As the first live-action installment in her titular franchise,Barbietook 2023 by bright and shiny storm. Every single facet of Greta Gerwig’s film – the existence of so much pink in one place – truly adds up to its reputation as her biggest andmost lucrative movie to date. Aesthetically and internally, the identity ofBarbiestands as a beautiful piece of creative excellence, inside and out. It ties together a fictionally feminine perspective with the complexities of the world we know, resulting in an all too-real-feeling film for so many viewers.
The corresponding soundtrack and scores for the film set the tone forBarbie’s whimsically colorful life, even as she enters reality. These include instrumental compositions that set the scene in Barbieland, painfully emotional original songs, and empowering bubble gum pop music. Here are 10 scenes that proveBarbiehas the greatest movie soundtrack of the year.
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10“Stairway to Weird Barbie” - Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt
At the beginning of Barbie’s odyssey, the sudden onset of human-like traits and experiences calls for a visit to Weird Barbie, who lives slightly far away from their pink Pangaea,like the Grinchof Barbieland. Stereotypical Barbie, not used to having flat feet, awkwardly walks up the stairs past the multicolored gates and winding stairs through the forested area where Weird Barbie resides.
A Weird Piece for Weird Barbie
As Stereotypical Barbie travels towards Weird Barbie’s “Weirdhouse,” magical sounds culminate in a curious-sounding track from the movie’s score composers, Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt. Weird Barbie descends from the rafters in a tumbling roll with her legs in the splits as the track ends in a bubbly crescendo, fully solidifying her strangeness from the other perfect dolls.
9“Speed Drive” - Charli XCX
After Barbie is taken away from Sasha’s school from Mattel, she’s taken into the executives’ meeting room, where they all rise as she enters. Following their discussion of her predicament, Barbie is encouraged to get into a pink, branded cardboard box that will take her back to where she belongs – Barbieland. Realizing the constraints of what she’s about to do, Barbie thinks better of it.
A Fun Chase Scene
As the box’s twist ties close in around her wrists, Barbie slips out and asks to go to the restroom, so she can fix her hair before being boxed up. She thanks them, saunters away, then starts running as Charli XCX’s high-energy song “Speed Drive” starts playing. The CEO shouts, “Get that Barbie!” and they all run after her. Barbie eventually finds refuge in Gloria’s car as she speeds away.
8“Journey to the Real World” - Tame Impala
Barbie’s mission to leave Barbieland behind and fix her issues in the real world starts off as a one-woman show. Ken just can’t help but sing along to her music (Indigo Girls’ “Closer to Fine”), revealing his hiding place in the backseat of her pink convertible. He tells her he brought his neon yellow rollerblades, solidifying her decision to let him tag along with her. From there, the two press on together, and the convertible begins to transform as they make their way from imagination into reality.
A Magical Journey
“Journey to the Real World” begins to play, incorporating Tame Impala’s classically psychedelic sounds with frontman Kevin Parker’s ascending vocals. The song continues with each iteration of the convertible – a snowmobile, a rocket ship, a camper van, and more – sounding more magical and mystical with each flick of the proverbial page, despite their deepening closeness to reality. With a more repetitive sound to this song’s progression, the song’s measures correspond with the transitions of the bright and bold scenes through which Barbie and Ken travel.
Related:Barbie Review: Greta Gerwig Delivers a Dazzling Pink Blockbuster
7“Meeting Ruth” - Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt
As Barbie runs through Mattel from the men chasing her when she escapes being boxed up, she stumbles upon a distant kitchen that materializes out of the darkness. She walks closer to the light, coming across a warm and comforting scene. An old woman sits at her kitchen table with gentle music playing – “Meeting Ruth,” which borrows from Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For?” through a soft, instrumental homage.
Why Its Impact Matters
The woman, kind and motherly towards her, invites Barbie to sit down. Barbie struggles to drink real liquid out of a cup, and when she gets defensive, the woman reassures her, “I think you’re just right.” She shows Barbie a certain way to leave the room where the Mattel employees won’t find her, and she finally introduces herself as Ruth. Later, viewers learn that Barbie came across the ghost of Ruth Handler, the inventor of Barbie herself, who happily haunts the Mattel building in the movie.
6“Pink” - Lizzo
Lizzo’s “Pink" starts off the movie by being Barbie’s wake-up song on her perfectly pink morning in Barbieland, which doesn’t last for long. Positive and smile-inducing, the song narrates Barbie’s typical day “in [her] own pink world,” starting each morning with a wave “to [her] homegirls.” This picture-perfect slice of life continues, showing us how immaculate each Barbie’s life is, until it isn’t.
Positive and Smile-Inducing
The song is repeated as a motif throughout the film and reinterpreted as “Pink: Bad Day,” a more negatively realistic version of Barbie’s inner monologue as she notices increasingly human traits. In its purest form, the song employs up-tempo horns and an unmistakable background beat, sounding full-bodied as well as light and airy – perfect for the Barbieland theme song.
5“Mattel” - Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt
Ultimately representing the imposing and authoritative presence that Barbie’s company, “Mattel” is a rousing track from theBarbiemovie’s original score. Audiences hear its aural motif with exterior shots of the massive company building space in Los Angeles, and its militaristic tune can be heard in the background of the Mattel CEO’s speeches.
Why It Deserves More Love
The song appears throughoutBarbie, but mostly in reference to Mattel’s corporate headquarters that looms over Barbieland from the real world. It also corresponds to the self-importance exhibited by many male characters throughout the film, often cropping up in moments of masculine power to differentiate it from a female-driven narrative.
4“I’m Just Ken” - Ryan Gosling
“I’m Just Ken” might beBarbie’s most recognizable song, transforming a tragic ballad into an empowering anthem for the Kens of the world. Beach Ken’s emotional odyssey continues despite having almost everything he wanted, but he yearns to get Stereotypical Barbie back after the Kens all become jealous of one another for the Barbies’ affections. The song was even recently transformed with a festive holiday interpretation in December 2023.
An Iconic, Award-Nominated Song
Its introductory scene in the movie begins with the sun going down on Kendomland (Barbieland’s new name after the Kens’ takeover) and ends with the Kens at PG-13 plastic war with one another on the beach. Throughout the song’s progression, the Kens proceed through a dream ballet homage (“can you feel the Kenergy?”) and go from bickering with each other to embracing self-love. Never forget: You are Kenough.
Related:Ryan Gosling Announces I’m Just Ken EP Just in Time for Christmas
3“Dance the Night” - Dua Lipa
The dance party after Ken’s beach injury, where everyone comes together, is one of the most magical scenes to come out of this movie. With the Barbies and Kens (and Allan) all dressed to the nines in dazzling outfits, what’s not to love? Dua Lipa’s disco-like track encourages partygoers to “dance the night away,” including triumphant strings and an upbeat tempo.
The Ultimate Party Song
The scene in which this song is first heard ends up in Barbie asking the happy-go-lucky crowd around her, “Do you guys ever think about dying?” The song stops with stunned looks on everyone’s faces staring towards Barbie, who regards them with an awkward, open-mouthed smile: “I don’t know why I just said that… I’m justdyingto dance!” This outburst is the first humanlike crack in Barbie’s perfect, plastic armor that the audience can’t help but notice.
2“Creation of Barbie” - Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt
Almost immediately after Barbie begins, “Creation of Barbie” starts to play. But just before its first few notes, narrator Helen Mirren begins to narrate: “Since the beginning of time, since the first little girl ever existed, there have been dolls.” The sun rises above a primeval arid landscape, which viewers might recognize. Little girls play with baby dolls, looking visibly bored out of their minds. In essence, this scene pays homageto2001: A Space Odyssey, putting a girl-power twist on Stanley Kubrick’s iconic initial opening.
A Perfect Introduction
When Mirren is with her brief explanation of how girls used to play, the opening notes of “Creation of Barbie” begin – which start off with the opening section of “Thus Spoke Zarathustra,” called “Sunrise.” The same heroic crescendo kicks off2001, but in the instance ofBarbie, it’s a giant 1959 version of the doll looming over the girls instead of the Monolith as their new source of infinite knowledge. Barbie smiles, though, promising knowledge beyond the universe that little girls knew back then.
1“What Was I Made For?” - Billie Eilish
Sung by Billie Eilish, “What Was I Made For?” is a beautifully tender entry within Barbie’s official soundtrack that just epitomizes the human condition. With piano and soft vocals, the listening experience feels otherworldly. The lyrics ponder the purpose of a person; from a woman’s perspective, this response to existentialism takes on such a deeper meaning when you relate the words to the actual plot progression of the movie and apply their implications to real-world women.
An Award-Winning Tune
“What Was I Made For?” is another one of Barbie’s songs that appears in part as a motif throughout the film, bringing scenes together through such a specific soft sound. When viewers finally hear it in almost its full length, it’s after (spoilers!) Ruth appears in Barbieland and helps Barbie become human. When they’re alone, Ruth tells Barbie, “Take my hands, close your eyes… Now, feel.” Viewers are engulfed in a beautiful video collage and tribute to the women of the real world.Greta Gerwig encouraged herBarbiecoworkersto submit videos of family members and friends to put them into this montage.
