Ken has spoken. At last, a new exclusive preview of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie film puts the spotlight on our leading man — played by Ryan Gosling, of course — to deliver a dramatic musical number about how hard it is to be No. 2. For emphasis, the one and only Slash of Guns ‘n’ Roses casually features on guitar.
“I just don’t know who I am without you,” a weepy Ken tells his love interest (Margot Robbie) as she prepares to leave Barbie Land. “It’s ‘Barbie and Ken.’ There is no ‘just Ken.'”
That all changes when a balladic piano riff begins and Gosling — er, Ken — flaunts his singing voice. The melodramatic tune pores over the hardships he’s endured throughout his manufactured plastic life, wondering whether he’s destined for a mediocre bleached-blonde legacy.
And we feel for the guy. It’s tough to set yourself apart in a world where every other man is also a part-time astronaut with washboard abs? It’s all summed up in one line: “I’m just Ken/ Anywhere else, I’d be a 10.”
To top it all off, Slash’s guitar flourishes add a welcome dose of tongue-in-cheek machismo. Watch Gosling sing a bit of “I’m Just Ken” below, ahead of the Barbie premiere Friday, July 21st.
The star-studded Barbie soundtrack also features the Nicki Minaj/Ice Spice collab “Barbie World,” PinkPantheress’ “Angel,” Karol G’s “WATATI,” and Dua Lipa’s Song of the Week “Dance the Night.”
