Greta Gerwig’s Barbie movie has taken the internet by storm, but it’s Ryan Gosling‘s performance as Ken that has become the real talking point among fans.
The satirical comedy, which is adapted from the popular Mattel toy franchise, was released on Friday (July 21). It stars Margot Robbie as the titular doll and follows her journey from Barbie Land to the real world. There, she and Ken soon discover the joys and perils of living among humans.
During the film’s third act, Gosling performs the original song ‘I’m Just Ken’, in which he sings about his unrequited love for Barbie. The track and accompanying dance number has been noted by many as the film’s main highlight.
Did Ryan Gosling really sing in Barbie?
Gosling did indeed sing ‘I’m Just Ken’. In fact, Mark Ronson, who worked on the film’s soundtrack, revealed that the actor actually volunteered to perform the song.
Ronson wrote the track without knowing if Gosling would perform it in the film. But after hearing it, the actor immediately agreed to fly over to London and record the vocals.
Speaking to Vanity Fair, Mark said of Ryan’s singing skills: “He really got [that] it had to walk this line of not being funny or parody. But obviously, the song is also kind of ridiculous at times. So he was really amazing, and when he really did start hitting the big notes, I was like, this dude is a vocal powerhouse!”
In a four-star review of Barbie, NME wrote: “What follows is a nuanced, rose-tinted comedy adventure, set to a stonking pop soundtrack featuring Lizzo and Billie Eilish, that somehow lives up to the immense hype. To borrow a pun from Ken’s coolest jacket (out of a long lineup), Barbie is more than ‘kenough’.”
