Ryan Gosling attends the "Barbie" European Premiere at Cineworld Leicester Square on July 12, 2023 in London, England© Getty Images

Ryan Gosling finally celebrates long-awaited news hot on the heels of Barbie success

The phenomenon of Barbie never dies…

Ahad Sanwari - New York
Senior WriterNew York
August 3, 2023

The Barbie mania continues! The Margot Robbie-Ryan Gosling led existentialist comedy about Mattel's iconic doll reigns supreme over the box office as one of the year's biggest phenomena.

Not only is it a certified hit in ticket sales, but also on the music charts, with some of its biggest hits, like Dua Lipa's 'Dance the Night', Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice's 'Barbie World', and Billie Eilish's 'What Was I Made For?' have achieved worldwide success.

However, another hit creeping up the charts, one of the first tracks from the movie to be fully released, is Ryan's himbo anthem, 'I'm Just Ken', which he sings [spoiler alert] while preparing to wage in an all-Ken war after being instigated by the Barbies.

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The 80s style power pop ballad, created by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, is now a charting hit, debuting on the latest American Billboard chart at number 87.

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The song is the fifth from the soundtrack to debut on the chart (including the aforementioned three and Charli XCX's 'Speed Drive'), and a milestone first for the Oscar-nominated actor, 42.

© Getty Images

Ryan's himbo anthem 'I'm Just Ken' becomes his first charting hit

The news comes as a welcome surprise for fans of the actor given he has had a career in music since 2009 with his rock band Dead Man's Bones (which released one self-titled album the same year).

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He has had other releases thanks to performances from the soundtracks for Blue Valentine and La La Land, last achieving chart success in certain European countries with his duet with Emma Stone on 'City of Stars'.

© Getty Images

The song follows on the heels of the film's massive box office success

The dad-of-two, who shares his two daughters with Eva Mendes, spoke to GQ recently about his dedication to Ken, a "story that needs to be told," a portrayal that has already drummed up critical acclaim and some Oscar buzz.

MORE: Eva Mendes reveals plans to support Ryan Gosling's biggest career moment yet after absence from Barbie premiere

When asked by the outlet about the early debate on whether he was too old to play the male doll, he responded: "It is funny, this kind of clutching-your-pearls idea of, like, #notmyken. 

© Sky

Ryan has had a thriving music career as an independent artist and performer on film soundtracks

"Like you ever thought about Ken before this?" he emphatically stated. "But suddenly, it's like, 'No, we've cared about Ken this whole time.' No, you didn't. You never did. You never cared. Barbie never [expletive] with Ken. That's the point. If you ever really cared about Ken, you would know that nobody cared about Ken. So your hypocrisy is exposed. This is why his story must be told."

MORE: Ryan Gosling reveals how his home life with Eva Mendes and daughters turned into an 'avalanche' before Barbie

The main soundtrack, meanwhile, debuted at number two on the albums chart, the Billboard 200, just behind the second EP, Get Up, from K-Pop girl group NewJeans.

© Warner Brothers

The main Barbie soundtrack debuted at no. two on the US charts

The margins between the two, however, ended up being razor thin, as only 500 copies separated the two, with Get Up debuting with 126,500, the second K-Pop girl group to hit number one after BLACKPINK.

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