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'This Feels Like The Right Moment To Say Goodbye': Aqua Announce Disbandment

Mary Varvaris

“After many incredible years, we have decided to close the chapter of AQUA as a live band,” the group shared.

Aqua
Aqua(Credit: Gudmund Thai/Press)
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Danish-Norwegian eurodance group Aqua have called it quits one year after their 40th anniversary.

The party-starters announced their disbandment via a statement on social media, where they said, “This feels like the right moment to say goodbye”. They also admitted that there comes a time when a band knows “it’s time to protect what you’ve created together.”

Aqua formed in Copenhagen in 1995. Best known for their 1997 single, Barbie Girl, the group released three albums: Aquarium in 1997, Aquarius in 2000 and Megalomania in 2011. They sold an estimated 33 million albums and singles, making them the most commercially successful Danish band of all time.

“After many incredible years, we have decided to close the chapter of AQUA as a live band,” the group wrote on Instagram. “AQUA has been such a huge part of our lives, and together we’ve had the chance to experience more than we ever dared to dream of.”

They continued, “We’ve traveled the world countless times, met so many wonderful people, sung together with millions of you, and shared memories that we will carry with us forever.

“When you’ve been together for this long, you also learn when it’s time to protect what you’ve created together. For us, this feels like the right moment to say goodbye, while the memories are still strong, and while the love for the music, the story, and each other remains intact.

“From the bottom of our hearts: thank you to everyone who has been part of this journey over the past 30 years. Thank you for the love, the energy, the support, and for all the moments we’ve shared together.”

Aqua concluded their post by sharing “nothing but love and gratitude from here on,” which was signed by its longtime three members: Søren, Lene and René.

In 2023, Aqua experienced a resurgence after Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice reworked Barbie Girl for the Barbie film starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling. Last year, it was announced that the band would be the subject of a musical debuting in Copenhagen in 2028.

Aqua last toured Australia in March 2024 for their first shows in the country since 2019.