In 1997, for nearly no purpose in any respect, Danish pop group Aqua launched the tune “Barbie Woman,” a piece of bubblegum perfection that went on to turn into a worldwide sensation, a chart-topping single that’s unimaginable to neglect the second you hear it. Endlessly coated and parodied, the tune was a popular culture meme earlier than web memes had been a factor, and it’s unthinkable that Greta Gerwig’s Barbie would premiere with out some type of homage to it.
Happily, the legendary monitor is getting its due within the type of “Barbie World,” a brand new monitor by rappers Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice that each samples Aqua’s tune and incorporates a video that intently resembles the Europop band’s authentic try and emulate the Barbie dollhouse aesthetic.
There’s additionally an interesting little bit of historical past right here. Mattel, the proprietor of Barbie, sued Aqua’s label MCA Data in 1997, claiming that “Barbie Woman” violated the Barbie trademark with its sexual lyrics — Mattel argued that the tune broken the Barbie model, amongst different issues. The case, Mattel v. MCA Data, was finally dismissed, with a federal appeals court docket declaring in 2002 that “Barbie Woman” was protected as parody.
Finally, Mattel chilled out, utilizing a reworked model of “Barbie Woman” for a 2009 advert marketing campaign — and now as soon as extra, as a part of the advertising and marketing blitz for its extremely anticipated movie Barbie, with the assistance of two of the preferred ladies in hip-hop.
Humorous how instances change.
