Mark Ronson says that ‘I’m Just Ken’ has helped “young boys emotionally”
Mark Ronson has said that the song he co-wrote for the Barbie Movie, ‘I’m Just Ken’, has helped young boys in an emotional way.
The renowned producer – famed for his work with Amy Winehouse and the hit track ‘Uptown Funk’ – co-wrote the song for the soundtrack to the hit 2023 blockbuster, with leading man Ryan Gosling taking on the vocals as the character of Ken.
Now, Ronson has explained how he thinks the song’s lyrics about Ken’s unrequited love for Barbie may have impacted people dealing with rejection in the real world.
“I know I’ll sound like David Brent, but the song helped young boys,” he told The Times (via Music News) during a new interview, referring to the fictitious character played by Ricky Gervais.
“My friend’s eight-year-old got broken up with and he said, ‘It’s OK, because Ken got broken up with by Barbie.’ The song tells boys that it’s OK to be runner-up,” he added.
“The internet’s caused a level of isolation in boys and this idea of male camaraderie and sharing your feelings is a nice and unexpected thing to come out of it.”
Last night, Ronson and Gosling took to the stage at the 2024 Oscars to perform the track live, following weeks of uncertainty about whether the two would perform it at the ceremony.
Gosling took to the stage clad in an all-pink Barbie-inspired outfit while Ronson played the guitar. During the performance, Gosling’s cast mates Simu Liu, Ncuti Gatwa, Kingsley Ben-Adir and Scott Evans joined him to dance onstage.
Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash also took part in the rendition, ripping through a guitar solo with Wolfgang Van Halen. Gosling also handed the mic to Barbie director Greta Gerwig, Barbie herself, Margot Robbie, and America Ferrera to sing along. Gosling’s La La Land co-star Emma Stone also chimed in.
Earlier during the awards show, Billie Eilish and Finneas took to the stage to perform the Barbie cut ‘What Was I Made For’, and following both performances, the siblings won the award for Best Song for the same track.
The performance of ‘I’m Just Ken’ at the Oscars came shortly after Ronson revealed that the hit song almost didn’t make it to the final cut of Barbie amid concern that it “wasn’t working”.
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Liberty Dunworth
NME
