Aqua's 15th Anniversary

Fifteen years ago today, history was made. Well, for me anyway. Way back in 1996 (That would make me five) a few then unknown musically gifted people had nearly given up on making music. They had been in a band together before. Under the name Joyspeed they had released a song "Itzy Bitzy Spider", a catchy techno take on the classic children's song. It did decently on the charts, but the disappointed foursome were not impressed. Giving it one more go, they reformed sometime later and changed the name to Aqua. On September 16th (That would make it the 15th here, but that is a bit irrelevant for now) they released the smash hit "Roses Are Red".

Wow. Talk about a blast from the past. They all look so different now, it's unreal! That was fifteen years ago. The track blew the charts away across Europe, hitting the number one spot in Denmark, and hitting the top ten in countless others. The song had an undeniable sound that wasn't going to shy away so easily. This was the hit they had been looking for. This was it.

I can't say that I was a part of the initial Aqua movement. I, much like most other North Americans, didn't find out about Aqua until a year later when "Barbie Girl" exploded onto the scene, but give me a break. How do you expect a six year old with no internet access to keep up with all the latest Scandinavian trends? Needless to say, after Aquarium hit shelves, I begged my mother to buy me a copy, and since I was spoiled rotten, she did so. The album blew me away and "Roses Are Red" was a definite favorite of mine. Aqua has been the longest lasting obsession I have had in my life. That said, it must be obvious that they are my favorite band, and I may be a little partial to them in future reviews.

Getting back on topic, today just has a very awesome feel to it. These guys have been with me (in musical spirit) for over half of my life. Sure they were broken up for seven years or so, but they did a lot in the time they were together, and have done so much more since they have reunited. I've gone through extreme lengths to find demos and crappy live recordings, and I have stayed up all night waiting for the new videos to be posted. It all comes back to this song: To the beginning of Aqua.

As a reminder to all their fans, Aqua posted an amusing message on their facebook account.

"A little humble celebration today : on September 16th – 1996 precisely

15th years ago today – ”Roses Are Red” hit the record stores in Denmark 

(yeah that was the major sales channel at that time) - our very first single under

the name Aqua with a funky green cover … on a funny note – the reversed very 

catchy part of "Dum di da di da” in the song, was actually put in due to the

fact that we didn’t have time to record all the parts with Lene, since she had to go

to Norway – so we had to be creative with the vocal parts she had already

put down … So today is actually the 15th anniversary of Aqua as a 

recording artist … Cheers!"

I guess that finally puts to rest the arguing over what the reversed part of the song says. The group has made a huge impact on my life. Lene's iconic voice has always stuck with me. Rene was my first mancrush (Don't tell anyone, ok?). Soren and Claus have been my standard of amazing production and quality. I think they realized that they had something amazing that they couldn't all do separately -- that reuniting again as Aqua was inevitable. With the video shoot for "Playmate to Jesus" already shot and the new studio album "Megalomania" dropping October 3rd, I don't think Aqua is going away any time soon.

Now,  where do I go to complain that "High-Fi", "Couch Potato" and "Here Comes The Birds" are not on the new album?