two weeks, and Australia, where it spent seven weeks at #1. "Lollipop" wouldn't fare as well in the USA, performing poorly in comparison to "Barbie Girl", however the song peaked at #3 in Australia. In Japan both songs were released as a double-A side, and achieved reasonable success in the singles chart.


On 29 April 2022, during a concert in [[Tivoli (Copenhagen)|Tivoli]], [[Copenhagen]], the band announced that they would be going on a tour that would continue through 2023.
"Doctor Jones" would be followed up by "[[Turn Back Time]]", a song which would prove to be accepted well by both Aqua fans and critics. The song, unlike all other previous releases, dropped the bubblegum pop sound in favour of a slow, mainstream rhythm. The song was featured on the soundtrack to the film ''[[Sliding Doors]]'', and unlike many other Aqua releases achieved a large amount of radio and video [[airplay]]. The song became their third single to make it to number one in the [[United Kingdom]]. As of 2005, only a handful of other artists have managed to achieve that kind of initial success in the UK (acts that have included [[Westlife]] and the [[Spice Girls]]). Elsewhere, the song also performed well, including reaching #10 in Australia, however it would not be a huge success in the US and thus marked the end of Aqua's involvement Stateside.


In 2023, Aqua collaborated with [[Nicki Minaj]] and [[Ice Spice]] for the [[Barbie the Album|soundtrack]] of the film ''[[Barbie (film)|Barbie]]''. The song debuted at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Aqua’s second single to enter the Top 10, and their first since "Barbie Girl". "Barbie World" also reached the Top 5 in the [[UK Singles Chart]], in the same week that "Barbie Girl" returned to the UK Top 40 for the first time in 25 years.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.musicweek.com/analysis/read/central-cee-dave-become-longest-running-male-no-1-duo-since-ed-sheeran-justin-bieber/088274|title=Central Cee & Dave become longest-running male No.1 duo since Ed Sheeran & Justin Bieber &#124; Analysis|website=Musicweek.com|access-date=31 July 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/singles-chart/|title=Official Singles Chart Top 100 |website=Officialcharts.com|access-date=31 July 2023}}</ref>
"My Oh My", Aqua's second Danish single was resurrected in August 1998 for release in the United Kingdom, and peaked at number six in the charts. The single was also released in several other European countries where it had not been released initially. "[[Good Morning Sunshine]]" was then released in some countries, including the United Kingdom, where it was released for the [[Christmas]] market and peaked at #18.


"Barbie World" debuted at number seven on the US [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]], becoming Minaj's 23rd, Ice Spice's fourth, and Aqua's second top-ten hit. Elsewhere, the single also reached the top ten in Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Luxembourg, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, top twenty in Iceland, Finland, France and Hungary, top thirty in Czech Republic and Lithuania, top forty in Belgium and Slovakia and top fifty in Portugal and Italy. The song also earned Aqua their first Grammy nominations.
Following the release of "Good Morning Sunshine", Aqua decided to concentrate on their second album, and on touring around Europe. "My Oh My" was also released in October 1998 in [[Australia]], to very moderate success, and marked the end of a period Aqua's fans dubbed the "Aquarium age". The group also released a documentary on [[December 1]], containing several live performances of songs from the ''Aquarium'' album and interviews with the members.


==Awards and nominations==
=== The release of the second album ===
{| class=wikitable
[[Image:Aqua-aquarius.jpg|thumb|Aqua's second album, ''[[Aquarius (Aqua album)|Aquarius]]'', was released in February 2000.]]
|-
! Year !! Awards !! Work !! Category !! Result
|-
| rowspan=9|1997
| [[International Federation of the Phonographic Industry#Record sales certification|IFPI Platinum Europe Awards]]
| ''[[Aquarium (Aqua album)|Aquarium]]''
| Award Level 1
| {{Won}}
|-
| [[Billboard Music Awards|Billboard Music Video Awards]]
| rowspan=2|"[[Barbie Girl]]"
| Best New Artist Clip (Pop/Rock)
| {{Nom}}
|-
| rowspan=9|[[Gaffa (magazine)|GAFFA Awards (Denmark)]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://gaffa.dk/nyhed/8752|title=GAFFA-prisen 1991-2006 – se vinderne|website=Gaffa.dk|access-date=25 April 2020|archive-date=22 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120322005055/https://gaffa.dk/nyhed/8752|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| rowspan=2|Best Danish Hit
| {{Won}}
|-
| "[[Doctor Jones]]"
| {{Nom}}
|-
| ''[[Aquarium (Aqua album)|Aquarium]]''
| Best Danish Album
| {{Nom}}
|-
| [[Lene Nystrøm]]
| Best Danish Female Act
| {{Nom}}
|-
| rowspan="3"|Themselves
| Best Danish Group
| {{Nom}}
|-
| Best Danish New Act
| {{Won}}
|-
| Mest håbløse danske
| {{Won}}
|-
| rowspan="19" | 1998
| "[[Turn Back Time (Aqua song)|Turn Back Time]]"
| Best Danish Video
| {{Nom}}
|-
| rowspan=5|Themselves
| Best Danish Group
| {{Nom}}
|-
| rowspan="7"| [[Danish Music Awards]]
| Årets Danske Gruppe
| {{Won}}
|-
| Årets Nye Danske Navn
| {{Won}}
|-
| Grøn Pris
| {{Won}}
|-
| [[DR P3|P3]]'s Lytterpris
| {{Won}}
|-
| rowspan="2"|"[[Barbie Girl]]"
| Årets Danske Hit
| {{Won}}
|-
| Årets Danske Musikvideo
| {{Won}}
|-
| rowspan="3"|''[[Aquarium (Aqua album)|Aquarium]]''
| Årets Danske Pop Udgivelse
| {{Won}}
|-
| [[International Federation of the Phonographic Industry#Record sales certification|IFPI Platinum Europe Awards]]
| Award Level 4
| {{Won}}
|-
| [[Juno Awards]]
| Best Selling Album (Foreign or Domestic)
| {{Nom}}
|-
| [[NME Awards]]
| rowspan="2"|"[[Barbie Girl]]"
| Worst Single
| {{Won}}
|-
| rowspan="2"|[[TMF Nederland|TMF Awards]]
| Best Video International
| {{Won}}
|-
| rowspan="7" | Themselves
| Best Newcomer International
| {{Won}}
|-
| rowspan="2" | [[1998 MTV Europe Music Awards|MTV Europe Music Awards]]
| Best New Act
| {{Nom}}
|-
| rowspan="2" | Best Pop
| {{Nom}}
|-
| rowspan="2" | Music Television Awards
| {{Nom}}
|-
| Best Breakthrough
| {{Nom}}
|-
| [[World Music Awards]]
| World's Best Selling Scandinavian Artist
| {{Won}}
|-
| rowspan="2"|1999
| [[ECHO Awards]]
| Best International Group
| {{Nom}}
|-
| [[Hungarian Music Awards]]
| ''[[Aquarium (Aqua album)|Aquarium]]''
| Best Foreign Pop Album
| {{Nom}}
|-
| rowspan=2|2000
| [[TMF Awards]]
| "[[Cartoon Heroes]]"
| Best Video International
| {{Won}}
|-
| [[International Federation of the Phonographic Industry#Record sales certification|IFPI Platinum Europe Awards]]
| ''[[Aquarius (Aqua album)|Aquarius]]''
| Award Level 1
| {{Won}}
|-
| rowspan="3"|2001
| [[World Music Awards]]
| rowspan=2"|Themselves
| World's Best Selling Scandinavian Artist
| {{Won}}
|-
| rowspan="2"|[[Danish Music Awards]]
| Eksportprisen
| {{Won}}
|-
| ''[[Aquarius (Aqua album)|Aquarius]]''
| Årets Danske Pop Udgivelse
| {{Won}}
|-
| rowspan="2" |2024
| rowspan="2" |[[66th Annual Grammy Awards|Grammy Awards]]
| rowspan="2" |[[Barbie World]]
|[[Grammy Award for Best Rap Song|Best Rap Song]]
|{{nom}}
|-
|[[Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media|Best Song Written for Visual Media]]
|{{nom}}
|}


==Members==
Aqua was relatively quiet during 1999, deciding to concentrate on recording their second album. According to promotional interviews with the group, over 30 songs were recorded for the album, although eventually only twelve made it onto the final version. The group released their second album ''[[Aquarius (Aqua album)|Aquarius]]'' in February 2000. The album instantly proved popular with their fan base, despite some changes to their sound. Unlike ''Aquarium'', the ''Aquarius'' album didn't just follow one formula, and instead contained several different musical styles. Tracks such as "[[Cartoon Heroes]]" and "[[Bumble Bees (song)|Bumble Bees]]" preserved the pop sound of their debut album, but experimental tracks were also included, such as the [[Latin]]-influenced "Cuba Libre". Tracks similar to "Turn Back Time" also featured. The album also featured less of René's rapping, with Lene performing more vocals than on the previous album. The album was still, however, well-received by their fan base.
'''Current members'''
* [[René Dif]] – vocals (1995–2001, 2007–2012, 2016–present)
* [[Lene Nystrøm]] – vocals (1995–2001, 2007–2012, 2016–present)
* [[Søren Rasted]] – keyboards, piano, guitar, bongos, backing vocals (1995–2001, 2007–2012, 2016–present)


'''Former members'''
The single "Cartoon Heroes" was released along with the album. The song featured some 'anthemic' tones, but kept most of the features that had made ''Aquarium'' so successful. The single made #7 in the United Kingdom, a minor disappointment, and sold well across Europe and Australia, peaking at #16 on the Australian charts. The song is often best remembered for its [[music video]]. The album charted in the United Kingdom at #24. Aqua released their UK follow-up single "[[Around The World]]" in June 2000, although would be disappointed when it only managed to chart at #26. Although it was not expected to be at the time, "Around The World" would be Aqua's final UK single release.
* [[Claus Norreen]] – guitar, keyboards, keytar, backing vocals (1995–2001, 2007–2012, 2016)


'''Touring and session members'''
Aqua released "Bumble Bees" and "We Belong To The Sea" as singles in [[Scandinavia]], mainland Europe and Australia, achieving reasonable success with both. The group planned to release a third UK single in early 2001, and scheduled "Freaky Friday" for release. The single was pulled at the last minute, however, for undisclosed reasons. Aqua then decided that they would concentrate on starting work on their third album, as opposed to releasing further singles from ''Aquarius''.
* Steffen Drak – guitar, keyboards, keytar, backing vocals (2016–present)


==Discography==
=== Plans for third album and sudden split ===
{{Main|Aqua discography}}
Aqua spent the first few months of 2001 touring around the world, and working on material for their third album. The group also performed at the [[Eurovision Song Contest 2001]], collaborating with the [[Safri Duo]] and providing the music during the voting stages of the competition. During a couple of low-key events in Denmark the group performed live versions of songs intended for inclusion on the third album, including "Couch Potato" and "Shakin' Stevens (Is A Superstar)", the latter a tribute to the 1980s performer [[Shakin' Stevens]]. The songs were said to have incorporated a [[rock music|rock]] sound into their music.
*''[[Aquarium (Aqua album)|Aquarium]]'' (1997)
*''[[Aquarius (Aqua album)|Aquarius]]'' (2000)
*''[[Megalomania (Aqua album)|Megalomania]]'' (2011)


==See also==
[[Image:Aquaeuro011.PNG|thumb|Aqua's last major live performance was at the Eurovision Song Contest 2001, where they performed alongside the [[Safri Duo]] during the voting process]]
*[[Toy-Box]]
By the Summer of 2001, however, problems between the members of Aqua were becoming apparent. René had, when the group first started releasing material under the Aqua name, been dating Lene. Lene had by now begun dating Søren, however, and reports of a rift between the three had been reported in the Danish press. Other reports had included that René was annoyed at his having a lesser role on the ''Aquarius'' album, and that the group was beginning to have other creative differences. Lene had also had some health problems, having collapsed on stage during their 2001 tour due to the [[Fatigue (physical)|exhaustion]] of the group's busy schedule. Despite the reports, most of their fans were surprised when, in July 2001, the group announced that they were going to be parting their separate ways.


==References==
The group's split proved to be quite a major event across Europe, and many media sources speculated as to why the four had decided to call it a day. René, in an interview after their split, had denied any rift between the members of the group, and stated that the four had split on good terms. The four had allegedly agreed to split when having dinner together, deciding that it was the "best thing to do". Many fans of the group do not believe that there was no rift, however, especially given the past sexual relations between Lene and both René and Søren.
{{Reflist}}


==External links==
=== Following the split ===
{{Commons category|Aqua (band)|Aqua}}
After the group's split, all four members of Aqua continued within the music industry, with three former members all having successful solo careers. René was the first to release a single, releasing "Let It All Out (Push It)" in early 2003 in his native Denmark. The single performed well, and an album was planned, but the comparative failure of his second solo single "The Uhh Uhh Song" made him decide to not continue working on the album. René, in [[2004]], began to pursue a career as an [[actor]], and appeared in the Danish films ''Den Gode Strømer'' and ''Incasso''. He was also awarded the Zulu Achievement Award in the same year.
* [http://www.aquaofficial.com Official web site]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120112010520/http://www.renedif.com/ Archived copy of René Dif's official website]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060821224106/http://www.lazybtv.com/ Lazy-B's official website]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/2150432.stm BBC article on the Aqua-Mattel lawsuit]


{{S-start}}
[[Image:Lenepyt1.PNG|thumb|Lene in the 2003 [[music video]] for "Pretty Young Thing", her second solo single which achieved a fair amount of [[airplay|video airplay]] across [[Europe]]]]Lene released her debut album ''Play With Me'' in mid-2003. The album's first single, "It's Your Duty (To Shake That Booty)", showed a clear change in her musical direction, dropping the bubblegum pop vocal in favour of a rock and [[R&B]] influenced sound. The single performed well, making #3 in the Danish charts, but the album performed disappointingly, only making #74 in her native Norway. Although further singles were released from the album, none made much of an impact. Lene has not indicated any intention to release a second album in the near future.
{{Succession box
| before=''Once Upon a Time Europe Was Covered With Ice''
| title=[[Eurovision Song Contest]]<br />Final Interval act
| years=[[Eurovision Song Contest 2001|2001]]
| after=[[Annely Peebo]]<br />[[Marko Matvere]]
}}
{{S-end}}
{{Aqua (band)}}
{{World Music Award for Best Selling Scandinavian Artist}}
{{Authority control}}


[[Category:Aqua (band)| ]]
Lene and Søren are also now married, and have a daughter named India. Søren continued producing material for other artists up until 2004, before starting the [[Lazyboy|Lazyboy Project]]. The project's first album ''Lazyboy TV'' was released in late 2004 to good reviews, and the first single "Underwear Goes Inside The Pants" made the top five of the Australian charts, also achieving airplay across Europe, [[Canada]] and the United States of America. Both Lene and Søren performed on a Danish charity single to benefit victims of the [[2004 Indian Ocean earthquake]] in 2005.
[[Category:Danish Eurodance groups]]

[[Category:Musical groups established in 1995]]
Claus Norreen has been the quietest of the former members, although he has also remained in the industry, [[remix|remixing]] material for other artists under a variety of aliases.
[[Category:Musical groups disestablished in 2001]]

[[Category:Musical groups reestablished in 2007]]
The lawsuit filed by Mattel over the song "Barbie Girl" was thrown out in 2002, with the judge refusing Mattel's claims that the song harmed the doll's reputation. The judge claimed that, as the song is a parody of the doll, it is legally acceptable. He also advised the parties involved "to chill".
[[Category:Musical groups disestablished in 2012]]

[[Category:Musical groups reestablished in 2016]]
According to René Dif's official website, Aqua are intending to release a "Best Of" album in the near future, although no further information has been given.
[[Category:Danish musical quartets]]

[[Category:Danish pop music groups]]
In 2005, a Danish director got the band together for a Aqua-documentary called Turn Back Time. Filmed in a summerhouse, the band stayed together in the summerhouse for twelve hours, talking about subjects a computer randomly picked including Lene and Søren's marriage and René's book. In between the band talking about the subject, there were clips of music videos and live performances.
[[Category:Europop groups]]

[[Category:MCA Records artists]]
== Music videos ==
[[Category:World Music Awards winners]]
Aqua is well-known for their [[music video]]s, most of which followed a storyline of some sort. Due to their being one of Universal's biggest-selling pop groups, their budget for making videos has always been quite high. This has been reflected in their videos, which often appear to be [[cheesy]], but tend of be accepted as fitting in well with their musical style.
[[Category:Co-ed groups]]

[[Image:Bgend.PNG|thumb|Aqua's trademark end-of-video kiss, here shown at the end of their 1997 video for "[[Barbie Girl]]"]]The video for "Barbie Girl" is undoubtedly their most famous. The video features Lene as Barbie, and René as Ken. René asks Lene to "go party", and Lene informs René that he can "touch" and "play", and calls herself a "blonde bimbo". The music video caused a lot of the controversy surrounding the song, as it made the double meanings in the lyrics clear. "Doctor Jones" also followed a storyline featuring René and Lene as persons in love, with René (as [[Indiana Jones]]) saving Lene from an [[tribe|African tribe]]. The "My Oh My" video also featured a plotline where the two become lovers.

Aqua's early videos had several distinguishing features, and events which would be repeated in each video. One of these features is the way the video starts - A drum beat and a screen informing the viewer that the video is brought to you in "Aquascope". Also, their first videos all featured a Lene and René kiss at the end. In videos from the ''Aquarius'' album this kiss wasn't present. Later videos also tended to gradually show the group in a more serious light, with their last video for "[[We Belong to the Sea|We Belong To The Sea]]" being presented in a serious manner, unlike other videos which always appeared to be put across in a light-hearted way

== Musical style ==
Aqua was musically influenced by the [[eurodance]] genre that was popular in [[Europe]], [[Oceania]] and [[South America]] in the 1990s. The style of eurodance was [[dance music]] with a female singer and a male rapper. Often would the lyrics be meaningless and not follow the pattern of a traditional pop song. This however was what Aqua changed. Influenced by the recent wave of [[bubblegum pop]] started by the [[Spice Girls]], Aqua followed a more traditional verse-chorus structure. Usually, the verse would consist of Lene starting and finishing, while René would sing in the middle. The chorus was mostly song by Lene. René would sometimes sing a few words, but that was it. Because of the traditional pop structure on top of the eurodance inspiration, Aqua is considered doing bubblegum dance-pop and more than eurodance.

Even though most people know Aqua for the dance tracks such as "Barbie Girl", "Doctor Jones", "Lollipop (Candyman)" and "My Oh My" they also made slower tracks like "Turn Back Time", "Good Morning Sunshine" and "We Belong to the Sea". These tracks do not belong to the general bubblegum pop genre. There is also difference between the two albums. The first album had many similar tracks whereas the second experimented with acoustic instruments and genres like country and Latin music.

The lengths of all the songs were made so they were suitable for radio play. The average length for the tracks on ''Aquarium'' is 3:43{{ref|songlength}}. This is also a characteristic of pop music.

At the end of 1990s the interest for eurodance music was dropping. Aqua's second album, which was released in 2000, was therefore not as well timed as the first one.

== Trivia ==
* In 1994, before the four members of Aqua formed as Joyspeed, René Dif was part of a duo called '''Factual Beat'''. The duo consisted of Dif and a young [[DJ Aligator]]. René was essentially the rapper of the duo, and this is most likely where the idea of him rapping for Joyspeed and later Aqua came from. Factual Beat had one album before René began to concentrate on Joyspeed, and Aligator began to concentrate on his own solo career.

* A parody of "Barbie Girl" entitled "Ugly Girl" was released in the 1990s. It has often been misattributed to the popular parodist [["Weird Al" Yankovic|Weird Al Yankovic]].{{ref|yankovic}}

* Although Lene was discovered by René on a cruise ship, she had previously had a few minutes of fame on Norwegian television, performing a song called "Almaz".

* Shortly before ''Aquarius'' was released, Aqua performed a song called "Here Comes The Birds" on tour. The song was expected to be one of the key songs on the album, but for unknown reasons was not included. A live performance of the song is available online in low quality, but the version which Aqua presumably recorded for use on the album has never been released to the public.

* Aqua is often wrongly credited with creating the songs "Tarzan and Jane", "Best Friend" and "Butterfly". The three songs were not, however, recorded by Aqua; the first two are by [[Toy-Box]], an Aquaesque group who released them in the late 1990s on their debut album. The similarity in sound is probably intentional, as Toy-Box were intended to be Aqua 'copycats' in an attempt to achieve high sales revenue. "Butterfly," made famous from its appearance in ''[[Dance Dance Revolution]]'', is by [[Smile.dk]].

== Discography ==
=== Albums ===
* ''[[Aquarium (album)|Aquarium]]'' (1997)
* ''[[Aquarius (Aqua album)|Aquarius]]'' (2000)
=== Singles ===
<small>Note: The single chronology below is based on the date of the single's first release, regardless of which country that was in.</small>

* "[[Itsy Bitsy Spider (song)|Itzy Bitsy Spider]]" (1995) (as '''Joyspeed''')
* "[[Roses Are Red]]" (1996)
* "[[My Oh My]]" (1997, 1998)
* "[[Barbie Girl]]" (1997)
* "[[Doctor Jones]]" (1997)
* "[[Lollipop (Candyman)]]" (1997, 1998)
* "[[Turn Back Time]]" (1998)
* "[[Good Morning Sunshine]]" (1998)
* "[[Cartoon Heroes]]" (2000)
* "[[Around the World (Aqua song)|Around the World]]" (2000)
* "[[Bumble Bees (song)|Bumble Bees]]" (2000)
* "[[We Belong to the Sea]]" (2000)

=== Other ===
* "[[Didn't I]]" (1998) - Song released as a non-single
* ''The Aqua Diary'' (1998) - A [[VHS]] release of Aqua's story up until December 1998
* ''Aquarium Bubble Mix'' (1998) - [[Remix]] album of songs from ''Aquarium''
* ''Aqua Mania Vol. 1'' (1998) - Remix album of songs from ''Aquarius''
* ''Remix SuperBest'' (2002) - Remix album of songs from both ''Aquarium'' and ''Aquarius''

=== Music samples ===

{{listen|filename=Barbie_Girl.ogg|title="Barbie Girl"|description=Aqua's breathrough single from the album ''[[Aquarium (album)|Aquarium]]'' - 240 <code>KB<code>|format=[[Ogg]]}}

{{listen|filename=Cartoon_Heroes.ogg|title="Cartoon Heroes"|description=The top-charting song from Aqua's followup album, ''[[Aquarius (Aqua album)|Aquarius]]'' - 248 <code>KB<code>|farmat=[[Ogg]]}}

==Notes==
# {{note|worldwidesales}} [http://www.renedif.com René Dif's official website] - look under bio.
# {{note|songlength}} [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:5h9sa9ugi23d AllMusic.com] - a total running time of 40:38 divided by 11 tracks gives 3:43 on average.
# {{note|yankovic}} [http://free.house.cx/~eil/etc/notal_list.html The Not Al Page] - "Ugly Girl" listed as a track made by an unknown artist.

== References ==
* ''Aqua: The Official Book'' by Jacqui Swift
* ''The Aqua Diary'', a 1998 VHS release
* [http://www.renedif.com René Dif's official website]
* The Official Single/Album Charts of the UK, US, Japan, Australia, Denmark and various other countries
* [http://www.lazyboytv.com Lazyboy's official website]
* Lene Nystrøm Rasted's official website (no longer available)
* Aqua's official website (no longer available)

== External links ==
* [http://www.aquarama.tk Aquarama]
* [http://www.geocities.com/aquaexpress01/Aqua_Express.html Aqua Express]
* [http://www.lazyboytv.com Lazyboy's official website]
* [http://www.renedif.com René Dif's official website]
* [http://www.lenemusic.com/ Lene Nystrøm Rasted official website]
* [http://www.playwithlene.tk Lene Nystrøm Rasted fansite]

{{Aqua}}

[[Category:Aqua]]
[[Category:Pop music groups]]
[[Category:1990s music groups]]
[[Category:2000s music groups]]

[[da:Aqua (musik)]]
[[fr:Aqua (groupe)]]
[[nl:Aqua (muziek)]]
[[ja:Aqua (バンド)]]
[[sv:Aqua]]
[[zh:水叮噹]]

Latest revision as of 07:15, 28 July 2024

Aqua
Aqua (from left: Rasted, Dif, Nystrøm, Norreen) at the Grøn Koncert in 2008.
Aqua (from left: Rasted, Dif, Nystrøm, Norreen) at the Grøn Koncert in 2008.
Background information
Also known asJoyspeed (1989–1995)
OriginCopenhagen, Denmark
Genres
Years active
  • 1995–2001
  • 2007–2012
  • 2016–present
Labels
Spinoffs
Members
Past membersClaus Norreen
Websiteaquaofficial.com

Aqua is a Danish Europop band,[6][7] best known for their 1997 single "Barbie Girl".[8][9] The group formed in 1995 in Copenhagen[10] and achieved international success around the globe in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The band released three albums: Aquarium in 1997, Aquarius in 2000 and Megalomania in 2011. The group sold an estimated 33 million albums and singles, making them the most profitable Danish band ever.[11][12]

The group managed to top the UK Singles Chart with three of their singles. The group also caused controversy with the double entendres in their "Barbie Girl" single, with Mattel filing a lawsuit against the group. The lawsuit was finally dismissed by a judge in 2002, who ruled "The parties are advised to chill".[13]

The band's members are vocalists René Dif and Lene Nystrøm, keyboardist Søren Rasted, and guitarist Claus Norreen. During their split, Nystrøm, Dif and Rasted all achieved solo chart success, while Norreen remixed other artists' material. At a press event on October 26, 2007, the group announced a reunion tour, as well as the release of a compilation album featuring new material. Their third album, Megalomania, was released on 3 October 2011.

Career

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1989–1995: Formation

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Aqua "set out to do something unique in pop music" in 1989.[14] Søren Rasted and Claus Norreen won a contest and were hired to produce a soundtrack for a film titled Frække Frida og de frygtløse spioner. At that time, René Dif was working as a club DJ; he was hired for some of the songs. After getting along well, the trio decided that they would work together again on a future project. A few months after the film was released, Dif spotted Lene Nystrøm singing on the Norway–Denmark ferry, M/S Peter Wessel. He approached her and hired her as the lead singer of Joyspeed. The formation of Joyspeed was on the basis that both Norreen and Rasted would do the production for the group, with Dif rapping and Nystrøm performing the main vocals. A small Swedish record label signed them in 1995, and their first single "Itzy Bitzy Spider" was released in Sweden. The single failed to become popular, and after one week at the lower end of the Swedish charts, it disappeared completely. The four canceled their contract with the record label.

1995–1998: Aquarium and international breakthrough

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With a new manager and no record deal, the group started over. The four began to produce and write songs in a different style, attracting the attention of major label Universal Music Denmark. They renamed themselves Aqua, choosing the name seen on a poster in their dressing room, and accepted Universal Music Denmark's offer of a recording contract in 1996. The group's first release under their new name was "Roses Are Red", a dance song with a bubblegum pop sound. It was released in Denmark in September 1996, and stayed in the charts for over two months, eventually selling enough copies to be certified platinum. The success of the single was further proven when Aqua received a nomination for "Best Danish Dance Act", although the group did not win.

Their follow-up single in February 1997 followed the same style. Titled "My Oh My", the single broke all Danish sales records by being certified gold within six days. The single went straight to number one in Denmark, and made Aqua a household name in the country. Aqua released their debut album Aquarium in Denmark on 26 March 1997. The album contained 11 tracks, including their first two singles and their then-upcoming third single "Barbie Girl". Universal Music Group had by now begun to market the group in other countries, releasing "Roses Are Red" in Japan in February 1997 and in various countries across Europe. The single had proven popular everywhere it was sold, convincing Universal that the group could be an international success.

Aqua released their third single "Barbie Girl" in May 1997.[15] The song, at first glance, appears to be about the Barbie doll. However, at a second glance, the song contains several sexual overtones, such as "You can brush my hair, undress me everywhere", "You can touch, you can play", and "Kiss me here, touch me there, hanky-panky." Despite complaints about the double meanings in "Barbie Girl", Universal Music released the single around the world in 1997. The release was highly successful, making number one in the United Kingdom for four weeks, in Australia for three weeks, and making the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100, something rarely achieved at the time by European pop acts.[16]

Aqua's follow-up to "Barbie Girl" in Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom was "Doctor Jones", although another single, "Lollipop (Candyman)", was released in the United States through MCA Records. "Doctor Jones" entered at number one in several countries, including the United Kingdom, where it stayed at the top spot for two weeks, and Australia, where it spent seven weeks at #1. "Lollipop (Candyman)" became the group's second Top 40 hit in the US, peaking at #23 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song peaked at #3 in Australia. In Japan both songs were released as a double A-side, and achieved reasonable success in the singles chart.

"Doctor Jones" was followed up by "Turn Back Time". The song was featured on the soundtrack to the film Sliding Doors, and achieved a large amount of radio and video airplay. The song became their third single to make it to number one in the United Kingdom. Elsewhere, the song also performed well, including reaching #10 in Australia.

Aqua's second Danish single, "My Oh My", was rereleased in August 1998. The single was also released in several other European countries where it had not been released initially. Following the release of "Good Morning Sunshine", which achieved limited success, Aqua concentrated on their second album, and on touring around Australia. The group also released a documentary on 1 December 1998 containing several live performances of songs from the Aquarium album and interviews with the members.

Lene Nystrøm was in 1998 awarded the "Special Price of the Jury" at the Norwegian music award Spellemannprisen for her contributions to Aqua in the year of 1997. [17]

1999–2007: Aquarius, lawsuit and split up

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According to promotional interviews with the group, over 30 songs were recorded for Aquarius, out of which only twelve made it onto the final version. The group released their second album in February 2000. Aquarius contained several different musical styles. "Cartoon Heroes" was released as the first single, and sold well across Europe and Australia, reaching #1 in Denmark, #7 in the United Kingdom, and #16 in Australia. The follow-up single "Around the World" was released in June 2000, and peaked at #26 in the UK and #35 in Australia. It reached the top spot in Denmark. "Around the World" would be Aqua's final UK single release.

In December 2000, Mattel filed a lawsuit against the group's record label Mattel v. MCA Records, 296 F.3d 894 9th Cir. 2002, claiming that "Barbie Girl" had damaged the reputation of the Barbie brand. Judge Alex Kozinski, writing for the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, upheld the district court finding the use of Mattel's trademark in "Barbie Girl" fell within the non-commercial use exemption to the Federal Trademark Dilution Act. Judge Kozinski concluded his opinion by writing, "The parties are advised to chill."[18]

Aqua released "Bumble Bees" as a single in Scandinavia, Europe and Australia, achieving reasonable success. "We Belong to the Sea" followed as a fourth single in fewer nations, failing to chart in most countries. Aqua spent the first few months of 2001 touring internationally, and working on material for their third album. The group also performed at the Eurovision Song Contest 2001, collaborating with the Safri Duo and providing the music during the voting stages of the competition. This performance also caused controversy, as a number of offensive phrases and gestures were added during the performance of "Barbie Girl" (which was involved in a major lawsuit). During a couple of low-key events in Denmark the group performed live versions of songs intended for inclusion on the third album, including "Couch Potato" and "Shakin' Stevens Is a Superstar", the latter a tribute to the 1980s performer Shakin' Stevens. Aqua split up in 2001, but was restored in 2007.[19]

2008–2015: Reunion and Megalomania

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In 2008, Aqua reunited and promised a 25-concert tour that was to have commenced in the summer. Offers were received by the record company from locations in Denmark, Canada, United States and United Kingdom. Aqua finally performed 8 concerts around Denmark as part of the "Grøn koncert" festival. They released a greatest hits album on 15 June 2009, which includes 16 old remastered tracks and three new songs: "My Mamma Said", "Live Fast, Die Young", and "Back to the 80s".[20] "Back to the 80s" debuted at number one in Denmark where it stayed for six weeks, becoming the band's fifth number-one single. It has since been certified platinum by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) for sales of 30,000 copies in Denmark. Aqua has also toured Scandinavia between May and August 2009 and performed at several gigs in Germany, United Kingdom and France. The greatest hits album was released in North America and many European countries on 22 September 2009 and in the UK on 29 September 2009.

Aqua commenced the recording of Megalomania at the beginning of 2010,[21] scheduled for a release in the spring of 2011.[22] Aqua released the album's lead single, "How R U Doin?" on 14 March 2011, after a preview of the song was posted onto the band's official Facebook page on 10 March 2011. Co-written by Thomas Troelsen, the song peaked at number four in Denmark, becoming the band's tenth top-ten single. It has since been certified gold by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry for sales of 15,000 copies in Denmark.[23] Aqua were originally set to release their third studio album on 14 July 2011, however the release was pushed back to 5 September 2011 with the record label citing bad timing.[24] The album, titled Megalomania, was then further rescheduled to be released on 3 October 2011.[25] On 7 September 2011, Aqua released a preview of their new single, "Playmate to Jesus", on their official Facebook page, which was released on 12 September 2011. On 8 September 2011, it was announced that "Like a Robot" would also be released as a single on 12 September, and would battle against "Playmate to Jesus" in the charts. After the moderate chart success of Megalomania in Denmark, an expanded version of the band featuring all four original members (Lene Nystrøm Rasted, René Dif, Søren Rasted, Claus Norreen), plus new additions Niels Lykke Munksgaard Rasmussen (guitar) Frederik Thaae (bass) and Morten Hellborn (drums), toured Australia in March 2012. They initially announced six concerts but quickly added three additional shows to Melbourne, Sydney and Perth (Fremantle) due to popular demand. Aqua appeared on Sunrise, an Australian morning TV show on the Seven Network. They performed a slower tempo acoustic version of "Barbie Girl" and it was revealed that Lene had pneumonia, but the concerts would proceed as the group prided themselves on never having cancelled a show. They then appeared on the Seven Network's The Morning Show, performing "Doctor Jones". After the tour, the band split again. In 2014, the band announced a tour in Australia and New Zealand.

2016–present: Second reunion and Barbie World

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In September 2016, it was announced that Aqua will perform "at least 10 concerts" as part of the Vi Elsker 90'erne ("We Love the '90s") music festival. It was the first time Aqua performed live in Denmark since 2011.[26] On 20 September 2016, Aqua announced that Claus Norreen would not return to the group. Norreen said in a statement that his "musical focus" has changed and that he no longer desires to tour with Aqua, but still considers the remaining members of Aqua "his family".[27]

On 29 May 2018, Aqua announced "The Rewind Tour" in Canada, with fellow 1990s acts Prozzäk and Whigfield.[28] In June 2018, Aqua released their single called "Rookie".

In July 2021, the band released a cover of "I Am What I Am" for Copenhagen Pride 2021.[29]

On 29 April 2022, during a concert in Tivoli, Copenhagen, the band announced that they would be going on a tour that would continue through 2023.

In 2023, Aqua collaborated with Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice for the soundtrack of the film Barbie. The song debuted at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Aqua’s second single to enter the Top 10, and their first since "Barbie Girl". "Barbie World" also reached the Top 5 in the UK Singles Chart, in the same week that "Barbie Girl" returned to the UK Top 40 for the first time in 25 years.[30][31]

"Barbie World" debuted at number seven on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming Minaj's 23rd, Ice Spice's fourth, and Aqua's second top-ten hit. Elsewhere, the single also reached the top ten in Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Luxembourg, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, top twenty in Iceland, Finland, France and Hungary, top thirty in Czech Republic and Lithuania, top forty in Belgium and Slovakia and top fifty in Portugal and Italy. The song also earned Aqua their first Grammy nominations.

Awards and nominations

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Year Awards Work Category Result
1997 IFPI Platinum Europe Awards Aquarium Award Level 1 Won
Billboard Music Video Awards "Barbie Girl" Best New Artist Clip (Pop/Rock) Nominated
GAFFA Awards (Denmark)[32] Best Danish Hit Won
"Doctor Jones" Nominated
Aquarium Best Danish Album Nominated
Lene Nystrøm Best Danish Female Act Nominated
Themselves Best Danish Group Nominated
Best Danish New Act Won
Mest håbløse danske Won
1998 "Turn Back Time" Best Danish Video Nominated
Themselves Best Danish Group Nominated
Danish Music Awards Årets Danske Gruppe Won
Årets Nye Danske Navn Won
Grøn Pris Won
P3's Lytterpris Won
"Barbie Girl" Årets Danske Hit Won
Årets Danske Musikvideo Won
Aquarium Årets Danske Pop Udgivelse Won
IFPI Platinum Europe Awards Award Level 4 Won
Juno Awards Best Selling Album (Foreign or Domestic) Nominated
NME Awards "Barbie Girl" Worst Single Won
TMF Awards Best Video International Won
Themselves Best Newcomer International Won
MTV Europe Music Awards Best New Act Nominated
Best Pop Nominated
Music Television Awards Nominated
Best Breakthrough Nominated
World Music Awards World's Best Selling Scandinavian Artist Won
1999 ECHO Awards Best International Group Nominated
Hungarian Music Awards Aquarium Best Foreign Pop Album Nominated
2000 TMF Awards "Cartoon Heroes" Best Video International Won
IFPI Platinum Europe Awards Aquarius Award Level 1 Won
2001 World Music Awards Themselves World's Best Selling Scandinavian Artist Won
Danish Music Awards Eksportprisen Won
Aquarius Årets Danske Pop Udgivelse Won
2024 Grammy Awards Barbie World Best Rap Song Nominated
Best Song Written for Visual Media Nominated

Members

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Current members

  • René Dif – vocals (1995–2001, 2007–2012, 2016–present)
  • Lene Nystrøm – vocals (1995–2001, 2007–2012, 2016–present)
  • Søren Rasted – keyboards, piano, guitar, bongos, backing vocals (1995–2001, 2007–2012, 2016–present)

Former members

  • Claus Norreen – guitar, keyboards, keytar, backing vocals (1995–2001, 2007–2012, 2016)

Touring and session members

  • Steffen Drak – guitar, keyboards, keytar, backing vocals (2016–present)

Discography

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Main article: Aqua discography

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Jon O'Brien. "Aqua - Megalomania". AllMusic. Retrieved 30 September 2019. Danish pop quartet Aqua
  2. ^ Jeremy Ulrey. Aqua at AllMusic. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
  3. ^ Nicolae Sfetcu (9 May 2014). "Dance Music". Retrieved 30 September 2019. Some artists like Aqua, Daze or Hit'n'Hide are not usually considered mainstream eurodance, but fall into the bubblegum pop category
  4. ^ Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "Aqua - Aquarius". AllMusic. Retrieved 30 September 2019. Aqua never strays from their danceable Europop foundation, but they find remarkable variety within that framework
  5. ^ "Blast from the past: Aqua will be bringing their bubblegum pop music to Singapore after 18 years". Sgmagazine.com. 23 June 2017.
  6. ^ Mødet med Aqua (in Danish). Jyllands-Posten. "Dansk-norske Aqua [...] [English: Danish-Norwegian Aqua [...]]"
  7. ^ Aqua (in Danish). DR (broadcaster). "GRUPPE (POP/EURODANCE) DANSK/NORSK [English: GROUP (POP/EURODANCE) DANISH/NORWEGIAN]"
  8. ^ "Aqua : Greatest Hits". web.archive.org. 4 September 2011. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
  9. ^ "Aqua on 'Barbie Girl' Resurgence, Grammy Nods and US Tour: 'It's Been Out-of-This-World Fantastic!' (Exclusive)". Peoplemag. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
  10. ^ Bille, Torben, ed. (2002). Dansk rockleksikon (in Danish) (1st ed.). Politikens Forlag. p. 58. ISBN 87-567-6525-8. Dannet 1995 i København. [English: Formed 1995 in Copenhagen.]
  11. ^ Lewis, Rebecca (12 September 2016). "Aqua reunite to mark 20 years since Barbie Girl hit the airwaves". Metro. DMG Media. Retrieved 10 August 2017.
  12. ^ "Remember the 'Barbie Girl' song? Mattel actually sued, but was told 'to chill.'". pp. The Washington Post.
  13. ^ Mears, Bill (27 January 2003). "Barbie song appeal strikes an off note for high court". CNN. Archived from the original on 27 January 2021. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
  14. ^ Official website (archived). "Aqua formed in 1989 and from the beginning, they set out to do something unique in pop music."
  15. ^ Greene, Andy (1 April 2022). "'People Probably Want to Kill Us': The Oral History of Aqua's 'Barbie Girl'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
  16. ^ Yglesias, Ana Monroy (23 June 2023). "'Barbie Girl': Aqua's Joyous, Meaningful Anthem Still Resonates". uDiscover Music. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
  17. ^ "Juryens spesialpris til Aqua-Lene". Dagbladet.no.
  18. ^ Mattel, Inc. v. MCA Records, Inc., 296 F.3d 894, (9th Cir., 2002)
  19. ^ Nielsen, Jens-Emil (2015). 90'er rock: Dansk rock 1990-2000 (in Danish) (1st ed.). Her & Nu. p. 83. ISBN 978-87-93093-71-3. [...] Aqua bliver opløst i 2001 for så at genopstå i 2007 [...] [English: [...] Aqua is dissolved in 2001 to then be restored in 2007 [...]]
  20. ^ "New Aqua Greatest Hits on the way". Aquarama.tk. 21 March 2009. Archived from the original on 27 May 2009. Retrieved 12 October 2009.
  21. ^ "Aqua indspiller nyt album". GAFFA. 29 August 2009. Archived from the original on 5 October 2015. Retrieved 12 October 2009.
  22. ^ "Aqua's third album is scheduled for Spring 2011". Aquarama. 15 November 2010. Archived from the original on 7 October 2011. Retrieved 16 November 2010.
  23. ^ "Certificeringer | ifpi.dk" (in Danish). International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Archived from the original on 18 April 2012. Retrieved 15 July 2011.
  24. ^ Treo, Thomas (6 June 2011). "Ekstra Bladet - Aqua udskyder album". Ekstra Bladet (in Danish). Retrieved 11 July 2011.
  25. ^ "Releaseplan" (in Danish). Universal Music. Archived from the original on 19 July 2011. Retrieved 20 August 2011.
  26. ^ "Aqua overrasker: Klar til comeback-koncerter". Ritzau. Berlingske. 5 September 2016. Retrieved 21 September 2016.
  27. ^ Schollert, Peter (20 September 2016). "Aqua-medlem vil ikke være med længere". Jyllands-Posten. Retrieved 21 September 2016.
  28. ^ "Aqua, Prozzäk and Whigfield Team Up for Canadian "Rewind Tour"". Exclaim.ca. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
  29. ^ "Aqua celebrate Copenhagen WorldPride with "I Am What I Am" cover". Retropopmagazine.com. 16 July 2021. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
  30. ^ "Central Cee & Dave become longest-running male No.1 duo since Ed Sheeran & Justin Bieber | Analysis". Musicweek.com. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  31. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  32. ^ "GAFFA-prisen 1991-2006 – se vinderne". Gaffa.dk. Archived from the original on 22 March 2012. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Aqua.
Preceded by
Once Upon a Time Europe Was Covered With Ice
 Eurovision Song Contest
Final Interval act
2001 		Succeeded by
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