Greta Gerwig’s Barbie has taken the world by storm ever since its release on July 21, 2023. As of August 6, 2023, the film has made over $1 billion worldwide, making it the first female-directed motion picture to reach this milestone.
Barbie is a bright and fun movie filled with endless nostalgia. It highlights the creation of the famous dolls we know and love as well as the different variations of Barbie and Ken dolls. Not only is it fun and colorful, but the film contains a feminist narrative that deals with the struggles for equality between men and women. Paired with this narrative, Greta Gerwig and her team carefully constructed a soundtrack that would emphasize the emotions and environments of our main character, Barbie.
The film’s soundtrack was a major highlight in its advertising. The album contains 17 original songs with some of the biggest names in pop music including Dua Lipa, LIZZO, and Billie Eilish. I’ll be highlighting a few of my favorites, that I believe had the most impact.
WARNING: This article contains major spoilers about the Barbie film! If you have not seen the film and do not want anything revealed, do not read past this point!
‘Pink’ – LIZZO
LIZZO’s ‘Pink’ is the first original track of the film. There are two iterations of the track that give a breakdown of Barbie’s day and the typical life in Barbie Land.
The first iteration is very cheery with a nostalgic 80s flair. Barbie, also known as Stereotypical Barbie, wakes up to another refreshing day and greets the other Barbies from their doll houses that have no walls. She goes through her routine of preparing for another perfect day of accomplishing things in her female-dominated world. The song emphasizes that the color pink goes with everything and uses the word as an acronym: “P – Pretty! I – Intelligent! N – Never sad! K – Cool!”
However, the song changes after Stereotypical Barbie begins having existential thoughts of death. When she wakes up the next day, ‘Pink (Bad Day)’ begins to play. In this reprise, Stereotypical Barbie is much more disheveled and groggy. The PINK acronym also changes to, “P – Panic! I – I’m scared! N – Nauseous! K – Death!”
‘Dance The Night’ – Dua Lipa
Dua Lipa’s “Dance The Night” is the second track of the film. It is a fun and catchy party song with a modern disco twist. During this song, Stereotypical Barbie invited all of the Barbies and Kens to her house for an annual party with a choreographed dance number.
Much like the previous song, “Pink”, this song stresses how perfect everything is in Barbie Land. The lyrics point out that Stereotypical Barbie could be feeling pain on the inside and won’t let the other Barbies and Kens be aware of it. In the middle of the scene, Stereotypical Barbie blurts out! “You guys ever think about dying?” This brings the song and the party to a screeching halt before she quickly remedied the situation and the party continues.
‘WATATI’ – KAROL G
KAROL G’s “WATATI” contrasts with “Dance The Night”. The song is also about partying. But it is not organized with choreography.
In order to figure out why she is having existential thoughts of death, Stereotypical Barbie and Ken venture off to the Real World to find the person who is playing with the doll version of her. The logic surrounding the existence of Barbie Land versus the Real World is a bit confusing and the film is blatantly aware of this.
The song plays while Stereotypical Barbie and Ken are rollerblading through the unorganized chaos of the male-dominated Real World. Many viewers were a bit put off by the song, as they believed it did not match the aesthetic of Barbie. But the song and the environment tell the characters and the viewer that they are not in Barbie Land anymore.
‘Man I Am’ – Sam Smith
Sam Smith’s “Man I Am” is one of two Ken-centered songs in the film. The dynamic between the Barbies and Kens in Barbie Land is reversed. The Kens represent how women are treated in the Real World. They are naive, accident-prone, moody, and just about every stereotype typically placed on women. Meanwhile, the Barbies are the ones who work and keep things running.
While in the Real World, Stereotypical Ken learns about the concept of patriarchy and brings that knowledge back to the Kens in Barbie Land. This song acts as a villain song for Stereotypical Ken. Now that he has successfully taken over Barbie Land and made all of the other Barbies submissive, he flips the script on Stereotypical Barbie. He tells her that it’s her who can’t live without him instead of the other way around.
‘I’m Just Ken’ – Ryan Gosling
Toward the climax of the film, we get a special musician dance number of “I’m Just Ken” sung by Ryan Gosling. Throughout the movie, it is clear that Stereotypical Ken is insecure about his place in Barbie Land. When the Barbie doll was created, Stereotypical Ken was solely made to be Barbie’s romantic partner. After exploring the Real World and learning about the patriarchy, Stereotypical Ken began questioning his existence.
During the dance number, the other Kens seem to share Stereotypical Ken’s sentiment because they realized that they all share the same basic purpose of being Barbie’s boyfriend. They feel like they are supposed to be in love with the Barbies, but they know they are meant for something more. But Stereotypical Barbie manages to convince him that he needs to find his own purpose without her.
‘What Was I Made For?’ – Billie Eilish
The final song of the film is “What Was I Made For” by Billie Eilish.
The entirety of the film has been about Stereotypical Barbie figuring out her place in the world as a woman and as a doll representing a woman. Stereotypical Barbie leaves Barbie Land with the ghost of Ruth Handler, the original creator of the Barbie Doll. They stand together in a white void and, after a heartfelt speech from Ruth, Barbie closes her eyes and sees a beautiful montage showing the ups and downs of girlhood and womanhood.
The song plays in the background during the montage. The lyrics encapsulate everything Stereotypical Barbie is feeling at once: depression, anxiety, fear, etc. These emotions are still very new to her, as she had never known anything other than fake happiness. But instead of being afraid, she embraces these feelings. In the end, she leaves Barbie Land and is reborn into the human world as Barbara Handler.
Final Thoughts
Barbie is a complex story about the highlights and struggles of womanhood. Using the idea of the Barbie doll is a unique spin on the narrative and touched the hearts of many. Paired with its amazing soundtrack, it makes for an immersive experience for all audiences.
Here at Mic Drop Music, we would like to know your thoughts! What did you think of the Barbie movie? Did you enjoy the soundtrack? Let us know in the comments! You can listen to the complete soundtrack on YouTube or Spotify.
