UPDATE: The latest Barbie trailer features Aqua's Barbie Girl song in a deconstructed form. The band has also made an important announcement towards the end of May 2023.
Now that a release date for the much-awaited Barbie movie has been set, many are already looking forward to what the film will be about. It's exciting to see Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling bring the iconic Mattel characters to life.
For those born in the 80s and 90s, however, this also means getting excited about the upcoming movie's soundtrack. This brings to mind the iconic 1997 Barbie Girl song by Aqua.
But will it be included in Greta Gerwig's Barbie movie? Here's what we know.
Will Aqua’s Barbie Girl Song Be In Greta Gerwig’s Barbie Movie?
In 1997, teens jammed to Aqua's Barbie Girl song. They kept repeating the famous verse: "Come on Barbie, let's go party!"
And for a while, many thought the song was an official representation of the doll manufactured by Mattel. After all, the official music video gives a similar vibe to it.
When Greta Gerwig's Barbie movie was announced, many fans insisted that the song from the Europop band should be included in the Warner Bros. film. But unfortunately, this isn't happening at all.
Addressing the requests, Lene Nystrøm's (Aqua's lead singer) manager, Ulrich Møller-Jørgensen told Variety magazine:
“The song will not be used in the movie."
Nystrøm also commented:
"I totally understand why they didn't use it, but it's going to bring us a lot of attention, no matter what."
The manager did not exactly explain why the band's famous song will not be included in the Barbie movie. But without going into specifics, the band was previously scrutinized by Mattel for making a song out of their product.
On May 26, 2023, Aqua made an important announcement on its Facebook page:
As it turns out, their hit song, Barbie Girl, will now be part of the film. You can also spot the song in a deconstructed arrangement in the end of the new Barbie film trailer below:
Why Did Mattel File a Lawsuit Against Aqua?
Back in 1997, Aqua's song was a huge hit. They managed to sell more than 1.4 million copies in the US and topped the UK singles charts for a month.
The success, however, was short-lived since Mattel filed a lawsuit against MCA Records for distributing the track in the US. The toy company filed a trademark infringement against them.
Mainly, the beef that Mattel had with the song was how its suggestive lyrics harmed its wholesome brand. In their filing, they noted that the song was about a "promiscuous Barbie doll sing[ing] in a flirtatious tone."
It wasn't only the misrepresentation of Barbie they had a problem, since Mattel also noted that the Ken doll responded "kiss me here, touch me there."
Additionally, Mattel complained about the scene from the music video where Ken (played by René Dif, Aqua's vocalist) pulls off Barbie's (played by Lene Nystrøm) arm accidentally.
Mattel said:
“The video features the Ken doll dismembering the Barbie doll by pulling off her arm."
In its response, MCA Records claimed that the song was a parody that was covered by the First Amendment. They also filed a lawsuit for defamation over the statements Mattel made.
Mattel's spokesperson said:
“Even if we found the lyrics acceptable, we would be filing this suit because the song was published and distributed without our permission and certainly without our notification. They are referring to this song as upbeat and fun, and it’s really our belief that unlawful exploitation of another company’s property for one’s own commercial gain is neither upbeat or fun. It’s theft.”
Who Won the Lawsuit?
The United States District Court in California dismissed the claims made by both parties:
“Mattel’s statements were non-actionable hyperbole.” The song was also found to be a parody that poked “fun at both her and the plastic values she represents.”
The toy manufacturer tried to appeal the decision but was advised by Judge Alex Kozinski that "the parties are advised to chill."
What Songs Are in Barbie Movie?
So now that we know Aqua's Barbie Girl will not be included in the movie, what songs will be part of its soundtrack?
Right now, the official soundtrack has not yet been released by Warner Bros. But there are reports that Dua Lipa has a few songs that are included in the soundtrack.
More importantly, the singer also stars in the movie as Mermaid Barbie. She was seen in the teaser wearing a tail and blue hair.
We'll know more about the soundtrack once the movie comes out on July 21, 2023. In the meantime, check out this trailer and see if you can spot Dua Lipa.
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