As Ryan Gosling's Ken Song Climbs The Charts, The Barbie Score Heads To Vinyl
It's time to face the music: He's not just Ken, he is Kenough. Ryan Gosling has officially entered the Billboard Hot 100 with "I'm Just Ken," debuting at number 87. The song, performed as part of Greta Gerwig's "Barbie," was released on July 21 and became a viral hit, with Billboard tracking 5.2 million streams in the U.S. alone, and over 2,000 downloads during its opening week.
This is Gosling's first appearance on the Billboard Hot 100, something he almost achieved with "La La Land." That album peaked at number 2 on the US Billboard 200 and number 1 on the UK Albums Chart, while the Academy Award-winning single "City of Stars" peaked at number 2 on the US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles, just keeping him off the charts.
"I'm Just Ken" debuts on the chart along with the "Barbie: The Album" soundtrack, which opened at number 2 on the Billboard 200. It's sitting pretty at the top of the Soundtracks chart, and number 2 for Top Album Sales. According to Billboard, this is the highest-charting soundtrack since "Encanto" became the biggest (at the time) album in the world at the start of 2022. "Barbie" has also tied with the Beyoncé-led soundtrack, "The Lion King: The Gift," which also debuted at number 2 back in 2019. The "Barbie" soundtrack boasts some pretty impressive names like Nicki Minaj, Ice Spice, Charli XCX, Billie Eilish, and Dua Lipa, with "Barbie World" from Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice ranking highest of all of the tracks at number 8.
Barbie Fever is running wild, and in addition to the soundtrack, it was recently announced that the score is getting a vinyl release from Waxwork Records.
Oh yes, the vinyl is pink
A friendly reminder that there is a difference between a soundtrack and a score. The "Barbie" soundtrack filled with all of the pop hits, including "I'm Just Ken," has been available since the film's release and can be purchased here. The new release from Waxwork Records is the score from Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, which also frequently incorporates the instrumental from Billie Eilish's stunning single, "What Was I Made For?" Here's what Ronson had to say about composing the score, as told to Waxwork Records:
"The late nights and crazy hours we put into 'Barbie' were all worth it to us, because we were so in love with this film. And we truly hope listening to our score from beginning to end will give others the same emotional, whimsical experience they had watching this magical film."
The score is available in multiple colored vinyl variants, like "Weird Barbie Splatter" and "Beach Off Swirl" in addition to the standard Neon Barbie Pink. As is customary, the album comes in a heavyweight LP jacket with a high gloss coating and a 12 x 12-inch insert. The score is selling out fast, so get your hands on it by clicking here.