Danish dance-pop trio AQUA chatted about their tour, upcoming show in New York, their “Barbie Girl” music video, and their 2024 Grammy nominations.
AQUA is comprised of such band members as René Dif, Lene Nystrøm, and Søren Rasted.
National tour
The trio will embark on an eagerly awaited nationwide tour, recapturing the hearts of fans across the country.
“We have this USA tour that we are very much looking forward to for the rest of the year, and then, we have tours in Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe. We hope 2024 is going to be just as cool as 2023,” they said.
“Performing two sold-out shows in New York and Los Angeles this summer was a dream come true, and to be able to come back soon for a national tour is absolutely insane. We cannot wait to meet everyone for the first time, face to face,” they elaborated.
Hammerstein Ballroom show
On December 9, AQUA will be performing at Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City. “We are every excited about that show,” they said. “We did a performance at Irving Plaza and that was amazing. It was crazy to see how many people showed up. The reception we got there was incredible.”
“At Irving Plaza, we didn’t know what to expect; it was one big party, and they were so happy to see us, and we were definitely happy to see them. It was just an amazing place to do a concert,” he added.
‘Barbie Girl’ music video
Their seminal “Barbie Girl” music video has surpassed 1.3 billion views on YouTube, which stands tall as a testament to the song’s enduring resonance, even asserting its presence on Instagram reels. “That was so crazy,” they admitted. “So many crazy things have happened since the summer. It is pretty crazy to be in AQUA right now.”
“It actually is an amazing music video,” they acknowledged. “Ever since the Barbie movie came out, it has been gained a lot of momentum. The movie was incredible too, and that helped a lot.”
“It is overwhelming that you make something that a lot of people have a relationship with,” they added.
Recently, the band released an updated live video for “Barbie Girl (Summer Tour 2023),” which features footage from various live shows this past summer including their sold-out headline shows at New York’s Irving Plaza and Los Angeles’ The Belasco.
“For that video, we incorporated footage from both of those shows,” they said. “We edited the concerts that we did this altogether; it has been a crazy year.”
Aqua has been celebrating their enduring popularity in the world of pop and dance music. “There is no reason to put out new music when the old music works so well,” they jokingly laughed.
Speaking of the “Barbie” movie, starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, the band revealed that they watched the movie and they found it “pretty funny” and “politically correct and politically incorrect at the same time.” “That was a great combination. It was well-put together and the two leading roles were really good,” they said.
2024 Grammy nominations
AQUA noted that they scored three 2024 Grammy nominations, which include nods for “Best Rap Song” and “Best Song Written for Visual Media” for their “Barbie World” collaboration with Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice. “That feels very surrealistic,” they said with a sweet laugh. “The collaboration with Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice was crazy!”
“We were also nominated in a third category for ‘Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media’ for our participation in ‘Barbie: The Album’. This is a dream that we dreamed when we were young that you know it is never going to happen, but all of a sudden, we got a message from our management and we find out about our multiple Grammy nominations.”
“We’re incredibly surprised and humbled that a song we wrote so long ago is still being recognized today,” they exclaimed. “We keep saying that it’s the gift that keeps on giving. This is just unbelievable. For the last few months, it has felt like Christmas every day.”
The digital age
On being a band in the digital age, now with streaming, technology, and social media being so prevalent, they said, “It’s a very fast moving world from when we first started out with no Internet and no social media. You have to keep up, that’s why we have a great team with us.”
Key to longevity in the music business
“The reason we are still here is that we’ve been doing live concerts since 2010. Compared to most of the ’90s acts, we’ve done many live shows and we’ve done it differently than the others. We were also very lucky with the movie this year.”
On the title of the current chapter of their lives, they said, “AQUA 5.0”
Regarding their favorite mottos to live by, they said, “Enjoy every day when you are waking up and breathing.”
As their alternate career choices, the band members noted that they would be “Michelin chefs.”
Success
On their definition of the word success, they said, “Success is something you have for a period of time; You just need to grab and hold onto it as much as you can. When we got success, we were in our mid-20s.”
AQUA thanks their fans
For their fans, AQUA expressed, “It is very overwhelming to have fans supporting us and to have them show up at their hotels with big posters. We really appreciate them and we don’t take them for granted. It’s a nice surprise and we always spend time talking to the fans.
To learn more about AQUA, follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
