Mark Ronson, a seven-time Grammy award winner, was asked by Greta Gerwig, Noah Baumbach, to write the music for Barbie. His connection to a particular character was immediate, and Ryan Gosling’s “I’m Just Ken”, lyrics, were born.
Ronson said to Vanity Fair, “You fall in love with the hapless but instantly sympathetic character.” “I had an idea instantly for the lyric ‘I’m only Ken/Anywhere else I’d get a 10’. It was funny. It was a bit emo. Poor guy. “He’s so cute but can’t be given the time of day.”
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Ronson, when he wrote “I’m Just Ken”, was unsure how Gerwig and Baumbach would react to the lyrics: “Is my destiny to die and live a life full of blond fragility?” He didn’t even imagine Gosling singing the lyrics. Ronson said, “When I sent my demo, I mumbled the line because I didn’t want Greta or Noah to think I was trying to be funny.” Gerwig was so taken with the lyrics that she sent them on to Gosling. Gosling then wanted to sing the song himself.
Ryan Gosling, Margot Robbie in Barbie
MARGOT ROBBIE AND RYAN GOSLING IN BARBIEWARNER BOS. /COURTESY OF THE EVERETT COLLECTION
Ronson didn’t worry about Gosling’s singing ability because he was a Mouseketeer (he had also demonstrated his vocal skills in La La Land), but Gosling’s “subdued” baritone gave Ronson pause. Ronson was not worried. He says that Ronson “really got” the need to balance between being funny and parody. “But the song can be a bit ridiculous at times.” He was amazing and when he started hitting the big note, I thought, “This dude is a voice powerhouse!” Ronson chose to “take it the whole way” and brought in Guns N’ Roses guitar Slash, as well as new Foo Fighters drummer Josh Freese, who replaced the late Taylor Hawkins, to play on the song.
The Barbie The Album includes tracks by a diverse group of artists, including Fifty Fifty and Charli XCX. Other artists include PinkPantheress (Karol G), Dua Lipa (Lizzo), Ava Max (Dominic Fike), Khalid, The Kid LAROI(Khalid), HAIM, GAYLE, and Tame Impala.
Amy Schumer, the comedian who was initially attached to play Barbie in 2023, backed out due to creative differences. The Hollywood Reporter reported that she later dropped out of the project due to creative disagreements. In 2019, Robbie’s role as Barbie was confirmed. Robbie said to Variety in July 2023 that playing the iconic Barbie doll comes with “a lot of baggage”. “And lots of nostalgia connections.” There are many exciting ways to approach it. “People hear Barbie, they think, “I know what the movie will be,” and when they learn that Greta Gerwig wrote and directed it, they are like, “Oh, well, perhaps I don’t.”
Gosling was more honest about his role as Ken in April at CinemaCon 2023. “I must be honest. I knew Ken only from afar until now. I didn’t really know Ken. “I doubted Kenergy,” said he. I didn’t see this, but Margot or Greta somehow conjured it out of me. “One day, I was wearing pink outfits and bespoke pink outfits and rollerblading along Venice Beach while bleaching my hair and shaving my legs.”
The lyrics to “I’m Just Ken”.
It doesn’t matter what I do
I’m always number two
No one knows what I did, but I sure tried.
What are my feelings?
They’re driving me crazy
I have never been treated so well in my entire life
Tonight I will sleep alone
[Chorus]
Because I’m only Ken
If I lived anywhere else, I would be a 10
Does it become my destiny to be a blonde fragile woman?
I’m Ken
Where I see love she sees a good friend
What will it take to make her see me as the man beneath the tan?
[Verse 2]
What is there to know?
Feel the real thing
Does it matter if I get hot when I am in my feelings?
What is the final destination of my dream?
I’m no dreamer
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[Bridge]
Ken-energy: Can you feel it?
Feels so real, I guarantee
Ken-energy: Can you feel it?
Feels so real, I guarantee
[Chorus]
I’m Ken
If I lived anywhere else, I would be a 10
Does it become my destiny to be a blonde fragile woman?
I’m Ken
Where I see love she sees a good friend
What will it take to make her see me as the man beneath the tan?
[Outro]
Ken is all I need.
And I’m great at doing stuff
Check me out! I’m Ken
Ken is my name and I am Ken
The heavy-haired mind
So hey, check me out, I’m just Ken
Baby, I am just Ken
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Billie Eilish composed “What I Was Made for” and directed the music video. Zane Low of Apple Music explained the writing process to her: “We sat down, Finneas played the piano and those first two lyrics, “I used float, but now I fall down,” came out right …”I’m no longer sure what I was meant for.”
She went on to say, “Finneas and myself, particularly me, because this is from my perspective, were only thinking of Barbie when we started writing the song. “I didn’t think about myself at all during the writing process,” she said. “I was inspired by the movie, this character, and how I imagined she would feel. And wrote about it.”
Billie described it as one of the most amazing experiences of her lifetime. The next week, I played it all day in my car and for everyone. “This is how I feel,” I said. “I didn’t mean to say it.” It was the most surreal experience I have ever had. I thought, “oh, yes, I am writing about me, but from a third-person perspective.” I thought about myself objectively which made me feel connected to her and me.”
Barbie The Album tracklist
- Lizzo – Pink
- Dua Lipa Dance The Night
- Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice – Barbie World (with Aqua).
- Charli Speed Drive
- KAROL G – WATATI Aldo Ranks)
- Sam Smith – Man I Am
- Tame Impala: Journey to the Real World
- Ryan Gosling I’m just Ken
- Dominic Fike Hey Blondie
- HAIM – Home
- Billie Eilish – What Was I Made For?
- The Kid LAROI – Forever & Again
- Khalid Platter – Silver
- PinkPantheress Angel
- GAYLE – Butterflies
- Ava Max – Choose Your Fighter
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