Australian pop duo Dreaming Soda explore Barbie as a tool for queer expression with their upcoming single: “Kissing Stacey”.

words by Kate South

The Barbie Dolls are like blank canvases. By the very nature of the mission statement that Barbie can be anything, by playing with Barbie Dolls, young people can project themselves into myriad roles and possibilities. This allows for an exploration of identities, both within a capitalist framework (i.e. getting a high powered job, buying lots of clothes, having a ‘dream house’), but also through the subversion of these stereotypical roles by making Barbie do something which according to heteronormative frameworks she ‘shouldn’t’. For example, kissing Stacey. 

Australian pop duo Dreaming Soda, equipped with an all-pink, y2k pop-rock aesthetic,have set out to write a song that encapsulates how queer identities can be explored through these dolls. Despite the fact that Barbie seemingly epitomises heteronormative values, their song interrogates the way young people explore identity through the toys they play with, and how we reflect on the way we played with toys once we have grown up. After all, if Barbie can be anything, then there is no reason why Barbie can’t be queer. 

Their song, “Kissing Stacey”, is a playful indie-pop release that takes a tongue-in-cheek look at Barbie as both the plastic capitalist with an infinite wardrobe and the self-expressive play tool. Written in 2022, the song has since become a live favourite at shows across Sydney and Melbourne. Thanks to two successful Kickstarter campaigns, the song is finally being released into the world fully produced and mastered at Hercules Studios by Tim McCartney and Becki Whitton. The Dreaming Soda duo cites influences of St Vincent, CHVRCHES, and SUPERORGANISM, with “Kissing Stacy” possessing a distinctive electro-pop sound. After three years of hardwork, the track is polished to perfection and ready to blast out of your 2004 novelty Bratz lips speaker.

Ella Sterland, one half of Dreaming Soda who also performs under the name artist name Ella Minnow, explains the inspiration behind the track: “In 2022 I stumbled across one of the greatest youtube videos of all time, Overanalyzing the Barbie Movies with Queer Marxist Theory by Alexander Avila”. The video, which explored the Barbie Dolls as canvases for self-expression including the exploration of queer identities, inspired her to write a pop track to capture the confusion that often comes with experimenting while growing up. While there was a temptation to add the song to their 2022 EP, Just Before The Internet, Dreaming Soda saved the track till now, giving it its own spotlight. Committed to world building, the duo have also planned for the single to be accompanied by a mixed media animated lyric video, a professionally filmed music video, and a social media sketch series leading up to the release. And that’s not all! Two more beloved fan favourite tracks, “Martian Boy” and “Lemmings”, are planned for release later this year. Keep an eye out on their social media for more.

The Dreaming Soda duo, completed by Renee Stein, can be heard by Aussie Starfreaks in local venues such as Northcote Social Club, Oxford Art Factory, The Leadbeater, and other iconic local bars in Melbourne. Bound to be your new favourite kids on the block, Dreaming Soda is a nostalgic, chaos-pop outfit who write tracks about all those niche memories from growing up just before the internet. With nostalgic indie pop songs like “Kissing Stacey”, Dreaming Soda pays homage to little moments that are strangely universal, and how we look back at them now we are all grown up. 

“Kissing Stacey” is available on streaming services from September 20th.

photos by @alessiapozzi_photography