I absolutely loved the Barbie movie, and I think a big reason why is the soundtrack. While I loved Dua Lipa’s “Dance The Night” and Charli XCX’s “Speed Drive,” there’s one song that I couldn’t get out of my head, and that’s “I’m Just Ken” sung by Ryan Gosling. I found the song to be hilarious and catchy, but what I didn’t expect was for it to win “Best Song” at the Critics Choice Awards, and most recently, for it to receive an Oscar nomination for “Best Original Song.”
Yes, the song is hilarious, but does it deserve an Oscar nomination? The internet is divided.
“I’m Just Ken” was written and produced by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt. Currently, “I’m Just Ken” has over 100 million streams on Spotify. Following its success, Gosling collaborated with Ronson in December 2023 to release three new takes on the song, released on “Ken the EP”: a holiday version (“Merry Kristmas Barbie”), an acoustic version (“In My Feelings Acoustic”) and a dance version (“Purple Disco Machine Cover”), according to VARIETY.
Greta Gerwig’s Barbie was extremely successful. It made over $1.4 billion USD in the box office, and according to PR Newswire, Barbie is the highest-grossing film in Warner Bros.’ 100-year history. It’s also, most notably, the highest-grossing film ever from a female filmmaker at the domestic box office. This incredible success deserves to be celebrated, nominated, and awarded. But despite this incredible success, Gerwig did not receive a single Oscar nomination.
Margot Robbie, who’s the star of Barbie, also lacked recognition at the 2024 Oscars, not receiving any nominations. Many people were shocked that Robbie was not nominated for “Best Actress” after her performance as Barbie. While Barbie did receive various Oscar nominations, the star and the director did not, and that’s something that the internet is pissed about.
Despite how silly “I’m Just Ken” song is, it’s gained recognition and praise from critics. While I’m an “I’m Just Ken” stan, I don’t know how to feel about it being nominated for an Oscar. Yeah, it’s a catchy song, but is it really worth of an Oscar nomination?
After the nomination was announced on Jan. 23, fans immediately took to Twitter to share their reactions to this nomination.
Don’t get me wrong, I still think “I’m Just Ken” is a great and funny song. However, I do not think it is worthy of an Oscar nomination, especially a win. Justice for Gerwig and Robbie!