Joining the star-studded list of artists appearing on the soundtrack of the upcoming Barbie movie, Slash and Wolfgang Van Halen are also featured on a track centered on Barbie’s other half.
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Produced by Mark Ronson, “I’m Just Ken” features the two rockers, and is performed by actor Ryan Gosling, who plays the iconic blonde partner to Barbie in the film. Ronson called Slash one of his “all-time heroes” during a recent premiere of the film. “I sent him the song and he was like, ‘This is a good song. I’ll play on it,’” said Ronson. “He kills it. He plays the solo at the end and the rhythm parts. It’s wonderful.”
Van Halen also revealed his participation in the film on his Threads page. “So here’s some news,” wrote Van Halen. “I attended the ‘Barbie’ premiere last night because I’m on the score/soundtrack. My buddy Mark Ronson hit me up earlier this year needing my ‘mammoth guitar sound,’ and I happily obliged. Honored for the opportunity to contribute some guitar playing throughout this hilarious, surreal, heartfelt movie.”
He added, “If anyone is curious about specifics, I have a lot of textural stuff throughout the film with two major spots where I do some soloing. One in particular is pretty cool because it’s the big song that Ryan Gosling sings and Slash plays on it as well! There’s a specific moment in the song that’s only in the movie where I’ve got this fun solo with some tapping and stuff. Such a cool opportunity. Honored to be a part of it.”
The Barbie soundtrack also features Dua Lipa, who also stars in the film, along with Billie Eilish, Lizzo, Nicki Minaj, HAIM, Tame Impala, Dominic Fike, Charli XCX, Karol G, Ice Spice, Khalid, PinkPantheress, GAYLE, Fifty Fifty, Ava Max, The Kid Laroi, and Kali.
Directed by Gerwig with a screenplay by her and Noah Baumbach (Marriage Story, The Squid and the Whale), the film is based on the Barbie doll launched by Mattel in 1959 and revisits different life-like iterations of the doll, her beau Ken, and other characters introduced throughout the history of the toy brand.
Starring Margot Robbie in the lead role, Barbie also stars Gosling as the “main” Ken, along with Issa Rae as a Barbie, who is president, Simu Liu as another Ken, and Lipa as the blue-haired, azure-finned Mermaid Barbie.
Alternate versions of Barbie and Ken were also teased in the first trailer in 2022 and featured Kate McKinnon, Ncuti Gatwa, Nicola Coughlan, Hari Nef, Emma Mackey, Ana Cruz Kayne, Scott Evans, Sharon Rooney, Alexandra Shipp, Ritu Arya, and Kingsley Ben-Adir, as other versions of each character.
Narrated by Helen Mirren, and mirroring 2001: A Space Odyssey, the film also stars Michael Cera as Allan and Emerald Fennell as Midge, based on Mattel dolls of the same name, along with America Ferrara, Ariana Greenblatt, Will Ferrell, Connor Swindells, and Jamie Demetriou in other roles.
Photo by Steve Jennings/Getty Images
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