Ryan Gosling insisted on singing the emotional Ken ballad in ‘Barbie’

Ryan Gosling’s powerful ballad in Barbie, which has been quickly becoming popular after it was teased in the trailer, was actually his idea.

Mark Ronson, who is the executive producer of Barbie The Album, told Vanity Fair in an interview that Gosling was the one who inspired the song that turned into an emotional ballad for Ken.

The seven-time Grammy winner told the magazine that when he first pitched the song to director Greta Gerwig and cowriter Noah Baumbach, he did not anticipate it becoming a pivotal scene in the movie.

In fact, he was just hoping that the two wouldn’t laugh at him. However, Gerwig was a big fan and when Gosling heard it, he ‘related to it so deeply’ that he requested to perform it in the film.

“When I sent the demo, I kind of mumbled that line, because I was like, if they don’t like it, I don’t want Greta and Noah to think that I’m trying to provide the funny,” Ronson recalled.

Moreover, to accommodate the song in the movie, Gerwig rewrote a pivotal scene to make sure the La La Land actor belts out the song, I’m Just Ken.

Ronson flew to England to record Gosling’s vocals and was impressed with his “subdued baritone.”

“He really got [that] it had to walk this line of not being funny or parody,” he said. “But obviously, the song is also kind of ridiculous at times. So, he was really amazing, and when he really did start hitting the big notes, I was like, this dude is a vocal powerhouse!”

Ronson also brought in Slash and new Foo Fighters drummer Josh Freese to play on the track.

Barbie movie is slated to premiere in cinemas on July 21, 2023.