Ryan Gosling Unwraps Festive Surprise: Christmas Edition of ‘I’m Just Ken’
Ryan Gosling is bringing some holiday cheer with a Christmas twist! The star of ‘Barbie’, alongside Mark Ronson, the producer of ‘Barbie: The Album’ soundtrack, has released ‘Ken The EP’. This EP features new renditions of the original song ‘I’m Just Ken,’ performed by Ken himself, just in time for the festive season.
Accompanying the EP release, Gosling and Ronson revisited Barbieland and dropped a music video for ‘I’m Just Ken (Merry Kristmas Barbie).’ In the video, the Golden Globe winner joins Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, another writer/producer from ‘Barbie: The Album’ in the studio, surrounded by holiday decorations.
The scene is set with garlands and festive lights as Ronson aims to record a cheerful version. However, Gosling, in true Ken style, expresses concerns about it being too Christmassy, worrying that people won’t watch it after the 26th.
After some reassurance and the power of a cool pair of shades (“the world can have Ken’s voice, but only Barbie can have his eyes”), Gosling embraces the yuletide Kenergy, delivering a spirited performance of the song. The power ballad gets a festive makeover with a string section, a chorus featuring bells, and a sweet “Merry Christmas, Barbie, wherever you are” message at the end. This Christmas version is a delightful present for fans of the Greta Gerwig-helmed movie.
In addition to the “Merry Kristmas Barbie” rendition, ‘Ken The EP’ includes two other updated versions of the song. ‘I’m Just Ken (In My Feelings Acoustic)’ presents a stripped-down version concluding with new verses where Gosling repeatedly asks, “Ken you feel Kenergy? / Feel so real the Kenergy,” set against a track with a ’70s soft-rock vibe. On the other hand, ‘I’m Just Ken (Purple Disco Machine Remix)’ closely resembles a counterpart to Dua Lipa’s soundtrack contribution ‘Dance the Night,’ featuring nostalgic, dance-floor-ready rhythms.
Also Read: Timothée Chalamet Never Found Out What His Axed ‘Barbie’ Cameo Would’ve Been
Prior to the release, Ronson shared insights on Instagram about the recording process with Gosling, their decision to create a heartfelt showstopper, and the choice to produce a new Christmas-themed version.
The ‘Uptown Funk’ artist revealed that he had just two hours in the studio with the ‘La La Land’ actor, admitting to feeling a bit starstruck during their initial meeting to record the song, which was co-written by Ronson and Wyatt, aged 52.
Despite Ronson’s initial nerves about the vocals being “pretty unhinged,” he soon realized that Gosling not only handled the singing effortlessly but exceeded all expectations. Ronson praised Gosling’s performance, noting the broken falsetto, hefty growl, and emotional resonance, describing him as a great actor who had immersed himself in the role for the past six months.
– Farheen Ali
