Aqua go goth

A few months ago, Aqua returned with a greatest hits album and a new single, "Back To The 80s". It's a fun, frivolous piece of nostalgia. And I love the irony of a group from the 90s paying tribute to the 80s with a single in the 00s.



I figured "Greatest Hits" would never get a US release. And I knew better than to think any radio station would support the single. After all, the US market, traditionally bereft of tongue in cheek humor, certainly wouldn't get a giggle from the lyric, "When Michael Jackson's skin was black". And in light of recent events, it would almost seem blasphemous regardless of the date stamp on the recording.

Well, Aqua's hits collection was released this week in the US. But if you listen to "Back To The 80s" you'll notice the Michael Jackson line has been switched out and replaced with "When Arnie told us, "I'll be back."" I would post the video but Universal has this terrible habit of disabling the embedding function on their clips. Of course, THAT is the smartest way to promote music. Anyway, with the new lyric inserted, I think it's interesting that they chose to dub the video the "international version" when the US is the only territory that required the line change is the US. Oh, how we laugh.

Well, from bright, colorful and nostalgic to stark, dark and eerie, Aqua have returned with a second single from their greatest hits longplayer. "My Mamma Said" sees the Danish foursome clad in black, seated at a white dining table in a gray room with the floor covered in dead leaves while they feast on raw meat. Sexy and twisted!