What we know about the ‘Barbie’ soundtrack so far
Greta Gerwig’s adaptation of Mattel’s Barbie to screen has created a cultural stir like no other. From pink paint shortages to an Architectural Digest tour of the Dreamhouse, the Barbie marketing team has taken every opportunity to build hype around the summer blockbuster – and there’s still a month to go before its release.
Even the film’s clever casting has captured audiences from across subcultures – from SNL watchers through the appearances of Kate McKinnon and Will Ferrell to British TV fans with the castings of Ncuti Gatwa, Sharon Rooney and Nicola Coughlan. The accompanying soundtrack for the film has taken a similar wide-ranging approach, featuring indie favourites Tame Impala and Haim, hyper-pop star Charli XCX, and TikTok drum and bass producer PinkPantheress.
The first release from the album, which will also be released on hot pink vinyl and cassette, features disco-inspired pop star Dua Lipa, who also features in the film as Mermaid Barbie. Her glittering pop track ‘Dance the Night’ soundtracks our introduction to Barbie Land in the main trailer for the film, as the camera follows star Margot Robbie leading a crew of Barbies through a dance routine.
The second single featured a collaboration between Colombian reggaeton artist Karol G and rapper Aldo Ranks. ‘WATATI’ is an upbeat reggae track with a pumping beat just beneath Karol G’s clean vocals. In an interview with HOLA! USA, she shared her experience of contributing to the soundtrack: “I wanted to see the movie first to understand the project because we know the doll as a perfect figure, so I needed to understand the film’s message.”
She met with the crew, who shared ideas on the kind of rhythm they were looking for. Karol G added, “I wanted that when they played the music it sounded like a real party. A latino party!”
The final track ahead of the release of the full album came from PinkPantheress – a fitting choice to soundtrack the character surrounded by pink. The song features her unique vocals, understated percussion, and an Irish jig-inspired break which, at first, seems out of place for PinkPantheress or Barbie.
After a call with Mark Ronson, who produced the album, she told Elle that, “we just made a random little thing for it. It’s random, but I just felt like it was appropriate for the soundtrack. There’s an Irish jig moment in it.” She explains: “The soundtrack reminded me of a 2000s Disney prom scene. I was just like, let’s try it and see what they think. I just wanted to have fun.”
PinkPantheress went on to share her excitement about working on the film’s soundtrack, stating, “I was actually gassed beyond belief, because, again, I do not think that anyone knows me. I’m always surprised. So, the fact that Greta Gerwig [does]…”
The album still has 13 tracks still to be unveiled, including Lizzo’s ‘Pink’, Charli XCX’s ‘Speed Drive’, rap icons Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice’s collaboration on a cover of ‘Barbie World’ and even a feature from star Ryan Gosling. The perfectly curated prom-like soundtrack seems like a playlist Barbie might make herself while also hitting a range of contemporary music sub-culture, sure to excite hyper-pop fans and indie kids alike.
