When Barbie hit theaters this summer, it felt more like a cultural moment than just a movie. The marketing campaign alone made the film ingrained in every aspect of our lives. Celebs couldn’t stop wearing Barbiecore outfits, embracing the “Barbie Girl” inside of us all, and the catchy soundtrack can be heard everywhere. One of the most surprising songs to hit big on the soundtrack was the ballad “I’m Just Ken.” In the movie, Ryan Gosling sings the tune, lamenting about the trials and tribulations of being Ken. It is one of the funniest moments from Barbie. And now music producer Mark Ronson is revealing how the movie star feels about the attention.
In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Ronson chatted about what went into making the Barbie soundtrack such a big hit. It wasn’t only superstar participation from acts like Billie Eilish, Nicki Minaj, and Dua Lipa, it was also how the music fit into the film. “I’m Just Ken” was one of those songs that just perfectly fit into the context of the movie, and made an already very funny movie even more hilarious. Not to mention, the song is weirdly very catchy. Gosling’s musical talents are getting a whole new level of fame and, according to Ronson, the Drive actor seems pretty taken aback by the whole thing. He revealed:
He kind of feels like someone who doesn’t get caught up in the hype from the little bit that now I know about him. Even he’d be like, ‘This is so surreal, I don’t even know what to tell you.’ I think he’s a real musician, he loves music, and I think he was really touched by that and like when Slash played on it, you know? So there’s certain things that he’s been really, I think, excited about.
For those who have followed Gosling’s wide ranging career, it’s not so surprising that he would showcase this level of musical talent and expertise. He started off by singing and dancing alongside Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake in the Mickey Mouse Club when he was younger, and showed off how truly talented he was by starring in La La Land. The latter had him singing, dancing, and playing piano throughout. Barbie seemed to be just another campy example of how much of a multi-hyphenate the Nice Guys actor truly is.
Gosling is absolutely wonderful in Barbie, and is so perfectly ridiculous that he delivers one of the best, and maybe even Oscar-worthy performances of the year. He also really cared about the character, and talked throughout the press tour about his Kenergy, and how important it was for Ken’s story to be told. All this emotion accumulates to the climactic “I’m Just Ken” sequence that is jaw-dropping. Gosling has a reputation for being a somewhat reserved actor, so seeing him really go for it in Barbie is a real treat.
This “reserved” nature is probably why Ronson thinks Gosling would find all the attention for Barbie to be surreal. It is so well deserved, as the song perfectly captured his character’s feelings throughout the movie. He seems to also be embracing it, as he used the song to create a flash mob for Greta Gerwig’s birthday, and is always game to talk about the beloved character. This is Ryan Gosling’s moment, and he should definitely enjoy it.
You can see Ryan Gosling as “Ken” in Barbie, which is still in the midst of its record-breaking box office run, so check it out on the big screen while you still can. The film is also available to purchase digitally on Amazon.