Mark Ronson, who wrote and produced the iconic song ‘I’m Just Ken’ for the film Barbie, has revealed that the track almost didn’t make it to the final cut due to fears that it “wasn’t working”. Ryan Gosling performed the song, which has been nominated for Best Original Song at this year’s Oscars. Ronson said he believed the song helped young boys realise that “it’s OK to be runner-up”. He added that the internet has caused a level of isolation in boys, and that male camaraderie and sharing feelings is positive.
Ronson said that the song had helped his friend’s eight year old son, who broke up with a girlfriend, because he said, “It’s OK, because Ken got broken up with by Barbie.” Co-writer Andrew Wyatt called the track “unbridled. Like Total Eclipse of the Heart. These are songs in which someone takes their emotions so seriously that they feel comfortable taking up a huge amount of space to make sure everyone knows they are upset.” ‘I’m Just Ken’ was almost cut from the film after the first test screening because the humour wasn’t translating. Director Greta Gerwig said that she needed the song “with every inch of my body,” leading to a final decision to keep it in.
While the film received eight Oscar nominations in total, including Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay, Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig missed out on nominations for Best Actress and Best Director, receiving backlash from fans. NME reviewed the Barbie soundtrack, highlighting Gosling’s performance as the “biggest wild card”: “If you can sincerely belt the words ‘blonde fragility’ in a glam power ballad and hit every single note – my God, you Ken do anything in life.”
Read the full article on NME here: Read More