After the summer blockbuster success of BarbieFans everywhere are singing “I’m Just Ken” with Ryan Gosling. Songwriters Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt shared how the song evolved into such a powerful anthem at Deadline’s Sound and Screen event on Thursday.
Ronson said he thought about the line, “I’m only Ken, anywhere else I’d be a 10” and thought, “That’s so sad.”
“The Ken character just stuck his goofy hooks into me,” Ronson said. “It’s so great to write a song about the tragic person who doesn’t get what they want in the movie.”
Ronson called frequent collaborator Wyatt for help. When they played the song for director Greta Gerwig, she said she wanted to see the film it was from. Ronson reminded her: “It’s your movie. You can get it.”
Gerwig then played the song for Gosling, who said he had a deep connection to it.
“I asked, ‘Was he being sarcastic?'” Ronson said.
Gosling was serious and they rewrote the song to accommodate him. In the film, Ken and his rival Ken (Simu Liu) engage in a dance battle during the song’s bridge and then close with a triumphant verse.
“Greta was like, ‘Instead of ‘I’m just Ken, like nobody likes me,’ it could be like, ‘I’m just Ken, can you hear me roar?'” Ronson said.
Wyatt said he would collaborate with Ronson on any song, regardless of whether it was a blockbuster Barbie or a small indie.
“Even if we didn’t make the biggest movie in the world, even if we only made a movie that was seen by 15 people, I’ll still cherish the time we spent in a studio together,” Wyatt said .
Conversely, Ronson said they wrote “Dance the Night,” the song the Barbies dance to, in the first week so the cast could rehearse the choreography.
Dua Lipa sings “Dance the Night.” Ronson said artists signed up because they were fans of Gerwig.
Billie Eilish and Finneas wrote a song for Barbie, “What Was I Made For?” – who received multiple Grammy nominations, including Song and Record of the Year – as did Charli XCX. Ronson and Wyatt also wrote a song for Lizzo to open the film.
“They had to do a lot of hard work,” Ronson said. “Lizzo has to prepare the whole intro of the film and Charlie has to do an office chase through Mattel. Everyone did their own thing.”
Come back on Monday for the panel video.
Source: Deadline
Ashley Root is an author and celebrity journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a keen eye for all things celebrity, Ashley is always up-to-date on the latest gossip and trends in the world of entertainment.
