Lene Nystrøm, the lead singer of Aqua (in case you’re not a first name basis with Norwegian superstars), wields her high-pitched voice for optimum incisiveness while screeching the chorus, “I’m a Barbie girl in a Barbie world/Like in plastic, it’s fantastic.” Though many might see this as a feministic declaration of owning her plastic, material existence, it is very much a caustic assessment of women who can’t resist the easy temptations of superficiality.
The lyrics continue to sarcastically outline how pliable Barbie (the everywoman in terms of personality, though not necessarily a realistic aesthetic) is as Nystrøm sings, “You can brush my hair, undress me everywhere/Imagination, life is your creation.” By making fun of how willing Barbie is to let herself be molded, particularly by a man, Nystrøm illuminates her pathetic lack of identity.
By the end of the track, Nystrøm takes the derision up a notch with “I’m a blond bimbo girl, in a fantasy world/Dress me up, make it tight, I’m your dolly.” Hitting home the point that Barbie has absolutely no will of her own other than to acquire possessions using her looks/pussy (if you can call her non-anatomically correct vagina that), Nystrøm makes it clear that the only type of woman who could ever aspire to be like Barbie is a daft, soulless one.
