The real song of the summer is obviously the rousing '80s power ballad "I'm Just Ken" from the Barbie movie, so beautifully performed by Ryan Gosling that the song has become a viral meme , and also an inspirational hymn for all Kens. Now, nearly a month after the film's July 29 release, I'm Just Ken has released a music video featuring new footage that Twitter is going crazy over: Gosling's rehearsal. The new video splices together Barbie's epic performance fight scenes and includes behind-the-scenes footage of Gosling's entire process, from laying down the track in the studio to rehearsing every part of the dynamic scene.
New footage shows Gosling playing drums while recording "I'm Just Ken" with songwriter and soundtrack producer Mark Rosen and Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash. The video later describes how the Ken family's beach fight scene was put together, which included a production assistant launching a tennis ball from behind the camera while director Greta Gerwig couldn't stop laughing at what was happening.
It also shows Gerwig wearing pink headphones and the crew wearing pink masks, proving how seriously they took the set's color scheme.
Twitter loved seeing Gerwig's reactions to all the action, saying her expression when Gosling dramatically took off her mink coat was so relatable. Of course, much of their praise went to Ken himself, noting the actor's ability to embody his character even in sweatpants and his work alongside the likes of Scott Evans and Ncuti Gatwa. Peers praised his skills while rehearsing the dance battle. Naturally, this led to more calls for Gosling to win an Oscar next awards season.
The musical wouldn't have happened without his involvement, which is a testament to how much Gosling loved Ken. In an interview with Vanity Fair , Rosen said he was inspired to write "I'm Just Ken" after he couldn't find the Ken doll in a store and began feeling sad for Gosling's character. "It felt a little emotional, like this poor guy. He was hot but couldn't get out of it," he said. He didn't think Gerwig would take the song seriously, but not only was she a fan, but Gosling loved the song so much that he asked to perform it in the movie, leading her to rewrite an "important" scene to achieve it.
Rosen eventually flew to London to record Gosling's record, but Gosling exceeded his expectations. "He really understood that it had to go this route of not being a joke or a parody," he said. "But obviously, the song is also a little ridiculous at times. So he was really awesome, and when he actually started singing the major key, I was like, this guy is a vocal powerhouse!"
