Aqua, the Barbie Girl hitmakers, announce breakup after 30 years as live band

Aqua, the Danish-Norwegian Eurodance group best known for their global hit Barbie Girl, have announced they are ending their run as a live band after 30 years together.

Members Lene Nystrøm, René Dif, and Søren Rasted shared the news in a joint statement posted on Instagram on Monday, confirming the decision to close this chapter of their career.

Formed in Copenhagen in 1995, Aqua rose to international fame with Barbie Girl, released in 1997 as part of their debut album Aquarium. The track became a defining pop anthem of the late 1990s, topping charts across Europe and reaching the US Billboard Hot 100, helping establish the group as one of Denmark’s most successful musical exports.

The band originally included four members, with Claus Norreen later departing in 2016. After an initial split in the early 2000s, Aqua reunited multiple times over the years and released their final studio album Megalomania in 2011.

Their legacy resurfaced in 2023 when Barbie Girl was sampled in Barbie World by Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice for the Barbie movie soundtrack, introducing the track to a new generation and reigniting global interest.

Aqua’s final live performance took place in November 2025 at the Shillong Cherry Blossom Festival in India, marking the end of an era for one of pop’s most recognisable acts.