Mark Ronson, whose song ‘I’m Just Ken’ is nominated for Best Original Song at this evening’s Oscars after Ryan Gosling sang the plaintive ballad in the pink blockbuster Barbie, has revealed the mega-hit nearly didn’t make it to the final version of the movie soundtrack.
Ronson previously collected an Oscar in 2019 for his part in the song Shallow, sung by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper in A Star Is Born, and has a clutch of Grammy Awards for his work with Amy Winehouse and others.
However, he told The Times of London that when he first penned ‘I’m Just Ken’ with co-writer Andrew Wyatt, studio bosses weren’t convinced it had a place in the movie.
Ronson remembered:
“At that first screening the song wasn’t working. I panicked. The humour wasn’t translating and Greta [Gerwig, director] had to fight. The studio asked her how much she really needed it and she said, ‘With every inch of my body.’ And then there was a big swing.”
Of the song’s influences, he said:
“It is the 1970s, the book Elton and Bernie wrote. A piano ballad that is sort of proggy and a bit 1980s too. A bit Handbags and Gladrags. Or it could be Robbie Williams… Maybe I’m just overdramatic.”
Since the film’s release, ‘I’m Just Ken’ has been streamed more than 100million times. And Barbie is closing is on $1.5billion at the global box office.
Ronson also revealed he had been reticent to perform the song at this evening’s Awards, but “Ryan convinced us.”
