1997 Aqua: Barbie Girl

More of that Eurodance stuff, this time a Denmark/Norway hybrid. Whilst most tracks of this ilk come with a 'well at least it's fun' caveat, I can't find much to enjoy in the Zebedee bounce and cartoon grin that 'Barbie Girl' injects straight into my eyeball. No, like a ringtone from Hades 'Barbie Girl' pulsates with a hard wired annoyance that's aided and abetted by Lene Nystrøm's helium soaked, toy like vocal that's too pleased with itself by half. True the "I'm a Barbie girl in the Barbie world. Life in plastic, it's fantastic" offers a veneer of satire that in part excuses its relentless repetition and lifts it out of itself to a degree, but let's not kid ourselves that we're dealing with Rabelais here, and with a message so vague, it's questionable as to who the dig is aimed at (or if it even is a dig in the first place). 'Barbie Girl' is as chunky and primary coloured as stickle bricks; fine for small hands, but of limited appeal to anybody old enough to find the idea of scoffing a five pound bag of sherbet at one sitting nauseating. Very limited.