Summary
- The Barbie movie soundtrack features a mix of fun-loving and glossy songs, with some standouts from popular artists like Billie Eilish and HAIM.
- Some songs on the album feel commercialized, but there are surprising gems like Dominic Fike's "Hey Blondie" and PinkPantheress' "Angel."
- Ryan Gosling's performance on "I'm Just Ken" steals the spotlight, while Tame Impala's interlude and Billie Eilish's "What Was I Made For?" address deeper themes in the film.
The soundtrack of Greta Gerwig's Barbie movie is one of the best parts of the 2023 summer box office hit, which makes the ranking of every Barbie song no easy feat. Most of the songs in Barbie encom the fun-loving and glossy spirit of the film, with some rare exceptions that highlight and enhance specific moments and scenes in unique ways. While many of the songs on the Barbie soundtrack feel somewhat inevitably commercialized, there are some surprisingly great songs that came out of Mattel's first blockbuster film and accompanying album.
With Mattel's movies based on their popular toys set for future releases, the company has clearly made plans to build a Hollywood franchise after the massive success and originality of Barbie. More Mattel films could also inspire the production of additional great albums and songs from the music industry's most celebrated and respected musical artists. Here is every song in the Barbie movie ranked from worst to best, with a specific focus on the quality of the music, its replay value, and each song's overall impact on the film.
17 "butterflies" by GAYLE
GAYLE of "abcdefu" fame comes in strong with the pop-punk "butterflies" which acts as a noticeable outlier to the otherwise mainstream Barbie album. While the song accurately personifies Weird Barbie (Kate McKinnon) in the film, it's not the easiest song to listen to especially when considering its replay value. It has a lot going on and is somewhat overwhelmed by its own force. It does feature a popular sample from "Butterflies" by Crazy Town which flips its original 'male gaze' lyrics on its head.
16 "Choose Your Fighter" by Ava Max
"Choose Your Fighter" by Ava Max feels right up the singer's usual alley, which works both for and against her favor on the Barbie album. The energetic techno-inspired beat has the potential to get the blood pumping but is otherwise distracted by positive yet lackluster lyrics that drift into the realm of cliché. The song also sounds a little too much like Ava Max's popular song "Kings & Queens", leaving listeners with a generally recycled and uninspired impression that ultimately sounds too familiar.
15 "Pink" by Lizzo
Lizzo's "Pink" acts as a great and catchy introduction to Barbie Land and the film altogether, but suffers as a standalone single without the context of the film. Lizzo's brightly exceptional voice shines as it always does, but the song is ultimately too ingrained in the on-screen action to garner much replay value from the album alone. Lizzo's lyrics pertain to the childlike idealization of the Barbie doll that initially makes the film appear as a simple story exclusively for kids, which of course it's not.
14 "Forever & Again" by The Kid LAROI
"Forever & Again" by The Kid LAROI of "Without You" fame features his signature ion and emotional sound, which doesn't exactly fit in with the image of Barbie. While the song will likely satisfy most of his fans with its heartfelt lyrics and crisp vocals, it ends up feeling displaced compared to some of the other songs on the album. "Forever & Again" doesn't speak much to the themes of Barbie and could easily have been released as a single entirely separate from the project.
13 "Dance The Night" by Dua Lipa
"Dance the Night" was the first single released from the Barbie soundtrack, which makes sense considering its mainstream appeal with Dua Lipa at the helm. The song is regrettably not one of her best efforts and again feels like a recycled version of several other disco-funk-inspired Dua Lipa songs that didn't make the cut on her last album. "Dance the Night" is certainly poised to be the definitive song from Barbie but holds its structural expectation with hollow execution.
12 "Barbie Dreams (feat. Kaliii)" by FIFTY FIFTY
"Barbie Dreams" is the last track of the album which ends on an upbeat with a distinctive K-POP influence from the girl group FIFTY FIFTY. The song is a bubbly and blissful representation of stereotypical Barbie's frame of mind and naive worldview before it gets broken down by the harsh truths of the Real World. If "Barbie Dreams" is intended as a filler track, it fits the bill exceptionally by perfecting signature K-POP electronica with punchy and dreamlike lyrics that feel true to the source material.
11 "Man I Am" by Sam Smith
Sam Smith was the last surprise artist announced on the Barbie album and his contribution is a great inclusion for all Kens. Smith has changed up his creative style over the years, making it seem like the Barbie album has been his landing point all along. Smith successfully creates a feel-good pop song while maintaining originality and a stronger sense of the song's purpose in the film, which essentially taps into the unrealized inner worth of all unappreciated Kens out there who are ready to let loose.
10 "Barbie World (with Aqua)" by Nicki Minaj & Ice Spice
Another one of the more commercialized songs from Barbie, "Barbie World" by Nicki Minaj & Ice Spice feels fresh and exactly the right choice for the updated version of the famous Aqua song. Nicki Minaj often refers to herself as Barbie through her rap persona and understands the impact that the doll has had on standardized images of feminity and expectations of appearance. Minaj completely owns the opportunity to cash in on her Barbie association with a hip-hop/trap rendition that provides some of the best lyrical punches on the album.
9 "WATATI (feat. Aldo Ranks)" by KAROL G
"WATATI" is another track in Barbie that is easy to dance to and packs a ton of energy because of its reggaeton influence. Its bouncy bass and Latin feel make it a great contribution to the movie by KAROL G that is more effective in producing fun-loving energy than other major pop stars' efforts on the album are. As the second released single on the album, it was able to market the film to a wider, more global audience.
8 "Silver Platter" by Khalid
Khalid's "Silver Platter" is somewhat forgettable and suffers similar issues as other songs for being too familiar in ways, but the overall product makes for a highly enjoyable listen with high replay value. The song also arrives at a point in the Barbie film with a hilarious effect in which Ken is asking Barbie to let him stay the night at her house for once. The catchy baseline groove mixed with the soft piano and Khalid's killer vocals makes "Silver Platter" a clear winner on the Barbie soundtrack.
