The promo tour for Barbie was one wild rollercoaster and its soundtrack played a crucial part in putting the film on the map. Curated by superproducer Mark Ronson, Barbie: The Album brought together some of the world’s leading artists, but did he manage to live up to the hype?
You’ve most likely heard some of the soundtrack’s best songs long before Barbie hit the theatres. It was an important part of the film’s hype machine, and Dua Lipa’s “Dance the Night”, “Barbie World” by Nicki Minaj & Ice Space, and Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For” helped set the tone Greta Gerwig’s cinematic masterpiece.
These songs happen to be some of the album’s highlights, along with PinkPantheress’ “Angel” and Chari XCX’s “Speed Drive”, but that’s also part of the problem. Barbie: The Album doesn’t hide any surprises up its sleeve, and we’ve already got to hear most of it long before it came out due to the film’s aggressive promo.
Ronson obviously wanted to cast a wide net when curating this album, giving us a mix between bubblegum pop and indie rock, but this mix doesn’t always work. Kendom’s side of the soundtrack is its weakest link, with the exception of Sam Smith’s catchy “Man I Am”. Songs by Khalid, The Kid Laroi, and Dominic Fike feel like placeholders, both in terms of this soundtrack and their overall discography.
All these flaws don’t change the fact that Barbie: The Album is pretty delightful and features several catchy bops we’ll be listening to all summer long, including Ryan Gosling’s anthem “I’m Just Ken”. Some of them are even worthy candidates for the best original song at the Oscars, but you’ll need rose-colored glasses to enjoy this soundtrack to the fullest.
