Can you feel the Kenergy? You can if you watch Ryan Gosling perform “I’m Just Ken” in a pink suit. The yearning power ballad, written by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, was a show-stopping number in Barbie, the highest-grossing movie of 2023 — and a highlight of the 2024 Oscars with cameos from Margot Robbie, Greta Gerwig, Emma Stone, and even Slash.
Check out the video below.
Ryan Gosling and the cast of “Barbie” perform “I’m Just Ken” at the #Oscars. https://t.co/UNgGySGz3r pic.twitter.com/00hd0Jw8cy
— Variety (@Variety) March 11, 2024
The thing is, “I’m Just Ken” almost didn’t make it into Barbie. “At that first screening the song wasn’t working. I panicked. The humor wasn’t translating and Greta had to fight,” Ronson told the Times. “The studio asked her how much she really needed it and she said, ‘With every inch of my body.’ And then there was a big swing.”
The song has even become an unlikely inspirational anthem. “I know I’ll sound like David Brent, but the song helped young boys,” Ronson said. “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. 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.”
You can find the updated list of Oscar winners here.