New York, NY (Top40 Charts/ Universal
Music Enterprises) - The global pop phenomenon Aqua is back. After selling more than 30 million albums and singles worldwide and racking up the massive hit "Barbie Girl," the Danish-Norwegian group disbanded in 2001. Now Aqua returns with its first single in eight years, "Back To The '80s," and two other new tracks on Greatest Hits (Geffen/UMe), released October 13, 2009.
At a time when '80s pop is undergoing a revival with new artists such as Lady GaGa, Aqua re-emerges with a hymn to that decade. As producer/songwriter Claus Norreen says, "We write songs that put a smile on people's faces...Maybe people are ready again for music that's about good times." Apparently toy manufacturer Mattel agrees. The company is using a cover version of "Barbie Girl" as the soundtrack to its 50th anniversary celebration of the iconic doll.
Along with the new "Back To The '80s," "My Mamma Said" and "Live Fast, Die Young," Greatest Hits features 16 remastered recordings. Included are the No 7 U.S. hit "Barbie Girl" (No 1 U.K.) and Top 30 U.S. "Lollipop (Candyman)," both from the band's 1997 U.S. triple platinum, Top 10 debut album Aquarium. Also culled from that album are two other U.K. No 1s-"Doctor Jones" and "Turn Back Time"-plus "Happy Boys & Girls," "Be A Man," "My Oh My" (No 6 U.K.) and "Roses Are Red." From the band's second and most recent original album, 2000's Top 10 U.K. Aquarius are "Cartoon Heroes" (No 7 U.K.), "Around The World" (Top 30 U.K.), "Cuba Libre," "Freaky Friday," "We Belong To The Sea," "Halloween," "Goodbye To The Circus" and the title track.
Aqua formed in 1994, but it was "Barbie Girl" which transformed singers Lene Nystrom Rasted and Rene Dif, and Norreen and producer/songwriter Soren Nystrom Rasted into major stars. Aqua became that rare group to hit No 1 in the U.K. with its first three singles, and as a result of this great achievement a position in the Guinness Book of Records. Follow-up album Aquarius broadened the group's dance-pop formula. But the pressures of worldwide fame took its personal toll and a projected third album was never completed.
Lene and Soren married and became parents. Lene also released a solo album, co-wrote "No Good Advice" (a No 2 U.K. hit for Girls Aloud) and launched an acting career. Soren worked on various music projects, including Lazyboy (known as Lazy B in the U.K.), a Royal Danish Opera ballet, and penning hit songs for other artists. Claus, a father too, collaborated with Soren and also wrote music for the theatre. Meanwhile Rene worked as an actor, published his autobiography and recorded a solo album.
Yet Aqua's fans never forgot the band. Says Norreen: "Our music had been the soundtrack to other people's lives. We heard stories from people who were 16 when they got into Aqua and now they have kids of their own. It's really heart-warming."
With Greatest Hits, it's time to party once more to the good-time pop of Aqua.
Aqua's recent video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kw5s3CB_1pE
