YMMV / Aqua

• Awesome Music:
  • They may be best known for "Barbie Girl", but one listen to "Turn Back Time", with its more somber sound, reveals just why many have deemed it one of the best pop ballads of the decade.
  • "Roses Are Red" and "We Belong to the Sea" are no slouches either,
• Broken Base: Megalomania received a split reception due to shedding Aqua's fun, cartoony image and bubblegum pop sound in favor of Darker and Edgier modernized electro-pop. Some were glad that the group returned with a fresh, new style, while others feel like they're now too similar to other artists such as Kesha.
• Hilarious in Hindsight: Many have found humor in the fact that, years after attempting to take Aqua to the proverbial woodshed over "Barbie Girl," Mattel started using the song (albeit reworked to remove some of the more questionable content) in their commercials, and had Nicki Minaj sample it for her song "Barbie World", written for the Barbie (2023) movie. Given how catchy the song is and how both little girls and adults alike are at least vaguely familiar with Aqua's signature song (barring the risqué undertones), it would be a waste for Mattel not to tap into "Barbie Girl"'s popularity to promote the brand.
• Nightmare Fuel: The aptly-named Halloween from Aquarius. The lyrics may be rather Narmy, but between Candyman's stalking and Lene's scream at the end, this song can be pretty creepy.
• Signature Song: "Barbie Girl" is by far their biggest hit, to the point where some people view them as a One-Hit Wonder. If someone only knows one song by them, chances are it's this one.
• Tear Jerker: "Turn Back Time". You'd be REALLY surprised at how well the lyrics and music can tug at your heartstrings. "Aquarius", the title track from their second album. "We Belong To The Sea" and "Goodbye To The Circus" from the same album are also very poignant.
• What Do You Mean, It's Not for Kids?: Back in the 90's, "Barbie Girl" was a massive hit that was especially popular with children and pre-teens, despite the sexually charged, Double Entendre-laden lyrics. Mattel actually unsuccessfully tried to sue the group over this. When they later appropriated the song to advertise Barbie dolls, they had to completely change the lyrics to make it appropriate for their target audience of young girls.

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