Dua Lipa and Mark Ronson on How Barbie’s ‘Existential Crisis’ Made Her ‘Dance the Night’: The Story Behind the Song – Crew Call Podcast

Did disco ever go out of style? Not if you ask Mark Ronson and Dua Lipa, the forces behind the soundtrack to this year’s No.1 hit: Barbie. They notably co-wrote the album’s first single, “Dance the Night”, sung by the Anglo-Albanian singer.

At a time when no. 1 movies don’t always have the best soundtracks, the hip, catchy, string-driven song took on a life of its own, becoming a summer anthem and earning Grammy nominations for Song of the Year. and Best Song Written for Visual Media. In the United States, “Dance the Night” reached number 6 on the US charts Billboard Hot 100, becomes Lipa’s fifth top ten single.

As light and airy as “Dance the Night” sounds, says Ronson, who won an Oscar for the original song “Shallow”. a star is born says the single was “the longest I’ve ever worked on a song.”

The song was a starting point for Ronson to produce and compose the song Barbie Soundtrack; For the first time, the 7-time Grammy winner was tasked with curating an entire collection for a major motion picture. The album is full of singles from the killer roster including Billie Eilish, Lizzo, Nicki Minaj, Sam Smith and more.

Hear below as Lipa and Ronson describe their process, what’s next for them, and details on the singer’s upcoming album DL3.

Ronson was commissioned by music producer George Drakoulias, who wrote one word to the British musician and producer: “Barbie?” The film producer Greta Gerwig needed a “disco banger” at the beginning of the film, which was to be shot in two weeks. Ronson brought along Lipa, the duo who previously worked on her single “Electricity.”

Although Lipa is known for her finesse and brilliance in producing hits quickly, she admits, “On my first two records, I probably didn’t have the confidence to go back to a song and really fight for it like we did. for “Dance the Night.” Whatever I got that day (in the past) was probably the best thing ever.

“The more I work, the more I deepen my art, the more I write, the more time I spend with great artists, songwriters and producers, the more I learn and become more confident,” she explains on today’s Crew Call.

I’m talking about her unique disco style and marrying it BarbieLipa explains: “My favorite thing to do is dance and cry, it’s honestly my favorite genre ever. The idea of ​​experiencing this combination of very, very happy moments not only has underlying thoughts of death, but at the same time you’re trying to juggle the idea that Barbie doesn’t want to upset anyone, she has these thoughts, she doesn’t know who even though she has to go, she tries to smile through the pain; All these things happen and it’s all confusing. How can we tell?”

Another touchstone for “Dance the Night,” Lipa said, is what she calls “Barbie’s best day ever.”

“We talked about how Barbie is basically in an existential crisis and her whole life is upside down from that point on. How does this song become a turning point for the film that tells what will happen?”

How did Lipa and Ronson get there? “We started with the melody,” she says.

As for the history of disco songs at the Oscars, the genre includes notable hits like Donna Summer’s 1978 “Last Dance.” Luckily it’s Friday“Fame,” the theme song for the 1980 film of the same name, and 1983’s “Flashdance…What a Feeling” flash danceEveryone took home the trophies for the best songs.

However, keep an eye out for the disco who rocks his white jacket again at this year’s Oscars with “Dance the Night”. Ronson and Lipa co-wrote the song with Andrew Wyatt and Caroline Ailin.

Below are the lyrics to “Dance the Night”:

Baby, you can find me under the lights
Diamonds under my eyes
Pick up the pace, you don’t want to
Do you want to go for a ride?
Oh, my outfit is so tight
Tonight you can see my heartbeat
I can handle the heat, baby, you better believe it
This is the moment I shine

Because every romance trembles and bends
no problem
When the night comes, I don’t cry
Honey, no chance

I could dance, I could dance, I could dance

Watch me dance, dance all night long
My heart may be burning, but you won’t see it on my face
Watch me dance, dance all night (Uh-huh)
I’ll still keep the party going, not a hair out of place

Lately I’ve been getting closer to the edge
I still look good
I will stay the course, you can count on me
I don’t miss any steps

Because every romance trembles and bends
no problem
When the night comes, I don’t cry
Honey, no chance

I could dance, I could dance, I could dance

Watch me dance, dance all night long
My heart may be burning, but you won’t see it on my face
Watch me dance, dance all night (Uh-huh)
I’ll still keep the party going, not a hair out of place

When my heart breaks (You never see it, never see it)
When my world shakes (I feel alive, I feel alive)
I don’t play it safe (Ooh), don’t you know about me? (Uh huh)
I could dance, I could dance, I could dance

Even when the tears flow, they are like diamonds on my face
I’ll still keep the party going, not a hair out of place (Yeah, you can)
Even when the tears fall, they’re diamonds on my face (Yes I can, yes I can)
I will make sure the party goes on without missing a hair

Watch me dance, dance all night (Uh-huh)
My heart may be burning, but you won’t see it on my face
Watch me dance (dance), dance all night (Uh-huh)
I still make sure the party goes on and not a hair falls out of place

When my heart breaks (You never see it, never see it)
When my world shakes (I feel alive, I feel alive)
I don’t play it safe, don’t you know anything about me? (Uh huh)
I could dance, I could dance, I could dance

Dance the night away