A back-and-forth ensued for about five years, with lower courts rejecting Mattel’s claims, Mattel regularly appealing, and MCA Records filing a counterclaim against Mattel for defamation. Eventually, Mattel brought the case to the US Supreme Court, where it was ultimately dismissed in 2002, with a judge ruling the song was protected under the group’s right to freedom of expression.

“They filed a lawsuit against us and now karma has come back,” says René Dif, who refers to himself as “the real Ken”, before joking that Mattel should create “a little orchestral trio” inspired by Aqua.

But Lene Nystrøm, who plays Barbie in the Barbie Girl video clip, says their relationship with Mattel hasn’t been as heated as many assume, noting the 2009 Fab Girl Barbie commercial that licensed their song (notably, the company created a sanitised version of it).

“Mattel may have [filed the lawsuit] to get some commercial benefit, but both sides got something out of it,” Nystrøm says.

Around the time of the commercial, Mattel’s sales were slumping, triggering a management restructure. The new team seemed to adopt a more welcoming approach towards Aqua. “We were not always in love with one another,” Mattel’s senior vice president for marketing of Barbie told The New York Times at the time. “But the beauty of Barbie is [she gets] to kiss and make up.”

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Kiss and make up they did. Barbie World has been nominated for two Grammys (best rap song and best song written for visual media) – Aqua’s first Grammy nods. But even though their monthly listeners on streaming services have increased and they’ve been introduced to an entirely new audience – hip-hop fans – Rasted says they’re still the same Aqua they were in 1997.

“It has given us more airplay, but that’s Monopoly money,” he says. “We just did a big American tour in November and December, and I don’t think the movie had any impact on the concerts. We did 82 shows last year.”

Nystrøm says they expect the same when they headline the Australian 90s Tour in March, which will include other nostalgic bands like 2 Unlimited and Urban Cookie Collective. “It’s definitely the hardcore fan base that come to our concerts, the people who’ve been wanting to see us for years, very devoted people.”

How have they managed to maintain such a loyal following, irrespective of cultural phenomena like Barbie? “People need more happiness in their lives with everything that’s going on – that easy-going, great-sounding pop music that in many ways people can relate to,” Dif says.

There’s also the fact that many of the kids who bopped along to ’90s pop are now leading culture-makers and consumers. Millennial nostalgia plays a powerful part in breathing new life into decades-old hits.

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Rasted agrees, noting we’re on the precipice of a ’90s pop resurgence, which will only gain momentum as more artists interpolate nostalgic classics like Barbie Girl, and mainstream smashes like Barbie weave them into soundtracks.

From lawsuits to Grammy nominations, it’s been a long ride for a song originally conceived as a parody of the world’s most famous doll. As the trio reminisces, they can’t help laughing about what came of a track that was meant to be – and still is – “just a bit of fun”. It’s clear Mattel’s opinion will never be the be-all and end-all.

“We just sound good at the moment,” says Rasted. “We’re in a good rhythm.”

Mattel was contacted for comment but did not respond in time for publication.

Aqua will headline the 90s Tour at Melbourne’s John Cain Arena on March 22 and at Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena on March 24.

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