Aqua’s Barbie Girl has not aged well: 90s pop hit has been reassessed as ‘problematic’

It topped the charts when it was first released in 1997 and has become one of the best-selling singles of all time.

But Aqua’s hit Barbie Girl is not without its detractors, as many feel the “problematic” lyrics send a bad message to young girls.

While some criticized the track, others remained full supporters.

In the song, sung by band members Lene Nystrøm and René Dif, they take on the personas of Mattel dolls Barbie and Ken.

Lene as Barbie sings: ‘I’m a Barbie girl, in the Barbie world. Life in plastic, it’s fantastic. You can brush my hair, undress me anywhere. Imagination, life is your creation,” which led to concerns about brutality.

While Barbie is probably singing to Ken here, the song became hugely popular with kids who would raise their eyebrows if they heard “undress me anywhere” sung.

Later in the song, Barbie prides herself on being a “bimbo” before making several sexual inneudos and singing, “I’m a blonde bimbo girl in a fantasy world.”

‘Dress me up, make it tight, I’m your doll. Kiss me here, touch me there, handkerchief.’

Barbie then tells Ken he can do whatever he wants with her, singing, “Let me walk, let me talk, do what you want.” I can act like a star, I can beg on my knees.’

Several listeners have objected to the song’s lyrics, with one writing on Twitter, “I’m a Barbie Girl is such a problematic song. Do you expect women to be this thin and plastically perfect?’

Another wrote, “There’s a LOT worse, but sure, Barbie Girl is problematic.”

A third added: ‘I really hate it as people [sing] the number Barbie Girl in teaching children as if it is not hugely problematic’.

However, modern reappraisals of the song do not detract from the success of the new Barbie movie starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling.

Criticisms aside, some Twitter users have maintained their love for the song.

Fans wrote: “One excited fan wrote, “There’s a reason why I was spiritually stimulated by Aqua’s Barbie Girl, I don’t make the rules…

“I’ve been listening to Aqua’s Barbie Girl unironically, like we’re really going to pretend it’s not an absolute classic? Be serious…

“Barbie Girl has forever been one of my favorite songs ever and a few other Aqua songs, but this Nicki and Ice Spice Barbie World song definitely goes on my list of favorite songs.”

A few hours after the screening of the Barbie world premiere in Los Angeles, the first reactions are trickling in from critics on social media.

While the full reviews aren’t quite in yet, the responses that have surfaced on Twitter have been largely quite positive.

It’s unclear when the full reviews will appear, as fans prepare for the July 21 theatrical release, pitting them against Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer.

katcy stephan, Variety‘s social media editor, was one of the first to post a reaction to the movie on social media, declaring it to be nothing short of “perfection.”

#Barbie is perfection. Greta Gerwig delivers a nuanced commentary on what it means to be a woman in a whimsical, wonderful and hilariously funny romp,” Stephan begins.

“The whole cast shines, especially Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling in roles they were clearly born to play,” she adds.

ScreenRant’s Joseph Deckelmeier tweeted, “#Barbie caught me off guard and I mean that in the best way possible.”

“It’s funny, bombastic and very clever. Greta Gerwig takes aim for the fences and hits a home run. Margot Robbie’s performance is amazing & @RyanGosling & @SimuLiu are pure entertainment! The whole cast is brilliant!; he added.

Collider’s Perri Nemiroff also enjoyed the film, though she felt it was lacking in some key areas.

‘I’ve seen #Barbie! The craftsmanship is incredible. The costume and production design, in particular, involves next-level work that goes a long way toward creating the sense that these are real Barbies, their dream homes and their worlds coming to life,” she began.

“As for the story, I’m a little more mixed there. I think the movie serves Margot Robbie’s Barbie and her journey particularly well, but there are other characters who go through major arcs that needed more screen time to really dig in and explore to their fullest,” she added.

Nemiroff continued in another tweet, “All in all #Barbie isn’t the home run I was hoping for, or I think should get the topics it tackles, but it’s still a well made, bold movie with a VERY strong voice. and vision, one that often made me think, HOW does this movie exist? And there is almost always a quality in a film that will convince me.’

ComicBook.com’s Jamie Jirak tweeted, “I can’t officially leave Twitter until I tell you all that #Barbie is currently my favorite movie of the year.”