Oscars 2024: Ryan Gosling to perform ‘Barbie’ song ‘I’m Just Ken’ at ceremony
Following months of speculation, Ryan Gosling has finally agreed to perform the Barbie hit ‘I’m Just Ken’ at the Academy Awards in March.
Composed as a 1980s-styled power ballad, ‘I’m Just Ken’ is performed by Gosling and features in Greta Gerwig’s record-breaking 2023 movie, Barbie. Written and produced by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, it appears on the soundtrack album Barbie the Album, with the song’s title used heavily in promotional materials, including the tagline, “She’s everything. He’s just Ken.”
The track won ‘Best Song’ at the 29th Critics Choice Awards and was also nominated for ‘Best Song Written for Visual Media’ at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards. It is also one of two Barbie songs that have earned nominations at the Oscars 2024 for ‘Best Original Song’. The other is ‘What Was I Made For?’ by Billie Eilish, which has already beaten the Ronson and Wyatt composition at the Grammys, as well as the other hit from the film, Dua Lipa’s ‘Dance the Night’.
In an exclusive report from Variety, sources have confirmed that Ryan Gosling will now sing the Oscar-nominated ‘I’m Just Ken’ during the 96th annual ceremony on March 10th. According to the publication, the Academy refused to comment.
This puts to bed a question that has been abounding since the awards ceremony commenced at the start of January, with the song beginning to accrue nominations. Furthermore, Ronson told the publication that it was his dream for Gosling to perform at the Academy Awards.
Elsewhere in the ‘Best Original Song’ category are ‘What Was I Made For?’, ‘The Fire Inside’ from Flamin’ Hot, ‘It Never Went Away’ from American Symphony and Killers of the Flower Moon’s ‘Wahzhazhe (A Song For My People). Notably, the news comes as director Gerwig and star Margot Robbie have both been snubbed for awards.
This year’s edition of the Oscars will see Jimmy Kimmel return as host and is set to take place on March 10th at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
Listen to ‘I’m Just Ken’ below.
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