‘Barbie Girl.’ Almost a one hit wonder for Aqua in the 90s which was replete with questionable gender stereotypes and a man who didn’t sound or act like Ken at all. Oh and it really annoyed a lot of people. Probably because it was high-pitched and squealy. Maybe.
So really, you’ve got to have some guts to cover ‘Barbie Girl.’ People are probably going to think you’re crazy. But Danish pop maestro Kill J has done it and she’s put such a sinister spin on the track that it’s hard not to love it. Instead of the bubblegum power-pop that showered the original version, she’s adopted a sometimes brash electronic squall that pretty much all but avoids the chorus. What results is a deeply menacing take that implicitly challenges some of the more questionable elements of the song, channelling it all into what she calls a “dystopian vision.”
Listen to ‘Barbie Girl’ below.