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IT'S been 25 years since Danish dance group Aqua stormed the charts with their catchy hit Barbie Girl.

It was their third single that put them on the map in 1997 followed by Doctor Jones shortly after.

 Danish dance group Aqua stormed the charts in 1997 with their catchy hit Barbie Girl
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Danish dance group Aqua stormed the charts in 1997 with their catchy hit Barbie GirlCredit: Redferns

Barbie girl was such a smash that even the makers of the Barbie doll, Mattel, tried to sue the group because they didn't like the sexual nature of the song being linked to the toy.

The lawsuit was eventually dismissed by a judge in 2002, who ruled "the parties are advised to chill".

 Band members Lene Nystrøm and René Dif, keyboardist Søren Rasted and guitarist Claus Norreen
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Band members Lene Nystrøm and René Dif, keyboardist Søren Rasted and guitarist Claus NorreenCredit: Getty Images
 Aqua have aged well over the past two decades
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Aqua have aged well over the past two decadesCredit: Not known, clear with picture desk
 Lene Nystrøm is a youthful 48-year-old
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Lene Nystrøm is a youthful 48-year-oldCredit: Instagram/Aqua.dk

Formed in 1989, the band was made up of singers Lene Nystrøm, René Dif, the spikey-haired keyboardist Søren Rasted and guitarist Claus Norreen.

During the peek of their career, they released their album Aquarium followed by their second album Aquarius in 2000 - but it turned out to be a flop.

Soon after, the band went their separate ways, stating to Billboard: "We have looked each other straight in the eye and reached the conclusion that, for the moment, the spark is missing."

But there were rumours going around that the group's split was actually because of a love triangle between Lene, René and Søren.

Apparently Lene hooked up with band mate René briefly before cheating on him with Søren.

Despite this, the band members remained close and in 2007 Aqua went on a reunion tour.

 They tried to make a comeback in 2007
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They tried to make a comeback in 2007Credit: Scanpix Denmark

In 2011, the band released their third album called Megalomania - but their comeback came to an end the following year after the conclusion of an Australian tour.

Unable to leave the band behind the, Lene, René, and Søren reunited as a three-piece in 2016 with Claus deciding the band's musical style was no longer for him.

They released a new single Rookie in 2018 and are still embracing their novelty 90s hits as they tour the world in front of nostalgia loving crowds.

Here's what they did in between reunions:

Lene Nystrøm

 Lene wrote the Girls Aloud’s No Good Advice trackwhich reached number two in the UK charts
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Lene wrote the Girls Aloud’s No Good Advice trackwhich reached number two in the UK chartsCredit: YouTube / Twitter

In 2001, Lene and bandmate Søren got married in Las Vegas - they now have two kids together.

She released a solo album  in 2003 called Play With Me, featuring the single It's Your Duty- but they never reached the charts.

But she did find success when she wrote Girls Aloud's No Good Advice which reached number two in the UK charts.

Søren Rasted

 Søren now looks unrecognisable
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Søren now looks unrecognisableCredit: YouTube / Twitter

Meanwhile Søren started up his own band called Lazyboy, which according to last.fm, "uses spoken word trivia, self-help advice, voices of people on the street and criticism of modern society set to hip hop-esque beats in a style dubbed 'Rhythm'n'Speak' by the creators."

The group's name was renamed to Lazy B after a sofa brand with the same name kicked up a fuss.

René Dif

 He still looks the same!
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He still looks the same!Credit: YouTube / Twitter

He's now married to a health coach and has a daughter named Mabel.

According to his LinkedIn page, he is the CEO and founder of a "personal snack and salsa brand company" called Diffood.

He also looks like he still DJs according to his Twitter profile pic

Claus Norreen

 Claus has opted for a quieter life
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Claus has opted for a quieter lifeCredit: YouTube / Barcroft Media

Little is known about Claus - the other member of Aqua.

According to his Wikipedia page, he lives a quieter life in London and has a son called Eliot.

 

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