Katie Peterson
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Audiences are raving about the new Barbie movie starring Suicide Squad’s Margot Robbie and The Notebook’s Ryan Gosling.
With the slogan, “If you love Barbie, this movie is for you; if you hate Barbie, this movie is for you,” it seems like anyone can enjoy this Warner Bros. Picture. Now, the experience goes beyond the theater with the release of Barbie: The Album.
Released by Atlantic Records on July 21, 2023, and produced by Marx Ronson, Kevin Weaver, and Brandon Davis, Barbie: The Album is one that fans will want to play over and over again.
Here’s everything you need to know about all the songs on the No. 1 album.
1. “Pink” – Lizzo
Barbie: The Album kicks things off with rapper Lizzo’s single, “Pink,” and it definitely sets the mood for the rest of the album.
While never released as one of the the Barbie soundtrack’s singles, it remains one of our favorites on the album as it clearly tells the story of the perfect life of Barbie before her whole world changed.
If that weren’t enough, the outro of “P, pretty/I, intelligent/N, never sad/K, cool” is the perfect way to end it.
Related: The 13 Best Lizzo Songs: From “Jerome” to “Rumors”
2. “Dance the Night” – Dua Lipa
“Dance the Night” was the lead single off the the Barbie soundtrack album, released on May 25, 2023. Dua Lipa co-wrote the song alongside Caroline Ailin.
The disco-style track features numerous instruments, such as the cello, viola, violin, bass, and strings, as it talks about continuing to dance even in times of great sadness.
The accompanying music video left nothing to be desired as Greta Gerwig, the film director, makes a cameo appearance.
Related: Facts about Dua Lipa. Networth, Nationality, Height, and more
3. “Barbie World” – Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice with Aqua
Those who grew up with Barbie will get a little nostalgia for the 1997 hit “Barbie Girl” by Aqua in this original song, performed by “Super Bass” rapper Nicki Minaj and “Bikini Bottom” rapper Ice Spice. Aqua co-wrote the song and is also featured on the addictive track.
The song debuted at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 and features heavily syncopated beats and bass drums. It was what attracted Minaj to the project when Ice Spice asked her to collaborate.
Minaj noted on her Queen Radio show that the song was interpolated “in a way that didn’t make [Minaj] uncomfortable or gimmicky.”
Related: 17 Cool Nicki Minaj Facts: Her First Job, Fears, and More
4. “Speed Drive” – Charli XCX
Charli XCX was one of the first choices to be a featured artist on Barbie: The Album, and he didn’t disappoint with “Speed Drive,” the album’s third single released on Jun. 29, 2023.
Uproxx’s Alex Gonzalez said of the song, “Charli taps into her glimmery, pink energy, giving the Barbie university the bop of the century.”
NME’s Liberty Dunworth added that although the song is less than two minutes, it “still manages to pack a punch as one of the most energetic songs on the soundtrack.”
Related: Charli XCX’s Afterparty Sees P L a C E B O Present: Electric Mood!
5. “Watati” – Karol G featuring Aldo Ranks
You hear “Watati,” and you find out how the Barbie Movie was first promoted to the world.
Released on Jun. 2, 2023, with Colombian singer Karol G and Aldo Ranks, a musician from Panama, the song incorporates reggaeton with a bit of Latin pop and Latin trap, bringing diversity to the sound of the album.
The accompanying music video, released on Karol G’s official YouTube channel on Jun. 15, 2023, features the movie’s stars, Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling.
Related: Margot Robbie: The Actress So Famous She’s in a Hit Rap Song
6. “Man I Am” – Sam Smith
The show may be called Barbie, but that doesn’t mean Ken doesn’t deserve a little bit of the spotlight.
“Man I Am,” performed by Sam Smith, is described by producer Mark Rons as being “the missing piece of Ken’s puzzle” and “puts the sound of Ken’s liberation perfectly into song.”
We won’t lie. We dig it.
Related: Sam Smith Thrills Minnesota Once Again
7. “Journey to the Real World” – Tame Impala
Tame Impala, aka the psychedelic music project of Kevin Parker, an Australian multi-instrumentalist, was the perfect choice to perform “Journey to the Real World” for the Barbie soundtrack.
The unmistakable sound of the music is the seamless representation of what it would be like to journey to a world you’ve never known while still giving a hint of the excitement that comes with discovering someplace new.
Related: Midweek MN Music Podcast [Ep. 1]: MiM Contributors Discuss Ke$ha, Tame Impala, Jazz, Ringo, More
8. “I’m Just Ken” – Ryan Gosling
Ryan Gosling proved he isn’t just an excellent actor but also has some vocal chops, particularly with this 80s-style power ballad.
“I’m Just Ken,” written and produced by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, is one of the longer songs on Barbie: The Album, but it’s with good reason. Ronson said he was inspired to write it after sympathizing with the Ken character.
“I instantly had this idea for this lyrics: ‘I’m just Ken/Anywhere else I’d be a 10.’ It just seemed funny. It felt a little bit emo, like, this poor guy. He’s so hot but can’t get the time of day.”
After hearing a demo of the song, Gosling begged Barbie director Greta Gerwig to include it in the film. “In the studio with Ryan, it was really his performance that lifted the whole thing. All these lines that felt a little bit throwaway-ish, delivered by him, suddenly took on much more,” Ronson would later tell Vulture.
9. “Hey Blondie” – Dominic Fike
“Hey, Blondie” is perfectly executed by Dominic Fike’s smooth vocals, giving us vibes of those back-in-the-day boybands such as the Backstreet Boys and N’Sync that are causing all the nostalgia.
The song is an excellent representation of trying to figure out who someone is behind the façade they put on.
10. “Home” – Haim
“Home” is one of the longer tracks on Barbie: The Album, but we almost don’t notice it thanks to rock band HAIM’s performance.
Even outside the context of the movie, the song is a beautiful representation of what home means to a person. It’s definitely one that we could easily listen to repeatedly and never get tired of it.
11. “What Was I Made For?” – Billie Eilish
Fans couldn’t wait to hear Billie Eilish’s single for Barbie: The Album after teasing a clip of the song and its accompanying music video on her Twitter account in July.
Eilish opened up about the process of writing the song with Finneas O’Connell after they saw a rough cut of the film.
“I was purely inspired by this movie and this character and the way I thought she would feel and wrote about that,” Eilish said.
Related: Billie Eilish’s Net Worth May Surprise You
12. “Forever & Again” – The Kid Laroi
“Forever & Again” by The Kid Laroi is one of the more mellow songs on Barbie: The Album, but we’ll admit, it’s one of the reasons we love it.
We can’t get enough of the feel of the classic love song promising the one you love that you’ll always be there for them. It’s a universal feeling that almost anyone can relate to. It proves there are lessons to be learned from Barbie and Ken.
Related: Lil Tjay, Kid Laroi, and a Pop Smoke Tribute at First Ave
13. “Silver Platter” – Khalid
Khalid’s “Silver Platter” shares the emotions of just wanting to be noticed by the one you are interested in, begging them to give you a chance.
We don’t know about you, but we’ve found ourselves in that situation and wholeheartedly sympathize with Khalid’s plight.
14. “Angel” – PinkPantheress
“Angel” was another promotional single released before Barbie: The Album.
Billboard notes it as being “a sweet pop production with strings for hooks, an infectious beat, and Autotuned vocals,” with Rolling Stone adding that “the recording sounds like the perfect soundtrack to the Barbie dress-up games of the early 2000s that died when Adobe Flash Player did.”
“Angel” is the perfect nostalgia piece on the soundtrack for the early Barbie lovers, and PinkPantheress sells it.
15. “Butterflies” – Gayle
Don’t let the title fool you, “Butterflies” by Gayle is just the kind of single we’d expect the “ABCDFU” singer would release for Barbie: The Album.
Her signature alternative rock style powers through on the song, giving it an edge that her fans are sure to love.
Related: Who is Gayle? All the Facts You Need to Know About the “ABCDEFU” Singer
16. “Choose Your Fighter” – Ava Max
Ava Max is featured on Barbie: The Album with “Choose Your Fighter.”
Written in just two hours alongside Madison Love, Michael Pollack, and Cirkut, the song has been widely compared to the singer’s 2020 single “King & Queens.” We certainly recognize the similarities making it one of the less inspiring and less unique singles on the soundtrack in our book, but we’ll let you form your own opinion.
17. “Barbie Dreams” – Fifty Fifty featuring Kaliii
“Barbie Dreams” by Fifty Fifty, featuring Kalii, is a “bubblegum pop song,” and we are digging it.
Throughout the song, Fifty Fifty perfectly captures the luxury of being with his many girlfriends.
We just can’t get enough of the lines, “When I close my eyes, it’s a fantasy/Perfect plastic life from a magazine/Then I wake up, it’s reality/I can have it all/live my Barbie dreams.”
It’s only made better when Kaliii joins in on the rap verse that expresses the lavish life of being a celebrity while her friends remain next to her. Can we live the “Barbie Dreams,” too.
18. “Push” – Ryan Gosling
Barbie: The Album made sure to go all out for fans, and they did with this first of two bonus tracks featured on the Best Weekend Ever edition of the album.
Ryan Gosling has his day in the sun yet again with “Push” as he covers the Matchbox 20 song, as his character, Ken, proclaims it to be his favorite song after he visits the real world. Greta Gerwig made a great choice with this one as she tapped into her love of the famous rock band.
“I never put anything in a movie I don’t love,” she said.
Related: Third Time’s the Charm for Matchbox 20
19. “Closer to Fine” – Brandi Carlile and Catherine Carlile
“Closer to Fine,” initially recorded by the Indigo Girls in the late 1980s, was covered by Brandi Carlile and her wife, Catherine Carlile, for Barbie: The Album (Best Weekend Ever Edition).
The song is definitely one of empowerment as it has the hint of a message that the only person worth confiding in when trying to get the answers about your own life is yourself.
Related: Brandi Carlile Charms a Sold-Out Grandstand for the Great Minnesota Get Together
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