Celebrity
Everything To Know About The Star-Studded Barbie Soundtrack
The Barbie soundtrack has as many A-listers as the film itself.
Taylor Swift’s Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) has some competition for album of the summer, and it comes courtesy of Barbie. Yes, the Barbie soundtrack will likely be played on an endless loop, if the amount of A-list artists and up-and-comers featured on the highly anticipated record is any indication.
Barbie director Greta Gerwig enlisted Mark Ronson, who’s worked with the likes of Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, and Bruno Mars, to helm the soundtrack, which plays a pivotal part in the film. “You’re hearing lyrics that are responding to what’s happening onscreen, so the music became more than just music — it became a device to enhance what the audience was watching and experiencing, and got to be the voice of the audience,” star Margot Robbie told Rolling Stone in June.
According to Ronson, he was instructed to write a “showstopping pop number for a highly choreographed dance scene, and a big ’80s-style power ballad for Ken.” That first assignment led to the disco jam “Dance the Night,” which went to one of the film’s stars, Dua Lipa, and was released as the soundtrack’s lead single in May.
As for Ken’s power ballad? Ryan Gosling sang it himself, and fans are already calling for it to win an Oscar. The rest of the lineup came naturally as Barbie was in its editing stages, with Ronson and Gerwig introducing the movie to a new artist on their wishlist “weekly” — but only allowing them to watch select scenes for inspiration.
Read on for everything you need to know about the Barbie soundtrack.
What Artists Are On The Barbie Soundtrack?
On May 25, Rolling Stone unveiled the impressive lineup of artists that will be featured on the Barbie soundtrack. The A-list roster includes Lizzo, Nicki Minaj, Charli XCX, Karol G, HAIM, Dominic Fike, Ice Spice, Khalid, PinkPantheress, Tame Impala, GAYLE, Fifty Fifty, Ava Max, The Kid Laroi, and Kali. Aqua’s seminal hit “Barbie Girl” is also featured on the soundtrack as a sample on Minaj and Ice Spice’s collab. And of course, Gosling sings an epic power ballad written for the film, “I’m Just Ken.”
However, there were two mystery artists that were yet to be revealed at the time of the announcement. After teasing Barbie on her social media, Billie Eilish was confirmed as the first remaining artist on July 6, with the singer revealing that she had written a song titled “What Was I Made For?” alongside her brother and collaborator Finneas. “We made this song for Barbie and it means the absolute worrrrllld to me,” she wrote, in all capital letters. “This movie is gonna change ur lives and hopefully the song will too. Get ready to sob.”
On July 10, Sam Smith was revealed as the soundtrack’s final artist, who said that their song was inspired by none other than Ken. “I cannot begin to express how incredibly excited I am to be a part of the soundtrack to this already iconic film,” they wrote in an Instagram post. “I was invited by the incredible @iammarkronson and Greta Gerwig to write a song from the perspective of Ken for one of the scenes and we honestly had so much fun with this.”
What Is The Barbie Soundtrack Tracklist?
With the addition of Eilish and Smith, the full lineup for the Barbie soundtrack is now complete. Read below for the full Barbie tracklist.
- “Pink” — Lizzo
- “Dance The Night” —Dua Lipa
- “Barbie World” — Nicki Minaj & Ice Spice (with Aqua)
- “Speed Drive” — Charli XCX
- “Watati” — Karol G (feat. Aldo Ranks)
- “Man I Am” — Sam Smith
- “Journey To The Real World” — Tame Impala
- “I’m Just Ken” — Ryan Gosling
- “Hey Blondie” — Dominic Fike
- “Home” — HAIM
- “What Was I Made For?” — Billie Eilish
- “Forever & Again” — The Kid Laroi
- “Silver Platter” — Khalid
- “Angel” — PinkPantheress
- “Butterflies” — Gayle
- “Choose Your Fighter” — Ava Max
- “Barbie Dreams” — Fifty Fifty (feat. Kaliii)
When Does The Barbie Soundtrack Come Out?
While new songs from the soundtrack have been debuting weekly leading up to the film, with Eilish’s just-announced ballad coming up next on July 13, the full Barbie soundtrack will be released on July 21, the same day the film premieres worldwide.
